Thunder in the Mountains

On the morning of March 26, 1912, the Jed Coal and Coke Company mine at Jed, West Virginia, exploded killing eighty miners. The mine employed about one hundred underground miners on each shift. Reports indicated the flame from an open light, commonly used by all miners at that time, ignited methane gas in the mine which in turn ignited coal dust that had accumulated during mining. In the blink of an eye, another mine disaster had occurred. Some of the eighty were killed by asphyxiation, many others died from heat and flame. On the outside the blast was not as destructive as others had been, but on the inside the effect was devastating. State mine inspectors and miners from nearby mines arrived on the scene shortly after the blast and assisted rescue workers in their search for survivors. That afternoon, after several previous attempts had failed, due to smoke and heat, a group of rescue workers were finally able to enter the mine. Great care had to be taken to insure that the rescuers did not become victims themselves. The force of the blast had blown mine timbers down, allowing about a foot of slate above the coal to fall. The downed slate severely hampered the efforts of rescue workers. Crews of men worked around the clock hanging brattice cloth for ventilation and moving the fallen slate in an attempt to reach the men, hoping to find survivors. Survivors were not to be found. Even with the tireless efforts of rescuers, two days passed before the first bodies were recovered and carried outside. On the hillside below the mine, at a location known as Little Egypt, several crews of men were digging graves for their fallen comrades. Coffins, which were in short supply, were brought in by train along with undertakers needed to prepare the men for burial. As the men were brought from the mine, each was identified by family or friends. Some were taken away by family for private burial. Most were placed in a coffin and buried nearby at the newly prepared cemetery. On March 29, 1912, the last bodies were brought from the mine. The blast at Jed created a list of casualties far exceeding any suffered in the upper Tug Fork valley.

The days of labor intense mining have long since passed and given way to mechanized mining, requiring less people. This along with more stringent federal and state mining laws has insured that mining disasters of the magnitude mentioned above are not likely to ever happen again.

There are no active mines at Havaco now. The old mine was sealed and the tipple dismantled years ago. The people in the community of Havaco are trying to put the tragedies of the past behind them and move on to the future, keeping only the memories of loved ones lost long ago.