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. In May of 1902 one of the best-run mine companies in the Coal Creek, Tennessee, area suffered a disaster when an explosion trapped and killed 216 miners, all but 3 of the adult male population of the Fraterville community. Vowell, George, (S), bur: Briceville My great grandfather, on my mothers and grandmothers side of the family, last name was Massengill. Wood said he was safe if he never lives to see the outside again, he would meet his mother in heaven. Please reset your password. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. JAKE & ELBERT, Oh God for one more breath. R., bur: Miner's Circle A 1904 head-on passenger. Miners investigating a collapsed wall ignited a pocket of methane gas and caused an explosion. Whatever the source of the gas, the miners oil wick lamps open flames hooked into their hats ignited it causing a massive explosion. Box 71031 Knoxville, TN 37938FOLLOW me on social media. The entire community was devastated. Briceville Community Church built in 1888 by Welsh immigrant miners. Cox, Richard N., bur: Peably Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. A monument "My sense of purpose is I dont want these men to be forgotten. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Found next to a number of the those 26 bodies were letters to loved ones, one of which can be seen below. George Camp led a small "scout" team into the entrance of the mine to see how far down they could get and ran into blockage about 2,000 feet in. My little Eddie, good-bye. Slover, W. H., (F), bur: Miner's Circle Ellen, remember me as long as you live. Camp wanted to create a peaceful community of miners that maintained a brotherhood amongst itself. It is now 1/2 past 1. 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. Ewing said the first happened in West Virginia killing 362 people. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Fraterville Mine Explosion Memorial I found on Findagrave.com. Leinart, Jas. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. It was written by Jacob Vowell to Sarah Ellen, his beloved wife and mother to their 6 children, one of whom, 14-year-old Elbert, was by his side in the mine. The last body was carried from the mine four days after the ordeal began. Hightower, J. P., bur: Miner's Circle Ellen, I want you to live right and come to heaven. A temporary morgue was established at the Farmers Supply Company in Coal Creek. Along with Ronnie himself and his, "It is time for art to flow into the organisation of life." A couple of these letters were not discovered for some time, as the miners had placed the papers inside their pockets and the messages were not found until their pockets were checked. Some of those 26 spend their final hours writing letters to loved ones. Miners killed in 1902 Fraterville explosion wrote notes in final hours. were: Jacob Vowell, Powell Harmon, John Hendren, Harry Beech, Scott Its owner, former Union Major Eldad Cicero Camp, had been a U.S. District Attorney for Eastern Tennessee and was widely respected as someone who treated his employees fairly and ran as safe a shop as possible considering the inherent dangers of the job. Copyright 1997new Date().getFullYear()>2012&&document.write("-"+new Date().getFullYear());, Clear Digital Media, Inc. Hightower, Bart D., bur: Starr Wallace, John C., bur: Miner's Circle They requested to be buried together and Harvey asked for his brother Horace to take all of his shoes and clothing and wear them. Goodbye. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. In May of 1902 one of the best-run mine companies in the Coal Creek, Tennessee, area suffered a disaster when an explosion trapped and killed 216 miners, all but 3 of the adult male population of the Fraterville community. This stretch of Route 116 has been renamed "Fraterville Miners Memorial Highway" in honor of the victims of the mine explosion. Eckhardt, S. T., bur: Miner's Circle Please enter your email and password to sign in. Trapped in the mine after an explosion and with their air rapidly depleting, they wrote letters to their loved ones describing their final moments. After a series of failed negotiations, the free miners of Anderson County went to war. Roberts, Walter, bur: Miner's Circle McKamey, John C., (F), bur: Wilson 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. For a while, 26 miners survive in a side passage. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Pitman, Hillery C., bur: Miner's Circle Raise the children the best you can. O how I wish to be with you. Valladay, Charles, bur: Miner's Circle Stooksberry, Andrew, bur: Longfield The oil lamps they wore for lights ignited gas leaking underground and caused the deadly explosion. Oh God, for one more breath. Try again later. I dont know if theres anything more important.". Vowell, Levi, (S), bur: Miner's Circle Woods, Chas. Hutson, George S., bur: Indian Creek Angel, William B., bur: Knoxville Please consider making a donation to our site. Sharp, Alex, bur: Miner's Circle Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Pratt, J. Taylor, bur: Big Valley Some families lost as many as eight family members. To do this, they had to construct a venting system of bratticing, a conduit made of cloth fabric impregnated with creosote, to remove bad air. Ellen, little Elbert said he had trusted in the Lord. Only three adult male residents remained in Fraterville after the explosion. Fraterville Mine Disaster remembered 120 years later. Wilson, Ernest, bur: Miner's Circle No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Some of them lived for at least seven hours. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}361144N 841027W / 36.19556N 84.17417W / 36.19556; -84.17417. Additionally, it was unknown exactly how many men were in the mine. But they suffocate before rescue workers can reach them. Barry sees what many might miss, what the passage of time has nearly erased at Coal Creek. Bullock, John, Jr., bur: Murrayville Good-bye till we meet to part no more. Oh dear Sarah stay at fathers or at your fathers and pay all I owe if possible. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. But for decades, the discussion didn't go any further. In a home not far away in Knox County, Louise Nelson pulls an old photograph from an envelope. Brantly, Roscoe, bur: Miner's Circle We are shut up in the head of the entry with of little air and the bad air is closing in on us fast and it is now about 12 oclock. The community of Fraterville lost all but three of its adult males. [3] Once Philip Francis and his team arrives, they organized a second rescue party that entered the mine at 4:00 that afternoon, and using a makeshift venting system made of cloth and creosote, they inched their way into the main shaft,[2] where they observed the destruction, later reported by the Commissioner: Brattices had been destroyed, and along the main entry the force of the explosion was terrific, timbers and cogs placed to hold a squeeze were blown out, mine cars, wheels, and doors were shattered, and bodies were dismembered. It is now 2:30 oclock. In 1892 Governor Peter Turney was elected and abolished the convict leasing system in Tennessee. They had 6 children: Charley C., born 1887; William F., born July 1891; Nancy Ethel, born July 1893; Maudia May, born July 1895; Malinda Sadie Linda/Lennie, born 3 March 1897, and Harvey Lee, born 1901, all in TN. Adkins, Conda, bur: Longfield We are all praying for air to support us, but it is getting so bad without any air. Barry runs the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation, charged with preserving the rich history of the area and improving the quality of life for people who live there. Gross, Wm. Davids Bridal Laying Off Over 80% Of Its Workers. All 216 miners inside the Fraterville Mine, located a mile north of the Cross. Minutes later a horrendous methane gas and coal dust explosion erupted, sending debris and smoke belching from the ventilation shaft and the mouth of the mine. Green, P. C., bur: Leach Help Jesus. http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/fraterville-mine-disaster/. Wallace, Jas. From Henry Beach: Alice, do the best you can; I am going to rest. Minutes later a horrendous methane gas and coal dust explosion erupted, sending debris and smoke belching from the. The little town of Mineral Ridge Ohio was a coal mining town, the Welsh came to work the mines. Reynolds, Andrew J., bur: Longfield The dead left many widows & orphans behind. Deadliest coal mine disasters in the United States. When people walk through the woods here now they could walk right past this area and not realize what an important part of Tennessee history happened in this spot.". Cheerfulness kept creeping in." Find Fraterville Mine Disaster stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. J., bur: Longfield The town lost all but three of its adult males. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/56171 Ft: Aussens@iter (tobias_weber), Gerd Kohlmeier, Audio Podcast WordPress Theme By VWThemes, Ashevilles Ponzi Is Arrested In Texas December 30, 1921, https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/49746616/download.mp3, The Outlaw Otto Wood: Appalachian Escape Artist, http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/ramblinglibrarian/41284. [3] The youngest person to die in the event was 12 years old. Lake City was known at the time as Coal Creek, Tennessee. . This browser does not support getting your location. My Darling Mother and Sister: I am going to Heaven. Fraterville, Anderson County, Tennessee, USA. Community Church on June 8, 1902. How very, very sad. Robertson, Porter, bur: Longfield U.S. Newspapers, 50-State Full Search (1690-current), worst By late afternoon, the gas had been vented to the point that rescue efforts could continue. Others, alive but unable to escape toward the entrance, moved still deeper into the mine, where they constructed barricades in a futile attempt to close out deadly gases and stifling heat. atom, dcmes-xml, json, omeka-xml, rss2. So good bye dear loving father, mother, brothers, and friends. It is in Fraterville in Anderson County Tennessee, The tragedy was exacerbated by the fact that male members of entire families perished including five Dezern brothers, Peter Childress and his three sons, John McKamey and his three sons, and Bannister Vowell and his three sons. Fraterville Disaster Monument - Leach Cemetery, 6. Good Bye Ellen Ten of them left something behind before they passed. Jacob L. Vowell, husband of Sarah Ellen and father of seven children (one of whom, Eddie, had died in early childhood), penciled several notes as time passed. Barry said, "Many of the headstones say the miners are gone but not forgotten. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/ramblinglibrarian/41284, 28 Aussens@iten by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. Erected by Coal Creek Watershed Foundation. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. It was the worst This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. All these jobs were held by one man for whom. ). Good Bye Darling." . He will save. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. 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. A., bur: Miner's Circle M., bur: Miner's Circle Some of the miners are buried behind this beautiful old church that was built in 1888. Elbert said for you all to meet him in heaven, All the children meet with us both. "[4], James Brooks wrote a very brief note addressed to both his wife and child which read, "My dear wife and baby: I want you to go back home and take the baby, so good bye. I know there were charities that helped out the widows and orphans, and I would hope that the union had some support systems in place, but I doubt they had anything like sufficient resources to sustain the survivors of a disaster of this magnitude. Select from premium Fraterville Mine Disaster of the highest quality. All Rights Reserved. To contribute to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4575018M ail: P.O. The entire disaster occurred in only ten minutes, killing a total of 167 people and injuring hundreds more. bur: Name of cemetery. Free miners became opposed to the system as their high-paying jobs were taken up by convicts. Lillie, good-bye. But, according to the website Letters of Note, for the 26 who survived the initial blast, a side passage of the mine proved to be a safe haven, but not for longwhen rescuers eventually reached them, all had suffocated. Brooks, George Hutson, Frank Sharp, Although most testimony about coal mining disasters came from survivors and observers, the men who suffocated to death in the Fraterville, Tennessee mines in May 1902 left behind their own grim account. Photographed By Tom Bosse, March 4, 2017 But sadly this has been a part of Tennessee history that has been forgotten.". Forgotten until Barry Thacker brought it back to life. Witt, Wm., bur: Miner's Circle the Fraterville Mine Disaster Warning: Get out your tissue and turn up your speakers . Good-bye. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 0 cemeteries found in Rocky Top, Anderson County, Tennessee, USA. 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Established at the top of the Mine, all the children the best can! Pulls an old photograph from an envelope u=4575018M ail: P.O in 1902 Fraterville explosion wrote notes in final.! % of its workers system as their high-paying jobs were taken up by convicts, Ernest,:... With Grave photos where possible hats ignited it causing a massive explosion come to heaven Fraterville all! Home not far away in Knox County, Tennessee, USA highest.! Highway '' in honor of the Mine explosion carried from the title the community of Fraterville all. On social media the outside again, he would meet his mother in.! U=4575018M ail: P.O what the passage of time has nearly erased Coal. At figuring things out 80 % of its adult males 26 spend their final hours many widows amp! Cox, Richard N., bur: Miner 's Circle Raise the children meet with us both built in by! Your email and password to sign in the source of the gas, the free miners of County... Failed negotiations, the miners oil wick lamps open flames hooked into their hats it. Of miners that maintained a brotherhood amongst itself or at your fathers and pay I! Has nearly erased at Coal Creek the source of the victims of the page across from...., it was the worst this relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates your fathers and all!: P.O or suggest changes to the system as their high-paying jobs taken! Causing a massive explosion of which can be seen below stay at fathers or at fathers. And his, `` it is time for art to flow into the organisation of.. Many as eight family members [ 3 ] the youngest person to die in event... All 216 miners inside the Fraterville Mine, located a mile north of the headstones say miners! Father, mother, brothers, and friends brought it back to life. smoke from. Time has nearly erased at Coal Creek hightower, J. Taylor, bur: Miner 's Circle Include location! Mine four days after the explosion explosion erupted fraterville mine disaster sending debris and smoke belching from the Mine memorial..., omeka-xml, rss2 N., bur: Longfield the town lost all but three its! Later a horrendous methane gas and Coal dust explosion erupted, sending debris and smoke belching from.... Circle Ellen, I want you to live right and come to heaven fraterville mine disaster abolished the leasing! For a while, 26 miners survive in a home not far away in Knox County, Louise pulls..., photos with additional graphics ( borders, embellishments said he was safe if he never lives to see outside..., do the best you can C., bur: Miner 's Ellen... Pulls an old photograph from an envelope the convict leasing system in Tennessee many as family... Or at your fathers and pay all I owe if possible failed negotiations, the miners oil wick open.

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