Remembering the Scofield Mine Disaster of 1900

 

I had heard stories from Jim about his Grandpa, William Danie Walton, and how Danie had worked up in the Scofield coal mines as a young man.  I recently read a book that is an historical fiction account of the mine disaster that occurred there in 1900.  We decided that when Jim finished reading the book, we would take the time to go see these places where his ancestors had lived and to see the area where his great grandmother, Harriet Noble Walton, had run a boarding house. 

Moving to Utah last year got us a lot closer to Scofield and it wasn’t hard to talk Jim into taking a day off work yesterday to go on a little road trip.  Jim has a history that his grandfather William Danie Walton wrote.  He tells what happened when he was 19-- the day of the explosion in the mine that killed 200 miners.  Although we weren’t allowed up the canyon to Winter Quarters where the site of the Mine Disaster occurred, it was still interesting to look at the mines in operation right now.

“It was May Day, May 1, 1900.  The miners went to work at 7:00 a.m. as usual, but being May  Day they anticipated the celebration which was to take place in the afternoon.  A celebration to most miners was to get out into the sunshine and fresh air or gather at their favorite saloon.

I was especially happy that day, for being a miner myself, instead of taking my usual place on the fifth level of the No. 4 mine, I had to go into the thick underbrush of pea vines and quaking aspen trees to look for our milk cow and her new calf.  To our family this meant a fresh supply of milk and I was to find the cow and calf and bring them back home.  Mother had packed a lunch as I was not expected to be home until late in the evening.

I was happy to be on  my way, climbing the trails, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air and the welcome signs of spring and at the same time listening for the tinkle of the bell which we had tied on the cow’s neck.

Just as I passed over the area which I later learned was almost directly above the fifth level of the mine, I felt the earth tremble.  I recall wondering to myself what it could be and remember looking at my old Ingersoll watch which read ten o’clock.  Not being able to figure out what had caused the tremble, I continued on my way without giving it any further thought.  I searched most of the afternoon before I finally heard the tinkle of the bell.  the new calf had to be carried most of the way home so I did not arrive until after dark.

As I neared the town, I was struck by the unusual amount of activity.  The entire town was lit up and nine special railway cars had been left on the main line near our home.  As I came nearer I could see that coffee, milk and sandwiches along with flowers were being distributed to the dozens of heart stricken people I met everywhere.  I found out that the earth tremor which I had heard and felt earlier that morning was one of the worst coal mining disasters ever recorded.  Two hundred and eight men and boys lost their lives in the ‘dust’ explosion at the No. 4 mine in Scofield, Carbon County, Utah.

Our home was a hive of activity, serving food and giving aid where possible.  Instead of the reception I had anticipated I was very unceremoniously shoved into the kitchen, given a dish towel and told to get busy.  My sister Libbie, managed to give me the details.  our older brother, Andrew, was in bed unconscious and not expected to live.  To my sadness I was told that Louis Leyshon, a great friend of mine who had taken my place at the mine that day was still missing.  Miraculously Andrew regained consciousness and gave his account of the explosion.

Andrew was a driver on the first level—a driver being one who handles the horse which pulls the empty cars to the miners, who in turn blast the coal loose and load about 2,200 to 2,500 pounds of coal into each car.  These loaded cars were then taken to the main entrance where they were literally dropped down the half-mile track to the exit by an electric hoist.  He had just taken empty cars to all of his men and was waiting at the switch about a quarter of a mile from the main entrance.

Superintendent Parmley and General Foreman Andrew Hood happened to come along just at that time making an inspection tour.  Seconds later they felt the blast and were almost knocked off their feet.  they all knew it was a serious explosion and the Superintendent instructed my brother to get word to as many men as possible on his level to hurry out a safe exit and not the usual exit which would be in the direct path of the explosion.  Andrew ran two miles through the mine telling all of the men on his level what had happened and where to make a safe exit.  They were successful in saving the lives of all of the men on the first and a few of the men on the second level, but were finally overcome themselves by the after-damp and all of the men on the third, fourth and fifth levels perished.

The term ‘after-damp’ is the term used when the oxygen has been burned out of the air.  Dozens of the men lost their lives not knowing where the explosion had taken place, or where to get out as there was absolutely no way of communicating with them inside the mine.

The persistent and heroic efforts of the  Superintendent , the Foreman and  Andrew to save the lives of the miners almost cost them their own.  Andrew was finally carried home and that was where I found him on my arrival.

I went to see Louis Leyshon’s mother the next day and  I shall never forget the anguish and sorrow in her eyes as she said, “Oh, if you had only gone to work, my boy would be alive.”  I could only weep with her as that was a fact.  her boy had taken  my place.  I promised her I would assist in getting his body out as soon as the air pumps had been replaced.

 It was three months or more before all of the bodies had been recovered, for many of them were buried under great rock cave-ins caused by the timbers being completely blown out.

I recall Superintendent Parmley shaking my hand warmly knowing as I did I was indeed fortunate being alive.  I obtained permission from him to go to the fifth level and with the help of others we finally located the badly burned body of Louis, lying by my horse.  I could not help weeping again for the finest friend a boy ever had—the boy who had taken my place.”

The  tragic loss of those 200 miners in the Scofield Mine Disaster left 107 widows and 268 orphans.

We watched one very long train hauling tons of coal out of the mine up the canyon.

We also wanted to make it farther down the road to Cleveland, Utah, where Jim’s great grandfather, Andrew Jackson Walton lived for some time and was buried.

It was interesting to note that Andrew Jackson had surveyed the canal there in Cleveland, was a mechanical engineer-type person who built things, like steam engines and tried to invent a plow that you could ride.   He had a soft heart and cried easily.  Does this sound like anyone else we know in the Walton Family?

 

The timer on the camera beat us.  Jim was just getting in place when the camera went off.

Jim did some research before we went which allowed us to walk right to his gravesite.

We both wish we could meet these incredible people we have read about.  Jim now wishes he could go back in time and talk to his Grandpa, William Danie Walton, again.  He has all kinds of questions that he would ask him. 

As we drove through all these different areas in Carbon County, Utah, I kept seeing signs for Castledale, Castle View, Castle this and Castle that, and asked Jim why he thought they were so Castle-happy around here.  Right then we came around a corner and there stood a rock formation that very much reminded me of – ummm, yeah.  A castle. . .

On our way home, we stopped in Provo and had such a fun visit with Darren, who had just dropped off his wife and son at the airport and was already desperately missing them.  We went for Mexican food at Los Hermanos where Darren told us about his classes and interests in computer animation.  We walked through parts of campus that were totally experiencing Fall, and then treated ourselves to ice cream at The Creamery on Ninth, my all-time favorite place for Roasted Almond Fudge Ice Cream.

It was such a great day.