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Chiropractor killed when struck by motorcycle

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King’s College to mark 100th anniversary of Baltimore Mine disaster

Wednesday will mark the 100th anniversary of a date which should live in infamy in the Wyoming Valley.On June 5, 1919, 92 miners died and 44 were injured in the Delaware &amp; Hudson Coal Company&#8217;s Baltimore Mine tunnel No. 2.The Baltimore Mine Disaster is widely regarded as one of the deadliest industrial accidents in state history. A total of 143 miners entered the tunnel on a train of 16 mine cars. Two cars, in the middle of the train, contained black powder that is believed to have been ignited by a spark from a fallen or sagging trolley wire used to power the train.It never should have happened.Some accounts state that the tragedy resulted in the prohibition of transporting miners and explosives in the same train.Others we have read suggest that the practice already was prohibited, and that the mine&#8217;s operators were openly flouting the law.Either way, the lack of concern for human life (not to mention common sense) remains staggering and shameful.In Sunday&#8217;s newspaper, we ran a story about a memorial service held Saturday, in advance of the actual centennial date. Its headline drew from a quote in the story: &#8220;The men did not die in vain.&#8221;True, the blast resulted in improved safety measures.And yet, 40 years later, a different kind of management carelessness at a different mine also resulted in deaths, as well as the effective death-blow to the local mining industry.On Jan. 22, 1959, 12 men died when the Susquehanna River broke through a mine ceiling near Port Griffith, sending icy water into the breach.Human error &#8212; and greed &#8212; caused the catastrophe. The Knox Coal Company disregarded regulations that stated mines must maintain 35 feet of rock between the mine&#8217;s ceiling and riverbeds, and instructed miners to excavate under the river.As a result the Susquehanna breached a six-foot patch of rock and flooded the tunnels underneath, sending 10 billion gallons of water into the mines.Time and time again, the mining industry showed a propensity for cutting corners to make a buck. Time and time again, men died as a result, even as laws changed to prevent such calamities.This is why we remember. This is why we hold these ceremonies.Coal mining was the heart of this region&#8217;s economy for generations. It shaped the land above and below ground. It powered the nation&#8217;s railroads, factories, houses, schools, and military. It lured thousands of immigrants from across the ocean, whose blood continues to flow through the veins of valley residents who still carry their names with pride.Those men knew the value and honor of a hard day&#8217;s work. They knew the risks and kept going back underground day after day, year after year, amid inhumane conditions, to support their families.Too often, the mine bosses treated those men as expendable.Too often, wives and children were unceremoniously presented with little more than hasty condolences and a mangled body to mourn and bury.In the case of the Baltimore Mine Tunnel disaster, at least 24 of them were buried together in a mass grave at St. Mary&#8217;s Church of the Maternity/Our Lady of Hope Polish Catholic Cemetery off Johnson Street.On Wednesday, King&#8217;s College plans to mark the anniversary with a community commemoration slated for 10 a.m. at the site of a historical marker near the entrance of the Spring Street Plaza.The college played an active role getting the marker dedicated in January, 2014 and has been a leader in commemorating the history and heritage of mining families.As long as people live in the Wyoming Valley, we must never forget the hard work and sacrifices made by the men who hewed anthracite coal from the ground, and by families who also suffered when they lost a loved one after that work turned deadly. &#8212; Times Leader<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Paul S. Makuch, of American Legion Post 815, Wilkes-Barre Township, rings the bell for 27 victims of the Baltimore Mine Disaster burined in a mass grave, outlined by white rope, at St. Mary&#8217;s Church of the Maternity Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre Township during a memorial ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the disaster on Saturday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_TTL060219BaltimoreMineDisaster_2-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Paul S. Makuch, of American Legion Post 815, Wilkes-Barre Township, rings the bell for 27 victims of the Baltimore Mine Disaster burined in a mass grave, outlined by white rope, at St. Mary&#8217;s Church of the Maternity Cemetery in Wilkes-Barre Township during a memorial ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the disaster on Saturday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our View: Miners’ sacrifices must never be forgotten