Kansas and Texas No. 44 Mine Disaster 1897

Date: 4 Mar 1897 to 4 Mar 1897
Location: Huntington, Sebastian County, Arkansas
Surnames/tags: Mining_Disasters Arkansas Disasters

Disasters | Mining Disasters | United States Mining Disasters | Southeast United States Mining Disasters | Kansas and Texas No. 44 Mine Disaster

Contents 1 History and Circumstances 1.1 Rescue Efforts 1.2 Results and Findings 1.3 Victims 1.4 Sources

History and Circumstances

• Date: Mar 4, 1897
• Location: Huntington, Arkansas
• Victims: 14 casualties
• Cause: Misfire Powder Keg

Levi Barrett purchased the land that would become the city of Huntington, and almost immediately sold to the Missouri, Kansas, Texas Coal Company. The town of Huntington began as a coal mining town in 1887. Three large coal mines began operating in the area. The following year, Huntington was incorporated on February 4, 1888.

Mine No. 44 was located about a quarter of a mile north of the main part of town. The main shaft was sunk about six years before the accident, but was abandoned for about two years before it was reopened. Over a hundred men, half African Americans were employed in the mine.

Rescue Efforts

About 4:30, people heard a muffled roar from the mine and began to rush toward the mine, as many had family and friends working there. Within a few minutes of the explosion, miners began to emerge from the mine. Some of them were not injured at all, but others were severely burned with blisters, and skin standing up on their hands and faces.

Superintendent Vail of the Kansas and Texas Coal Company began to direct the rescue effort and search for those who were unable to walk up the slope out of the mine. As the rescue efforts got underway, slowly more seriously injured miners were brought out of the mines. As they were recovered from the mines, people loaded the injured on wagons and transported them to their homes. At least one person died in the explosion, and 16 others were badly injured. The death toll was probably much higher, as people were simply sent home where they probably died later of their injuries. Other newspaper accounts reported the injured at thirty-five.

Results and Findings

Different theories were given for the cause of the explosion. Superintendent Vail believed carelessness caused a powder keg to explode. Miners working in the mine disagreed and said a shot caused it misfiring, which caused the powder keg to explode. They also said the mine was very dry and dusty at the time, and the furnace was not sufficient to create a draft and remove dust from the mine. There was very little gas in the mine, and everyone was of the opinion that gas build up had no part in the explosion.

Victims

Miners Name Sourced Bio Connected Category Griffith "Bud" Hanley Jr Yes No No Killed in Explosion William R. Hanley Yes No No African American; badly burned; died after explosion Jasper Hubbard Yes Yes No African American; badly burned will probably die F. Fricker No No No burned on the arms, head and face T. Stuzner No No No badly burned, may die Andrew Fox No No No badly burned Ennis Cable No No No African American; probably fatally burned Marshal Hayes No No No severely burned on head and face W. H. Hite No No No track layer, severely burned on head and hands. He survived the accident. John Harris No No No African American; hands and head badly burned John Patterson No No No African American; badly burned; thought to be internally injured Doc Huffecker No No No African American; burned on head, shoulders and arms J. Ellis No No No African American; hands and head badly burned William Morris No No No badly burned on head, face and arms William Scarlett No No No severely burned and cut on the head; in a precarious condition John Maxwell No No No very badly burned William Gardenhire No No No burned on face, neck and head

Sources

• The Chanute times. (Chanute, KS), Mar. 12 1897. "Huntington Mine Explosion No. 44 Mar 12, 1897." Accessed 11 Jul 2022
• Barbour County index. (Medicine Lodge, KS), Mar. 10 1897. "Barbour County Index Mar 10, 1897." Accessed 12 Jul 2022
• The Wichita daily eagle. (Wichita, KS), Mar. 6 1897. "The Wichita Daily Eagle March 6, 1897." Accessed 12 Jul 2022
• Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 93, Number 12, 6 March 1897. "Disastrous Fire in an Arkansas Mine." Accessed 12 Mar 2022
• U.S. Mine Disasters, United States Mine Rescue Association, Mine Disasters in the United States. "Mine Disasters in the United States." Accessed 12 Jul 2022
• Department of the Interior, Franklin K. Lane, Secretary, Bureau of Mines, Van. H. Manning, Director. "Coal-Mine Fatalities in the United States 1870-1914." Accessed 12 Jul 2022
• Bulletin (United States. Bureau of Mines). no. 115, 1916. N.p.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1916. "Bulletin (United States, Bureau of Mines). No. 115, 1916." Accessed 12 Jul 2022
• The Coal and Coke Operator and Fuel Magazine. United States: Coal Publishing Company, 1915. "General Mine Information." Accessed 12 Jul 2022