The 1947 Centralia Mine Disaster

On March 9th, 1946 a letter was stamped as “received” at the Governor’s office in Springfield, Illinois. Miners at the Local 52 union of the United Mine Workers of America had addressed the letter to governor Dwight Green, begging him to take action at what they considered unsafe conditions at their mine in Centralia. “Governor Green this is a plea to you, to please save our lives, to make the department of mines and minerals enforce the laws.” Four men signed the letter - a little over a year later three of the men would die in a mine explosion.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by JCG
#history #thehistoryguy #LaborDay

[@Welshman2008]

A Miner stood at the golden gate, His head was bent and low.
 He meekly asked the man of fate, The way that he should go. ‘What have you done' St. Peter said ' To gain admission here? '
'I merely dug for coal' he said, 'for many and many a year.'
 St. Peter opened up the gate,
 And softly tolled the bell. 'Come and choose your harp' he said 'You've had your share of hell.' In memory of my Grandfather and Miners who Died in all mining disasters around the world who fight for the Coal that powers and warms our homes. R Prince 2020

[@aprylrittenhouse4562]

That made me cry. Reminds me of the marines prayer

[@deee5520]

😢💔

[@mattk04]

My Grandfather was also a coal miner. Nice poem to honor them.

[@GringoLoco1]

💔

[@Platypi007]

I'm no longer a religious man, but this brings tears to my eyes.

[@davinacampbell5467]

My grandfather was killed in this mine disaster. All my grandmother received from the company was $100 compensation. I still have the original newspaper with all the men's names in it. It's very heartbreaking.

[@kaylavaughn5881]

That really sucks man

[@Richard-zc1cj]

I'm sorry to hear that. Corporations can be so greedy and unfair.

[@TheLegoboy567]

No monthly stipends from the miner’s union?

[@haroldadkins770]

So sad

[@evryhndlestakn]

Its completely disgusting. Profits for peoples lives. Those responsible walk away without blame & those that die ask for so little. The ability to earn a living with the damn minimum of safety. Its appalling. Nothing will ever change in all industries, wall st, etc until those at the top are imprisoned & cant pay their way out of responsibility. A dream.

[@johnlakey4983]

When I saw the names of the departed, I couldn't turn it off out of respect.

[@garymickus6412]

I did the same.

[@firstmkb]

Robert Sears I didn’t pay attention to all of the ages, but saw a number over 60 and one 65. That’s a sad end to a life, as for the 20 year old kid I also noticed.

[@edwardblair4096]

There were many over 60 and I saw 1 each that were 70 and 71.

[@Billman66]

Same, it's the least I could do.

[@Billman66]

@Robert Sears so, you noticed that too? More than a few were in their sixties.

[@richardredick7515]

Brought tears to my eyes: "So long, Jack. See you at quiting time."

[@ryangale3757]

That, and seeing both a Jr. and a Sr., presumably from the same family, among the dead. Just damn.

[@ernestdougherty3162]

Yep same here

[@Switcharoo12]

Yup, me too, also the notes in the miners pockets.😔

[@mikefightmaster]

That one picture, where all you can see is the Whites of their eyes and white teeth, shows how much dust was in the air. They were all headed for a slow death from Black Lung Disease.

[@AdamBechtol]

Aye :(

[@dem0nchild610]

I honestly thought he was going to talk about the Centralia Pennsylvania I got really excited lol but it's neat to learn about another Centralia with a mine accident

[@alancarnell2747]

Me too. I knew the fire started later than that but in coal towns, big accidents aren't as rare as anyone would like, so an earlier disaster that hinted at what happened later is what I was expecting.

[@dougzellers9725]

I knew it wasn't about the fire from the date, but I figured it might have been something vaguely related ... who knew there was a Centralia in Illinois? Some stealth storytelling there. Using a title that will attract the algorithm and then going on to tell history that nobody knew (or at least I didn't). Good show old chap.

[@rywolf01]

Me too.

[@ecouturehandmades5166]

I was hoping he wasn't talking about the coal mine at Centralia, WASHINGTON. I delivered parts at night to their repair shop and had to take parts in a tiny quarter ton pickup to the pit - following HUGE machinery and trucks, then crossing a temporary bridge - still have nightmares. Had to call the company several times regarding the fires in the coal piles waiting to be transported by train. Hated that job, but it paid the bills.

[@artjones2498]

id too i lived close to there for 18mo...in girardville

[@-jeff-]

The name of a relative was on the list at the end. If this had been about the West Frankfort disaster a few years later it would have shown three of my relatives names. I praise your highlighting this disaster and hope it never becomes "Forgotten History".

[@damageinc407]

Who was your relative? May God be with him and you as he will be thanked for paying the ultimate price to help keep our country running.

[@-jeff-]

@@damageinc407 Chuck Cagle. My grandmother's cousin(?) . She'd make the trip up to Centralia to decorate his and other of the families graves.

[@khanoclast]

My mother's-in-law father was a victim of the West Frankfort mine disaster, when she was just 11 or 12. It overshadows her Christmas still to this day.

[@-jeff-]

@@khanoclast She wasn't alone. Lots around S. Illinois probably hold Dec 21not for the first day of winter but a day of mourning.

[@Chaos8282]

Now when they say the West Frankfort disaster are they referring to the Orient Mine? Lived here almost my whole life, and that what I've always known it as.

[@VosperCDN]

The biggest tragedy for this, and similar events, is how obvious the coming disaster is to those in the know, and how little those with the power to change things care.

[@ericgrace9995]

That sir, could just as easily describe America's leaving of Afghanistan.

[@rabbi120348]

Unfortunately when all that is valued in a society are things and money, that's what you get. It's not significantly different today.

[@robvancamp2781]

Those who don't learn ftom history...

[@larrybe2900]

Some is negligence, some is ignorance and once was an accident but twice was bordering on intentional. Every industry encounters unforeseen issues like plane crashes for example to make future models better. It is sad here that the knowledge was known but production came ahead of life. Perhaps these men should be added to the names of men lost in the war effort.

[@walterappling6230]

I think that, deep down, they don’t really believe anything will happen, so ignoring the warnings is quickly and easily rationalized away. They might argue that they didn’t ignore the warnings but somehow the *process* went awry. This is standard human behavior, unfortunately.

[@poomsiraprapasiri8448]

13:46 “but little was actually done” and the look on his face perfectly sums up the emotion of this clip.

[@barrywinters1142]

"when all is said and done-more is said than done"

[@johnstevenson9956]

A thousand dollar fine. That'll teach 'em.

[@pyrokuda9743]

The rich mine owners should have been shot on sight.

[@TheDoctor1225]

@@johnstevenson9956 Yeah. We just saw something similar here where I live; the owner of a limo company was given no jail time, community service and probation in return for pleadiing guilty to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide in a crash of one of his vehicles in which 20 people died. Community service, probation, no jail time - oh yeah, and he can't legally work in a transportation related job. For 20 lives - 20 deaths that he pled guilty to having been criminally negligent in causing.

[@MrNicoJac]

@@TheDoctor1225 That's mostly the US justice system itself though. If the prosecution has little certainty of a conviction, they're willing to settle for next to nothing, just to get a plea on the books.... Fucking unbelievable

[@josephstevens9888]

That was fitting tribute to the miners who lost their lives in the Centralia Mine Disaster, March 25, 1947 on this Labor Day 2021. Thank you History Guy.

[@larrybe2900]

@peter michalski Because the ones who run things never got their hands dirty to know what its like.

[@larrybe2900]

@peter michalski If you ever watch a trucking channel from China you would see the mentality for getting things done. Using vehicles undersized, etc. I agree.

[@jliller]

Rules and laws mean nothing when there is no punishment for breaking them. Especially when money is on the line.

[@soakupthesunman]

Yes, that is a major problem with all laws that govern the behavior of politicians. They break the law, then "apologize" because there's no prescribed punishment... but they get to keep the monry. Justin Trudeau is one such criminal.

[@dbmail545]

The ages of the victims is striking. Mostly men too old for the draft.

[@cmdraftbrn]

military doesnt want old farts with a sense of morality. they want young fatalists. easier to manipulate.

[@mundanestuff]

4-F in the military is A-OK for the mines.

[@richgee4173]

Exactly what I was thinking .

[@ilikequiet6474]

Yes it was surprising how old these men were and I can not even imagine being bent over shoveling coal every day. One miner was 71 years old and the work ethic this generation had is truly amazing.

[@filanfyretracker]

@Robert Sears its crazy sometimes to think about where one grows up and what they would be inhaling by age 15 if one lived there during its industrial peak. I dunno what is worse kids as coal miners getting black lung or the Mercury Nitrate in the hat factories of my home town.

[@raydunakin]

The mens' notes to their wives were heartbreaking.

[@poursomebeeronit]

Especially the man asking forgiveness of his wife. As if he were doing something wrong....

[@jashanestone]

@@poursomebeeronit the forgiveness for less time with her and more time working. Working from home should a blessing for those who are in stable relationships.

[@seanshea8596]

Amen. The man asking forgiveness really knew how much he was leaving his wife to endure. So sad.

[@seanshea8596]

@@poursomebeeronit Yet, there is so much wrong about this and so very little is this man's fault and almost all of it is visited on his wife and kids, who no one can argue are the least at fault.

[@benjie128]

With mining work being potentially deadly I wonder how much of that is just something they do regularly, just in case something were to happen and they dont come back up alive.

[@roberthudson1959]

Some things never change. Shortly after the 2010 coal mine explosion in West Virginia, federal safety investigators arriving at another mine had the security officers arrested for obstruction. The officers were obeying company policy that required a company escort for anyone entering the mine. This gave the company enough time to obscure any violations.

[@broyobrogdon6403]

The president or congress does not run this country big money does.humans are just another commodity that can be replaced.its sad but seems to be the way of the world.

[@jimwilliams4532]

Government and UMWA corruption is rampant and getting hired is about who you know. Good old boy's network. You rarely will find a black man or a poor man starting a job in a UMWA mine.

[@garycarpenter2980]

Company policy my foot 🦶 life is short 😊

[@stevedietrich8936]

Cronyism and ineffective politicians, who would have ever suspected that from the state of Illinois?

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

Corruption rears its ugly head, I am sure more than a few dollars changed hands for the problems to be swiped under the rug.

[@microdesigns2000]

After 30 years in Illinois, I moved to lower taxes and higher pay in Minnesota. It's beautiful summers are like a vacation from May to October. But politicians here are cut from the same dirty cloth as Illinois. Just like the Madigan machine that finally came to and end this year, the Omar legacy includes shady practices such as ballot harvesting in minority communities. I wish I could say that high corruption is just a thing in Illinois, but it's not. Oh Illinois, you who send your governors to prison and won't balance your budget, what will become of you?!

[@cbalducc]

@@LazyLifeIFreak How much coast dust can you hide under a rug?

[@Paladin1873]

@@microdesigns2000 You could make a poem of your comments. If you do, may I suggest you title it "Oh Illinois, what will become of you?" P.S. Like you, my sister and her husband moved from IL to MN after 30 years, and they share your sentiments.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

@@cbalducc A ratio of money:dead bodies in weight.

[@skoopsro7656]

Damn man. The endings of these videos often feel like haunting words.

[@pfadiva]

Another good one. And a reminder that safety regulations are written in blood and lost lives.

[@lvtiguy226]

Indeed, and many of those regulations were enacted due to the efforts of unions to protect the workers.

[@TestingPyros]

In almost all professions, code tends to be written in blood.

[@DanielleWhite]

"But little was actually done" is a far too common refrain, even in response to such disasters. I grew-up in Scranton and so much history of that nature was around me.

[@markanderson7243]

Beautiful comment.....How are you doing today??

[@waitwot]

Did you ever get paper from Dunder mifflin?

[@grapeshot]

West Frankfort Illinois was heavily damaged by the Tri-State Tornado of 1925. It practically leveled a coal mining company town. Nearly all the miners survived because they were underground when the tornado hit. But their women and children weren't so lucky.

[@jashanestone]

I want to know more. 👀👂🏾

[@bassguy1960]

@@jashanestone there are several books out about the Tri-State Tornado as it was called. It formed in Missouri and crossed into Illinois and then Indiana before it dissipated. Hundreds of people were killed, most of them in Illinois. It was a monster tornado.

[@timloss87]

@@jashanestone Its still talked about today. i remember the stories my grandpa told me about it

[@ericgrace9995]

My father was a pitman in the South Lancashire Coal Field. Orwell wrote a moving account of their lives in ; The Road to Wigan Pier. There is a unity of mining communities across the world and this disaster could just as easily have happened to my father or grandfather. A tragedy caused by greed and indifference.

[@blank557]

Green and Medill had the authority and power to prevent this. I hope the ghosts of the miners who died haunted them for the rest of their lives.

[@kenbeals4462]

Politicians are the worst kind of sociopaths. They have no concern of the effect of their decisions, only how those decisions will enrich them and enhance their position. The little people are merely pawns in the Great Game.

[@dsnodgrass4843]

@@kenbeals4462 Mine owners and other capitalists are worse. Sacrificing workers' lives callously for a day's profit.

[@censusgary]

Underground mining is dangerous, unhealthy, difficult, and exhausting work. Many miners rarely see daylight, since they are asleep when they’re not deep beneath the earth. The people who do it deserve our unending gratitude, as well as every possible safety precaution. Coal miners have some of the most hazardous jobs of all.

[@michaelclarke6402]

My father worked underground as a teen I was talking to him about how I thought working underground would be terrible. He related that there were men who would NOT come up but would stay down and find a place to sleep and get up when their shift came back, some friend would bring them food and drink. They would come up about every week or so but otherwise stayed down. Here I am, I hate to go into caves for crying out loud.

[@censusgary]

@@michaelclarke6402 If you’re really far down in a deep mine, it takes a considerable amount of time to come up to the surface and come down again. Still, I would sure want to see some sunshine, if it were me down there.

[@gerardjohnson2106]

Very respectful that you would scroll the names of the lost.

[@waltrogers9770]

Struck by the ages of lost miners. Lots of men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Most of the younger men still in the military and haven't returned from war service, perhaps?

[@clintlarvenz2570]

Exactly, hadn't returned or would never return

[@joshgreen2164]

I was born 33 years later in Salem. One town over, and have never heard of this. Thank you!

[@joshgreen2164]

The train wreck at Tonti not far from there is far more known locally.

[@observantservant2135]

Thank you for making my morning coffee a bit better. As a past coal miner in Southern illinois, I applauded your deep , but not too deep detail. Galatia New Future mine. Ironically Dubbed 'no future' If you do another, please look into the black Christmas in Southern illinois. Thank you for your time and research

[@dapash8847]

I was shocked by the list of those who died, particularly by their ages. So many were over 60 and still hard at work in the mine. Those were challenging times in America.

[@Richard-zc1cj]

It's hard to save any money with the wages they were paid. Some probably worked until their bodies gave out.

[@grapeshot]

My great-grandfather and my grandfather were West Virginia coal miners from the Beckley area. I remember my grandfather telling me how dangerous that job could be.

[@RetiredSailor60]

I've been through Beckley many times and knew a woman in Colorado whose ancestors were Beckley's, the town that bears the name.

[@garrettmineo]

I have been down in a Beckey coal mine that was opened for tours. I am sure it had been cleaned up, but it was still a claustrophobic scary experience. This mine had been abandoned because the coal seam was too shallow. There was no way to stand up, even a little. It was when they turned out the lights that I decided the Beckley coal miners were either crazy or heroes, probably a little of both. Those guys were amazing and tough as nails.

[@evensgrey]

@@garrettmineo I de believe that, about 40 years ago, I visited that mine on a family vacation to West Virginia. If not that one, then there must be another such mine that's got reworked into a tourist attraction that's very similar. I recall the guide explaining how they had to dig out the overhead above the tracks to get enough room for the men (no animals in this mine, too low even with the overhead dug out) to have enough space to pull the special low-profile cars for coal and spoil in and out. They had to be almost on hands and knees to get low enough to be able to pull the cars, and they did have to mine on hands and knees with hand tools because the coal seam was so shallow. As I recall, there was still plenty of coal in the seam, but it wasn't economically viable to mine it more than a few tens of feet from the rails because it was so difficult to move it to the cars.

[@susannebeer-eyk7054]

So moving it made me cry. It definitely was a moment in history that did deserve to be remembered. God bless them all.

[@n.m.s7552]

Great comment, I lost many family members because of the big coal companies. Miners are truly unsung heroes. There's a special place in hell for those mine execs!

[@markanderson7243]

Beautiful comment.....Hello Susanne how are you doing today??

[@MrKKUT1984]

Well that's a sad story. Makes you realize how much the folks who were the backbone of building modern America sacrificed so others could benefit.

[@larrybe2900]

And win a war.

[@kidmohair8151]

may I add 'were' in front of 'sacrificed'? Because these men and so many others 'were sacrificed' on the altar of profit and progress

[@andrewcole9440]

I live in Centralia. It’s nice to hear a more detailed full story than what an old man can tell.

[@mrsniko727]

I am the great grand daughter of Domenick Beneventi (54) He died just months before my father was born later that year. I am also kinfolk to both Pete and Dominick Lenzini. I can not thank you enough for this informative and moving tribute to my family members. We also lost several others in another coal mine explosion down in Thurber, TX in the early 1900's

[@davem2720]

I worked underground for a decade. This video has affected me profoundly. In the 70's I worked in a uranium mine here in Canada. There was a heading that had been shut down because of the back(ceiling) working. The safety guys managed to keep it closed for awhile but the mine Manger insisted it be opened. To open it up water needed to be pumped out . A pump was set up but it broke down. I was sent in to fix it which I did. The next day a jumbo drill was sent in to start drilling. It started up and after several minutes the back caved in on them. Four men died . It took several weeks to get to the bodies. I was off shift when we heard the mine rescue whistle but in my heart I knew it was that heading. Eventually when the bodies where found the mine rescue people forced the mine manger to be involved. That same mine manager later worked another mine where a disaster occured. The Westray Cauragh(sp) Mine disaster. I left mining in 1980.

[@krakoosh1]

My mother told me to stay away from mining. I followed my fathers footsteps and became a truck driver

[@phillipstoltzfus3014]

I was expecting it to be about the underground coal fire but this was a great episode.

[@jvsperoni]

I thought the same thing. I explored Centralia, PA years ago and was curious to hear this channel's take on it.

[@phillipstoltzfus3014]

@@jvsperoni I live about an hour from Centralia PA

[@carlbrown9082]

This is such a poignant memorial to the deceased miners. Thank you for bringing us such a wide variety of material.

[@georgemckenna462]

As a child I remember the orange piles of mining waste soil that dotted the landscape of Illinois, even the weeds wouldn't grow on it. They along with the barns have since disappeared.

[@truthmirage]

Very similar to the Grand Canyon, vegetation lacking due to obvious mining

[@anonnymousperson]

I teared up at those last words of his dad.

[@davewoodmancy4596]

Stories like this tend to help you appreciate life a lot more

[@2LV2]

I felt strangely compelled and obligated at the same time to read all the names. Real tragedies seem to resonate through time

[@timcarter1164]

Thank you for bringing this before the rest of the American public. This, the West Frankfort explosion, events that happened in Southern Illinois, they're talked about here, but they're not as well-known Nationwide. And now they are known Worldwide. Thanks to you.

[@marilynapple6156]

So sad! This happened the year I was born. History deserves to be remembered.

[@bobh5020]

Thank you Lance for putting this video together. The "see you at quitting time" quote caused me to cry as did the list of victims at the end. If you have ever watched the movie "October Sky" which is set in W.Va., there are several scenes that clearly show the dangers of mining. Not to mention "Black Lung." LORD bless these men who sacrificed their lives for our nation.

[@djt8518]

The town was called coal wood still is. I worked there in the 70s

[@mattski850]

For someone who is usually so upbeat….. it was obvious this story wrenched at your heart…. Very well presented……. Thank you.

[@jlemaire9418]

70 year old miners!? That's sad. Manly as hell, but sad.

[@kd6836]

Most 20 year olds today wouldn’t last a day

[@marcmelvin3010]

The mines here in Southern Illinois took a lot of lives, often in twos or threes. My great grandfather worked and died in one, and all six of his sons worked in the mines where one of them died. Complications from black lung killed my grandfather, but his oldest brother survived to old age. I remember riding around the area with him, and he would point out an area off to one side or the other of the road, and say that in that slightly sunken area there such-and-such a man had died in a cave in and was still there, or over there so-and-so died. He knew all the names, dates, and places by heart. Coal mining was, and still is, a hard, dirty, and sometimes dangerous job.

[@stevedietrich8936]

Happy Labor Day THG, and family

[@RicMoxley]

brought me to tears, especially the victim roll at the end.

[@robertbeam4534]

And greed still kills people everyday.

[@lnrr-fn4hd]

I was born and raised in a small town about 20 miles from Centralia. At the time of the mine disaster, Centralia's population was about 15,000, so a large portion of the town was personally affected by the deaths of those 111 miners. To remember the tragedy the Centralia High School athletic teams were renamed the Orphans, and still carry that name.

[@Joeybagofdonuts76]

Faces of the Forgotten did several really good videos on the men who died in the accident. I highly recommend going to see it.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Stories like this are common just about anywhere coal was mined underground.

[@Houndini]

As retired 37 year coal miner sadly but true.

[@michaelclarke6402]

@@Houndini not to mention black lung disease rampant among miners

[@hikerbro3870]

So the lesson here is never put mines in places named Centralia. Absolutely criminal.

[@meminustherandomgooglenumbers]

Thanks for all the info on this. I wonder if a similar video could be made about another disaster in a nearby town called Cherry, IL. I only learnt of it because I lived near there for awhile and there's an enormous pile of shattered red bricks outside the town with a nearby roadside plaque marking the event. I seem to recall around 240 killed and the bodies never recovered, as the pile of brick chips, which is still several stories high today, is said to be all that remained of the mine building.

[@ypaulbrown]

History Guy, you are the best....

[@Paladin1873]

So many older men died. It amazes me how much life had to be lost before decisive corrective action was taken. As for the fine, it equated to $9 per man killed, such is the value placed on them.

[@redriver6541]

Being from Muhlenberg Co KY, I can understand what these men went through..... Coal mining was part of our culture for many years. John Prine wrote the song Paradise about one of the towns in the coal fields. We still have orange creeks from all of the acidic water created by the mines.

[@pamelasmith7740]

Paradise

[@Mnogojazyk]

A friend of mine was very interested in the Centralia fire mine disaster and he would talk about it at dinner. I don’t know whether he knew about this disaster. I did not know there was another Centalia mine disaster, the one covered in this video.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

The same type of incident overthrew a Norwegian PM and his cabinet in nov. 1962. Great vlog as always!

[@edward9674]

"So long Jack, see you at quitting time". Damn...

[@treadwelljones]

That was a perfect reminder about why we have Labor Day Thank you

[@johnstevenson9956]

I was stunned at the number of older men on the list. Several at 69, 70, 71...My grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers near Peoria, but had their own personal coal mine, worked by just the 2 of them. It was long before I was born so I never knew much about it. They used dynamite to blast rock loose, then went in to shovel everything out. My Dad said they would listen to the cracking of the rocks to determine when it was safe to go in. (He was never allowed in the mine.) How safe or unsafe their little 2 man operation may have been, I can only imagine, but neither one was ever hurt.

[@AndyCutright]

I guess not surprisingly there were a number of folks sharing the same surname listed at the end, like the Piazzis. One 63, one 27. Father & son? Grandfather and grandson? Horrible loss for their family.

[@jhe001]

You should talk about the Cherry Illinois Mine Disaster that happened about 20 miles north of LaSalle Peru Illinois in 1909. 259 miners died there from black damp and fire. The slag piles are visible from route 80 when traveling between Chicago and Davenport.

[@JimSneddon]

I came here to say this. My dad was a history teacher with a library full of books. One night when I was about ten or eleven I pulled his copy of the "Cherry Mine Disaster" off the shelf and read it until the sun came up. Traumatized me for weeks. What a tragic story!

[@euansmith3699]

So many of the victims were in their 50s and 60s. I guess that a lot of the younger men volunteered or were drafted in to military service.

[@phillipstoltzfus3014]

I noticed that too

[@AcmeRacing]

When I saw the headline I was thinking of Centralia PA. Different Centralia. Different coal mine disaster.

[@brucedoolin1692]

This is where I grew up and I didn't even know about this. Man, I love this channel. Is there a video about the coal wars in Zeigler and Christopher, IL?

[@chriswicker6672]

This is a severe indictment of your local school system.

[@DeanStephen]

Perhaps do a video on the Moweaqua coal mine disaster that happened on Christmas Eve 1932, in Moweaqua, Illinois (the world’s only town of its name) killing 54 miners.

[@boston7704]

It is important that these men are not forgotten. You have done well.

[@chiptobey5874]

There is a Centralia coal disaster in Pennsylvania as well that would make an interesting episode. There has been a fire in the mine continuously since the early '60s and the entire town had to eventually be abandoned due to noxious fumes, sinkholes, and heated soil near the surface.

[@daleyingling4868]

Our family loves your programs!

[@johnkaczinski468]

Thanks for this video, especially listing the names of those lost in the explosion. I had an uncle, John Hummer, die in the mines of Northeast Pennsylvania in the late 1940’s. It was dangerous, horrible work. Your video reminded me of that.

[@HooniCoonCustoms]

Born and raised here. Still live here. My home sinks about an inch a decade due to the mine. We also have shafts with doors barely blocked off that lead to the original mines.

[@wholuvsyababy2675]

The thing that stands out to me is how many of the men that died were in their 50's and 60's. To work so long in such a brutal environment and to have died due to the complete disregard for the value of your life by ownership and management is sickening. This story is so sad. I hope that there is a hell so that those who allowed this to happen can pay for their callous disregard for the basic humanity of these men. $1000 is an embracingly low price to pay.

[@PaulRudd1941]

A coal dust explosion and improperly laid charge was the reason for the number 1 esplanade mine explosion in Nanaimo where I live. That was in 1887. How little was learned.

[@edcrichton9457]

They knew better, but the penny pinching bastards in charge who risked nothing for a payday, did not care.

[@anitamueller3358]

I thought this was going to be about Pennsylvania. I was surprised to hear Illinios. And such neglect and ignorance on the ones responsible. I am not surprised as much as saddened this even happened.

[@markanderson7243]

Well its all about the state.....Hello Anita how are you doing today?

[@johnos4892]

In 1900 when my grandfather was 17 he and his family lived in Centralia Illinois.1900 census records show he worked in the Centralia coal mines along with his older brother and my great grand father. Part of history to be remember is how much physically harder life was. Working in coal mines at 17 to help family get by, seems hard now to get teens to work at a fast food place.

[@ostrich67]

People, even teens, are more likely to object to being exploited by their employers nowadays.

[@tadroid3858]

Surprised by how many 50+ miners are in this group.

[@PanzerMan332]

Listened to this while driving a tractor at work. The phrase you hear in this business is "Regulations are written in blood", but I don't know what to think when good people are killed and nothing happens because of it.

[@muznick]

That's what a flight instructor once told me: someone's death was the reason for every regulation.

[@animal16365]

It would be a interesting video on coal and how it shaped today's world

[@willisfouts4838]

As a Fouts who’s kin hails from the mountains of eastern Kentucky, and who’s grandfather Alec Fouts was a participant in the miner’s actions of that terrible time in which a book was written, Harlan, Bloody Harlan, I was struck again when I saw the Ray Fouts, most assuredly a cousin, perished in that hole in the ground. It would be wonderful to see you do another mine related piece about that terrible time in Kentucky. Loved seeing these sad souls remembered, keep up the good work and thanks.

[@snotgurgletroll1812]

Thank you for the names of the victims...makes it more personal

[@mikemasiello9625]

What struck me were the ages of the miners. A lot of them over 50 and 60. That was back breaking work. As a man over 60 some mornings my joints ache and I do nothing more strenuous then hike. How did they do that job day after day? May they rest in peace.

[@goodun2974]

"We work life out to keep life in". A song lyric that I heard on an album titled "Hard Cash", put together by a bunch of various British folk musicians when Margaret Thatcher abolished the minimum wage. The record also contains the most chilling song I've ever heard, "I've Always Been Good With My Hands", sung by Christine Collister, about a woman seamstress and factory worker whose worsening arthritis is likely to cause her to starve to death. Me, I'm 63, and I hurt every day.....

[@pamelasmith7740]

They didn't have much choice. Mine towns didn't have anything else.

[@patwashington403]

Wondering to myself.. Why are PA coal miners writing letters to Illinois? That was also in 1962.

[@Steve-ys1ig]

You deserve the highest praise for reminding everyone of this disaster so that it is not forgotten

[@giantgeoff]

At the School of Mines I graduated from, You could not graduate without passing Mine Safety, Considered by many the hardest class of the major. Part of passing the class required becoming certified in the State as part of the state's Under ground Mine Rescue Team and were then on call for any emergencies you were needed for. The philosophy was that you weren't going to run an unsafe mine if you were responsible for going underground to save your miners.

[@ericrolland9092]

What a tragic event. Thank you for sharing this history with us

[@mikemcintosh9933]

Struck by the number of workers in their late 50s and 60s. Some even older.

[@RWSCOTT]

Thank you for covering this. My family was involved in mining in Illinois. Would love to hear you cover the *Carterville Mine Riot of 1899*

[@jonrolfson1686]

Your Coal mine footage brought memories flooding back: In the early 1980s, as a member of UMWA local 2176, I worked in the Wilberg Mine in Utah. Being low on the seniority list, my two-plus years as a coal miner were punctuated with frequent short layoffs, so much so that I left for more stable (though less remunerative) employment. A few months afterward there came news that a fire in one of the Wilberg’s long-wall sections had killed more the two dozen miners. Some were union members and some were company men - all were tragically lost to families and friends.

[@tsav6952]

Can relate I worked in mines in late seventies and earky 80's in Illinois and Utah. Unstable work glad I got out. I recall the Wilberg mine in Utah. I worked for Emery Mining for a short stint.

[@rocketeer.]

An article on the Sunshine mine disaster would be great.

[@jliller]

me: Ah yes, the Centralia, Pennsylvania mine disaster. I remember reading about this in "A Walk In The Woods"... THG: Centralia, Illinois me: ...how many places named Centralia have had some kind of mining disaster???

[@morganseppy5180]

Probably many of them since it's the same company who ignored YEARS of earnings and recommendations.

[@michaelwhite5834]

Centralia Missouri didn't have a mining disaster but it did have a James Gang massacre

[@scottjustscott3730]

History Guy, you made me cry. Thank you.

[@DarkpawTheWolf]

Wow. This was a powerful story, which brought me to tears. I'm so glad I came across your channel a while back. When I was growing up, I never appreciated history. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I've taken a particular interest in it. Stories like this are important, and indeed deserve to be remembered. Thank you for the work you do.

[@hixsongarren]

Thank you so much for making this video. I am from Centralia and remember learning about this when i was growing up. We even went to one of the mines (not no. 5 but it was close by) when i was in third grade. I have always been fascinated by the history in Centralia and this was the most notable thing in our history from a national perspective. I did not know how much they had tried to improve their conditions. When it was discussed in school it was always just "they tried repeatedly to improve their conditions but were always ignored". I never knew the depth to which that went. That makes it so much sadder. There is a cemetery in Centralia that has a few of the miners buried there called Elmwood Cemetary and I was involved in a theater production in which one of the actors portrayed one of the miners at his grave. Each of the actors dressed up in period costume and everything and performed their monologue as the ghost of the person buried underneath. It was a very moving portrayal that simply discussed the little we could find about the miner's life and then read the letter he wrote to his wife. Just about everyone teared up during his monologue every night. Hope you do another video about some aspect of history in Centralia. There's so much more that could make for a fun video. Like the history of the roundhouse, or the old movie theater, elmwood cemetary in general, balloon fest. Thanks for the incredible video. And for talking about an important part of my hometown's history.

[@mcgloinm1]

I very rarely watch the vids til the end, but I had to see the names and ages of those men.

[@rrsttt7505]

This disaster had a major impact on my great grandfather, and impacted a lot of what he did during his time as the Director of the Bureau of Mines.

[@spg1026]

Hard to believe this channel doesn’t have 1 million subscribers. Really close to 1 million. Probably the best short format history channel on the net. Easily the least biased one. I would say NON-biased. Thanks for your service to my continued learning and love for history.

[@fk4515]

My paternal Grand father and his father (my Great Grandfather) both worked in coal mines in Illinois. My Great Grandfather was blind, on more than one occasion the state mine inspector had a fit about a blind man being down in the mine. Management's response was usually "no one can see down there, he is used to that and is safer than anyone else down there". Seems to me there was a mine in Central or Southern Illinois that was shut down in the 20's or 30's and reopened as a museum in the 80's or 90's. It was said to be unusual as all the equipment was from the 20's and the mine was truly a snap shoot of a time. Heck the fine for the violation was less than they were giving in political donations.

[@gerainedoss7123]

So we’ll and respectfully produced. May their souls Rest In Peace after being what can only be described as murdered.

[@Scottie-cb7ep]

Thank you History Guy for bringing stories like this about people we should never forget. Very sobering.

[@ingrid_inthesky]

I have severe insomnia and need content like this and true crime to relax in bed so thank you for your awesome content!