7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
100th Anniversary of Bureau County Coal Mine Disaster
Friday marks the 100th anniversary of one of nation's deadliest coal mine disasters.

It was on Nov. 13, 1909 that 259 men and boys died while working in a coal mine in the town of Cherry, in Bureau County. An electrical failure earlier in the week forced workers to light kerosene lanterns and torches. Shortly after noon, a coal car filled with hay for the mules caught fire, later igniting support timbers.

Poisonous gasses and a lack of oxygen were to blame for almost all of the deaths.

Eight days later 21 men were found alive inside of the mine. They had ventured deep into the mine after the fire started and built a wall to barricade themselves from the poisonous gasses.

Author Karen Tintori's book Trapped tells the story of the disaster. She started her research after hearing that her grandfather John Tintori worked at the mine.

"The book actually started as a detective hunt for my grandfather," Tintori said. "He died before I was born and I grew up hearing from my grandmother...that he survived the Cherry Mine disaster."

In 1971 a state historical marker was erected near the site of the mine.

As a result of the Cherry Mine disaster, the state legislature established stronger mine safety regulations and in 1911, a separate law was passed which later developed into the Illinois Workmen's Compensation Act.

(Illinois Radio Network)
11 12 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.