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One of the saddest days in Wyoming Valley history was June 5, 1919, when 92 men were killed in an explosion at the Baltimore No. 5 shaft in Wilkes-Barre. The tragedy has never lost its impact in this former anthracite coal mining area, and genealogists and historical researchers still study it today.
“Can you give me the exact location of the Baltimore Tunnel explosion?” writes David Roberts.
– David, the Baltimore workings of the Delaware and Hudson Co. were in a big open area just north of the intersection of Scott and Kidder streets. Today, if you drive northward along Scott Street into the Parsons section of Wilkes-Barre, the old mining area would be on your left.
To plot the location yourself, consult “Insurance Maps of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Vol. 1,” by the Sanborn Map Co., published in 1955 and updated several times since then. I also looked at a 1904 atlas of Wilkes-Barre and an 1889 drawing of the city.
The 1919 blast was the second-worst mining disaster in this area’s history. The death toll was exceeded only by the 110 men and boys killed in the 1869 fire at the Avondale workings in Plymouth.
The June 5 explosion occurred as the miners were entering the tunnel in a string of mine cars, which also carried blasting powder for the day’s work. A spark ignited the powder. News stories of the time say the victims had no chance to escape and were horribly burned and mangled.
Delaware and Hudson was a big company with a lot of trackage and structures in the vicinity of the mining operation. The best way to get a sense of its size and power is to look at old maps of Wilkes-Barre. The last remnants of the mining operation were demolished in 1963.
For a good summary, read “The Breaker Whistle Blows,” by Ellis Roberts (1984), available in local libraries.
2) “I am looking for archival news articles for the Pittston area in the early 1900s. Do you have names of papers from that time so that I can continue my research?” Marie DeSalvo.
– Marie, the Luzerne County Historical Society (see note below) has microfilm reels of various periods of the Pittston Gazette from 1850 to 1921. That would probably be your best bet.
You and other genealogists on a similar quest should also look in microfilms of the Wilkes-Barre papers that published at that time: the Record, the Times and the Leader (which merged in 1907) and the Evening News. They’re all at the historical society too. The Wilkes-Barre papers often ran special columns of Pittston news with their own heading. The Sunday Independent, available on microfilm at the Osterhout Free Library, also carried Pittston news.
3) Karen Blomain and Michael Downend are looking for people who can provide personal experience and background about the old Hazard Wire Rope plant in Wilkes-Barre for a play they are writing. This building, now located along Pennsylvania Boulevard, has been partially demolished. In its heyday it was one of the area’s major employers. Contact Blomain and Downend at [email protected].

News Notes: The Luzerne County Historical Society is closed for two weeks. It will reopen March 4 at noon.
– My winter session genealogy classes in Boscov’s Campus of Courses have concluded, but I will repeat the free classes in the fall. A Boscov’s ad in The Times Leader in late August or early September will list days and times.
On the web

For more columns by Tom Mooney, go to www.timesleader.com