Benwood mine disaster

The Benwood Mine Disaster was a coal mine explosion that occurred on Monday, April 28, 1924, at the Benwood Mine of the former Wheeling Steel Corporation steel mill located in the city of Benwood in Marshall County, West Virginia. The explosion claimed the lives of 119 coal miners.[1] There were no survivors. It is the third worst coal mining disaster in the state of West Virginia after the Monongah Mine disaster of December 6, 1907 that claimed the lives of 361 miners and the Eccles Mine Disaster of April 28, 1914 that claimed the lives of 183 miners.[2]

The explosion, caused by the ignition of methane gas and coal dust, occurred at approximately 7:05 AM EST, about a half-hour after the morning shift of coal miners had entered the mine to begin work.[3][4][5]

The majority of the miners killed were recent European immigrants of the early 20th Century from Poland, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovakia, England, Wales and Scotland.[6]

A memorial for the 119 victims of the April 28, 1924 Benwood Mine Disaster was erected at the mouth of Boggs Run along Boggs Run Road/Roosevelt Avenue in Benwood, Marshall County, West Virginia. A committee of eight Marshall County, West Virginia residents known as the Benwood Mine Disaster Memorial Committee was formed in August 2011. Fundraising for the memorial began in 2012. Construction took place between 2013 - 2014. The memorial was formally dedicated on September 27, 2014. A smaller memorial for the five (5) victims of the May 18, 1942 Hitchman Coal & Coke Mine Disaster (this coal mine was also located in Benwood) is also on site and was dedicated on the same day. Since the dedication, a donor stone listing major donors, several bollards lining the driveway turnaround and two benches have been added to the memorial site.

Victims

The 119 victims of the April 28, 1924 Benwood Mine Disaster were as follows:

  • James Agelakis
  • Salvatore Albano
  • Raffaello "Ralph" Aprea
  • Frank Balanzo
  • Stanislaw (Stanley) Baranowski
  • Pete Bezanis
  • Wasyl Bilyj
  • Carlo Caneva
  • Michael Capobianco
  • Rocco Capobianco
  • Tony Christos
  • Domenico (Dominic) Cognitti
  • Jozef (Joseph) Conjeski (formerly Kedzierski)
  • Francesco "Frank" Conti (formerly Conte)
  • Pasquale Corbi
  • Mark Crosby
  • Mane Cvjeticanin
  • Carlo DiGiorgio
  • Giovanni (John) DiScenna
  • Adam Dlugoborski
  • Sam Dombroski
  • Jan (John) Dupla
  • Pasquale Fana
  • Celestino Ferrante
  • Pasquale Ferri
  • Nick Fitrakis
  • John Frank, Sr.
  • John Frank, Jr.
  • Mike George
  • Gus Giannakos
  • James Gionis
  • Ignacy (Ignatius) Gojewski
  • Jan (John) Golebiewski
  • Stanislaw (Stanley) Golebiewski
  • Mike Heras
  • Matthew Herron (aka J.J. Boyle)
  • Antoni (Anthony) Hmiel
  • Jozef (Joseph) Hojda
  • George William Holliday, Sr.
  • George William Holliday, Jr.
  • Sandor (Alexander) Horvath
  • James Howe
  • Ivan (John) Jelacic
  • Llewellyn Joseph
  • Emil Jurasic
  • Theodore Karakas
  • Michal (Michael) Kazemka (formerly Kociemba)
  • Kazimierz (Casimir) Kocur
  • Jozef (Joseph) Kolodziejski
  • John Kopcha
  • Kazimierz (Casimir) Kopec
  • Dominik (Dominic) Kuprewicz
  • Antoni (Anthony) Kwicien
  • Wladyslaw "Walter" Lakomy
  • Leonard Levicki
  • Feliks (Felix) Lisak
  • Mike Malaxanakis
  • Mikolaj (Nicholas) Malicki
  • Jan (John) Malyska
  • Daniel Marafino
  • Jozef (Joseph) Marko
  • Nick Masino
  • Nikolaos "Nick" Mavrigianakis
  • Frank Mazzella
  • George McGill
  • Hugh McGill
  • Antonio (Anthony) Migliaccio
  • Stanislaw (Stanley) Mikolich
  • Mile Misljenovic
  • Wladyslaw "Walter" Oblizajek
  • Peter Onost
  • Ignac (Ignatius) Orban
  • Meli Paich
  • Andy Panac
  • Emanuel Papolas
  • Mike Paradice
  • Santo Parise
  • Mike Patrick
  • Jan (John) Piehowicz (formerly Piechowicz)
  • Ignazio (Ignatius) Pirrera (changed to Paree)
  • Nick Podolia
  • Giuseppe (Joseph) Polsinelli
  • Joshua Rawlins (Rawlings)
  • Giuseppe (Joseph) Rea
  • Stanislaw (Stanley) Robinsky (formerly Rybicka)
  • Mariano Rotellini
  • Stanislaw (Stanley) Rudawiec
  • Salvatore Sabatino
  • Joseph Samelli
  • Angelo Savinos
  • Sam Senchak
  • Andy Shalayka (formerly Szalajka)
  • Izydor (Isidore) Shalayka (formerly Szalajka)
  • Pete Simos
  • Albert Slaga
  • John Slaga
  • William Smith
  • Alexander Sneddon
  • Walter Sneddon
  • Gennaro Spignesi
  • Wojciech Stachawicz
  • Michal (Michael) Staszewski
  • Joseph Sunich
  • John Swoski
  • Istvan (Stephen "Steve") Vargo (formerly Varga)
  • Gaetano Vitiello
  • Raffaello "Ralph" Vitiello
  • Samuel Vitiello
  • Leo Wagner
  • William Webster
  • Wawrzyniec (Lawrence) Wiadrawski (Wiadrowski)
  • Jan (John) Wiewiura
  • Vincenty (Vincent) Wiewiura
  • Russell Williams
  • Kenneth Wood
  • Felice (Felix) Yannucci
  • Mike Zajackowski
  • Dane (Daniel) Zelic
  • John Zuk

References

  1. ↑ "On This Day in West Virginia History". Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  2. ↑ "WV Mine Disasters 1884 to Present". Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  3. ↑ "Benwood Mine Disaster". Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  4. ↑ "Benwood Mine Explosion". Archived from the original on 2010-12-03. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  5. ↑ "Benwood Mine Disaster". Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  6. ↑ "Benwood Mine Disaster". Retrieved 2012-05-18.

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