Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-26-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–14 Bureau of Mines, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Explosion, Loomis Mine…Nanticoke, PA…

–14 Mine Safety and Health Admin. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region.

–14 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC. Mining Disasters. 2010.

–14 NEPA.railfan.net. Plymouth Miners Memorial. (Inscription on the Memorial).

–14 United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. Loomis 1924.

Narrative Information

Bureau of Mines, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Explosion, Loomis Mine…Nanticoke, PA…:

“An explosion occurred at 11:45 a.m., June 6, 1924, at the Loomis Mine of the Glen Alden Coal Corporation, near Nanticoke, PA, resulting in the death of fourteen men and the slight injury of six others.

“A body of gas was allowed to accumulate during the time a door was being removed and replaced. When the new door was placed, the gas was moved along the return airway and was ignited by a miner while attempting to light a cigarette. In the locality of what appeared to be the origin of the explosion were found some burned matches and several cigarettes near the body of a miner. In nearby localities cigarettes, pipes and matches were found in the jackets of men’s jumpers.

“This is an extremely gassy mine, liberating over four and a half million cubic feet of methane per twenty-four hours, and is one which too many precautions cannot be taken. From the amount of smoking material found, it is apparent that discipline was not enforced as to smoking at least.

“This is another one of the numerous explosions resulting while moving a body of gas and is evidence that such practice is extremely dangerous, when the shift is in the mine.”

Newspaper

June 7: “Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Today — Fourteen miners are believed to have lost their lives in an explosion of gas in the Loomis mine of the Glen Alden Coal Company, at Hanover, near here, according to state mine inspectors today.

“The body of an unidentified miner was recovered this morning, making twelve that have been removed from the shaft and no hope is held out for two others still missing. Seven others were seriously injured.

“The corrected list of known dead given out by the company today follows:

Thomas Phillips, 39, miner, Nanticoke
Richard Wall, 43, miner, Nanticoke
John Turchik, 32, miner, Nanticoke
William White, 34, Wilkes-Barre
John Helfrich, 24, Hanover
William Welsh, 51, Hanover
Peter Swistak, 25, Plymouth
Steve Legas, 30, Plymouth
Seigmund Kazumanski, 31, Loomis Park
Joseph Franschinski, 40, of Kingston
Mike Kaswald, Breslau
An unidentified miner

(Lebanon Daily News, PA. “14 Miners are Dead in Mine Explosion.” 6-7-1924.)

Sources

Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of Commerce. Explosion, Loomis Mine of the Glen Alden Coal Corporation, Nanticoke, PA., June 6, 1924. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/1924_Loomis_Mine_Report.pdf

Lebanon Daily News, PA. “14 Miners are Dead in Mine Explosion.” 6-7-1924. Transcribed by United States Mine Rescue Association and accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/loomis_news_only.htm

Mine Safety and Health Administration. Historical Coal Mine Disasters in the Anthracite Region (District 1 – Coal Mine Safety and Health). Arlington, VA: MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed 1-3-2009 at: http://www.msha.gov/District/Dist_01/Fatals/HISTFAT.HTM

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Safety and Health Research.. Mining Disasters (Incidents with 5 or more Fatalities). NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2-26-2013 update. Accessed 3-26-2025 at:

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NIOSH-Mining/MMWC/MineDisasters/Table

NEPA.railfan.net. Plymouth Miners Memorial. (Inscription on the Memorial). Accessed 4-8-2010 at: http://nepa.railfan.net/breakers/pmm.php

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Glen Alden Coal Company Loomis Mine Explosion, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1924, No. Killed – 14.” Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/loomis_news_only.htm

1924 — June 6, Loomis Coal Mine methane gas explosion (cigarette), Nanticoke, PA — 14