Baltimore Mine Tunnel disaster

The Delaware and Hudson Coal Company's mine employed 450 workers and was located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, about a mile from the center of the city near the modern day corner of North Sherman, Spring, and Pine Streets.

[5] As the injured and dead were removed from the mine, ambulances and doctors arrived relatively late since the accident happened at such an early hour and they had to be woken up.

After feeling the shock of the explosion, Milz left the cart and crawled through the thickening smoke to the “G vein” where there was good circulation of air.

The main testimony of John McGroarty before the chief of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines, Seward Button, and representatives of the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company stated that a bracket holding the conductor for the cart motor had fallen.

According to McGroarty, his crew entered the mine to where the bracket fell and were going to request power to be shut off for repairs, but were stopped by the explosion.

Most of the reports that came out the next day in newspapers printed the testimony of McGroarty and agreed with the other eyewitness accounts of survivors that were inside the tunnel at the time of the explosion.

In the formal investigation of the accident there were three possibilities proposed for what could have caused the ignition of the blasting powder: electrical sparks or current, open lanterns, and lighted tobacco pipes.

It was also concluded that the probability of a crew member placing a powder can on the edge of a mine cart in just the right spot to touch the power cable was also extremely low, since it would almost have to be done on purpose.

The report goes on to conclude that electricity was an improbable cause because of the lack of arc burns on the mine carts and powder cans.

The law cited in the report was Rule 1, Article XII, where the owner of the mine was responsible for every precaution that should be taken for the safety of workers.