The worst coal mining disaster in American History occurred on Dec. 6, 1907. In the 19th Century, coal mining was very important as coal was used for cooking and heating. Coal mining was a very dangerous job. The total deaths in 1907 was 3,242. Mining companies were notorious for not doing enough for safety. West Virginia had the highest death rate in the country, but the Fairmont Coal Company was one of the safer mining companies. At 10:28, a huge explosion occurred in its mine in Monongah, West Virginia. The explosion was so huge that it blew apart the concrete roof of the engine house. Most of the miners died instantly and the rest from fumes. The total was 361. 171 were Italian immigrants. The cause is still not known. The mine had ventilation fans that were good enough to eliminate coal dust, but an electrical spark or the flame from a miner’s lamp setting off coal dust was the most likely cause. As a result of the disaster, Congress created the US Bureau of Mines in 1910 to police the mines.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-monongah-coal-mine-disaster
https://archive.wvculture.org/history/disasters/monongah03.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monongah_mining_disaster
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