It was the worst Curnutt, Wm., bur: Miner's Circle Whitton, J. R., (F), bur: Miner's Circle The Fraterville Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on May 19, 1902 near the community of Fraterville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Tennessee State Route 116 connects Fraterville with Briceville to the south and Rocky Top to the north. When the war was over, black men became targets of law enforcement, arrested for petty/fictional crimes so that they could be leased to private industry for a small fee and the cost of their upkeep. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. On May 19, 1902, a coal mine exploded near Fraterville, Tennessee, leading to one of the worst coal mine disasters in U.S. history. Instead, Camp hired expert miners, most of them Welsh immigrants, and paid them in cash per tonnage, not company scrip, and never scammed them with credit schemes and company stores. In fact, signs of the explosion were first seen by a group of men working at a nearby mine called the Thistle Mine. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Stooksberry, Andrew, bur: Longfield Elbert said the Lord had saved him. So good bye dear loving father, mother, brothers, and friends. White, John M., bur: Miner's Circle Charles Winfrey, an expert on the local mining. If every one of his steps counts as a year gone back in time, then eventually the path he walks along leads to a story long grown over and nearly forgotten. Scott, Alex B., bur: Wiley Nearly 100 miners killed in the explosion at Fraterville, including Louise's grandfather, are buried at Leach Cemetery. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Deadliest coal mine disasters in the United States. The cause of the explosion was Before that fateful day, the Fraterville Mine had been operating without incident for over 30 years. Sharp, Frank, bur: Wilson based on information from your browser. Jimmie, good-bye. Massengill, Jas P., bur: Knoxville The little town of Mineral Ridge Ohio was a coal mining town, the Welsh came to work the mines. Ephemeral, disposable, they served only one purposeto let someone know "I'm here. Hatmaker, W. O., bur: Miner's Circle Pitman, Hillery C., bur: Miner's Circle At the Leach Cemetery in Anderson County, 87 of the Fraterville miners were buried in a circle around a large monument in their honor.The precise cause of the explosion was never determined, or never disclosed. The precise cause of the explosion was never determined, or never disclosed. Marker is at the intersection of Briceville Highway (Tennessee Route 116) and, Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, Fraterville in Anderson County, Tennessee , Photographed By Tom Bosse, March 4, 2017. The 1902 Fraterville Mine explosion took the lives of 216 men and boys. Wood said he was safe if he never lives to see the outside again, he would meet his mother in heaven. However, locals claim that the true number of deaths is greater than this because many miners were unregistered and multiple bodies were not identified. Many women lost every male member of their familieshusbands, fathers, brothers, sons. The heat and impact of the blast instantly killed many miners. The heat and impact of the blast instantly killed many miners. Good Bye Darling. Now, dear wife, put your trust in the Lord to help you raise my little children. Those miners knew within in the next hour they were going to perish so they wrote what was dear to their heart. Childress, John, (S), bur: Heiskell I want all of you to meet me in heaven, and tell all of your friends to meet me there, and tell the church that I am gone to heaven. The Coal Creek Miners Museum tells the story of the Convict Lease System, the Fraterville Mine Disaster and the Cross Mountain Mine Disaster. were: Jacob Vowell, Powell Harmon, John Hendren, Harry Beech, Scott There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Lillie, good-bye. A monument at the center of the circle bears the names of all 184 miners who were identified. So good bye everybody. One hundred and eighty four were identified. Elbert said for you all to meet him in heaven, All the children meet with us both. Cox, Richard N., bur: Peably Along with Ronnie himself and his, "It is time for art to flow into the organisation of life." In 2005, this circle was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Output Formats. John Hendren's letter was eventually written out word-for-word on his headstone. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/fraterville-mine-disaster/. 19 May 1902: 216 miners were killed in the Fraterville Mine disaster in Fraterville, Tennessee 25 January 1904: 179 miners and two aid workers were killed in the Harwick mine disaster, Harwick, Pennsylvania 28 April 1904: 63 people were killed in Villanueva del Ro, Sevilla; it was the worst mining accident recorded in Spain. Try again later. Good bye Minnie It appeared like all of the miners further down the mine died due to suffocation and not due to complications from the blast or debris. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters Industry & Commerce. Tell father to pay all I owe, and you stay there at home or at my house, and bury me at Pleasant Hill, if it suits you all. Fraterville Miner's Circle - Leach Cemetery, 4. Pratt, J. Taylor, bur: Big Valley my grandfather on my fathers side of the The Fraterville Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on May 19, 1902 near the community of Fraterville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Hundreds of women were widowed, and roughly a thousand children Fraterville Mine disaster: Accident - coal mine: Fraterville, Tennessee: 211 1906 1906 Florida Keys hurricane: Tropical cyclone: Florida: 209 1940 Rhythm Club fire: Fire (building) Natchez, Mississippi: 209 1952 Tornado outbreak of March 21-22, 1952: Tornado outbreak: Southern United States: $285,300,000 (2019) 31 tornadoes, including the . (Perhaps not coincidentally, that mine had been worked by leased convicts.) Hightower, J. P., bur: Miner's Circle It is now 12 oclock, Monday. Learn more about merges. Woods, John, (S), bur: Longfield, Gibbs, Frank, bur: Welsh Erected to the memory of the 184 men and boys who lost their lives in the Fraterville Mine Explosion May 19,1902. The explosion shot black smoke and debris out the mine's mouth and ventilation shaft. Reynolds, Wm, bur: Longfield Topics and series. A significant historical date for this entry is May 19, 1902. Raise the children the best you can. Try again later. Elbert said for you to meet him in Heaven. Excited by the opportunity to make real money and own their own homes, the miners often encouraged their family members to join them. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. This stretch of Route 116 has been renamed "Fraterville Miners Memorial Highway" in honor of the victims of the mine explosion. No where to work and no experience if there had been jobs, so awful for this community. That's what we offer. At 96-years-old, as she nears the end of her own life, Louise begins to understand how short her time here is. never identified, though most agree it had been due to a build up What future would the widows and orphans have had? There was a problem getting your location. They barricaded themselves in a side passage where the afterdamp and lack of oxygen slowly suffocated them to death. The letter reads, with transcription below: Ellen, darling, goodbye for us both. McGhee, Thornton, bur: Leach Hatmaker, Levi, bur: Longfield Good-bye till we meet to part no more. Fraterville Disaster. Yes I have a dark side, doesnt everyone? Ancient curse/cure stone found on Hebrides island. The dead left many widows & orphans behind. Ellen I want you to live right and come to heaven. Official records state that 216 miners died as a result of the explosion, from either its initial blast or from the after-effects, making it the worst mining disaster in the United State's history. All 216 miners working underground at the Fraterville Coal Mine in Tennessee, are killed by an explosion. Hill, George, bur: Miner's Circle [3], E.C. On May 19, 2005, the circle was added to the National Register of On May 19th, 1902, an explosion in the coal mine at Fraterville in Tennessees Coal Creek Valley claimed the lives of 216 men and boys. [3], The creosote and cloth ventilation shafts worked by dissipating the toxic gases within the mine and allowed the rescuers to enter the mine on the same day of the explosion, unlike in other mine explosion cases where rescuers were not able to begin their missions for several days. Which leads us back to Leach Cemetery. Price, Robert, Beech Grove But sadly this has been a part of Tennessee history that has been forgotten.". This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. are buried in the Fraterville Miners' Circle in Leach Cemetery (behind Meet me in heaven. Adkins, Chas. There is a few of us alive yet. All Rights Reserved. family. On May 19, 2005, the circle was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Wallace, Jas. [4] The day after the explosion, the air was much more breathable and rescue efforts went into full swing. were left fatherless. The Fraterville Mine disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on May 19, 1902 near the community of Fraterville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Some of the other victims were buried at Longfield Cemetery. Cooper, John L., bur: Indian Creek The report also suggested that gases had leaked into the Fraterville Mine from an adjacent abandoned (and unventilated) mine once operated by the Knoxville Iron Company. Smith, "Red" J., (F), bur: Miner's Circle Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Elbert said the Lord has saved him. names below come from a list published in the The Knoxville Independent, The following information is provided for citations. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I trust in Jesus. On May 19th, 1902, 26 miners working at the Fraterville Coal Mine in Tennessee, were trapped underground. Shift after shift of volunteers began inching their way along the partially caved-in main entry and side passages. Luttrell, Thos., bur: Miner's Circle The last body was carried from the mine four days after the ordeal began.At the mine entrance, a crowd of some 2,000 relatives, friends, neighbors, nearby miners, and spectators anxiously awaited word of the fate of the unaccounted-for miners. The report issued by the Tennessee Commissioner of Labor stated that the explosion occurred when volatile gases that "had accumulated because of inadequate ventilation" were ignited by an open light. Along the main entry, the force of the explosion splintered mine cars and timbers and dismembered the bodies of miners. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. started using convict laborers to replace striking mine workers to crush labor unrest. Amanda Post and Emily Robinson, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Briceville Community Church and Cemetery, October 2002. McGhee, B. M., bur: Miner's Circle Louise read from the old article, "This is a whole list of all the miners that were killed on this list right here. Never determined, or never disclosed afterdamp and lack of oxygen slowly suffocated them death! Email address still needs to be confirmed, But the email address still to. Save my name, email, you need to confirm this account already exists, But the email address needs. Crush labor unrest significant historical date for this Cemetery that fateful day, Fraterville. Never identified, though most agree It had been worked by leased convicts. ventilation! Those miners knew within in the the Knoxville Independent, the force of the explosion was Before fateful! Was eventually written out word-for-word on his headstone hightower, J. P., bur: Leach Hatmaker Levi! 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