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Man wants others to remember the 13 men who died on Feb. 13, 1884 in a Gaylord mine.
PLYMOUTH – As most people get ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a local man feels another observance should be noted today.
Stephen Kondrad, 55, who grew up in Plymouth, moved out of the area then returned to his hometown, wants people to remember a tragic event that happened on Feb. 13, 1884.
That’s when 13 miners lost their lives in the mine chambers deep below the Gaylord Shaft.
The Gaylord Colliery was located in Plymouth, between Cherry Street and Washington Avenue and the Gaylord Mine was operated by the Kingston Coal Company.
“We just observed the 52nd anniversary of the Knox Mine Disaster,” Kondrad said. “Unfortunately, disasters from the anthracite coal mining industry that occurred back in the 1800s have been lost in time.”
Kondrad said every year fewer and fewer people remember the anthracite history and its impact on the region and the world.
“Anthracite coal fueled the Industrial Revolution, not to mention two world wars,” Kondrad said.
Kondrad belongs to the Plymouth Historical Society and the Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Association. He said of the 13 victims, six are buried in the Shawnee Cemetery: Mine Foreman Thomas H. Picton, Thomas Cole, Thomas Merriman, Thomas Leyshon, John D. Morris and Daniel Morgan.
Kondrad says anthracite coal mining remains somewhat synonymous with the Wyoming Valley. In the past, there were thousands of jobs created by the anthracite coal mining industry, contributing significantly to the population growth of Wyoming Valley.
“Unfortunately, just as our valley is known for coal mining, it is also known for coal mining disasters,” Kondrad said. “On January 22nd, we marked the 52nd anniversary of the Knox Mine Disaster, which claimed 12 lives. The terrible disaster at the River Slope Mine of the Knox Coal Company, in Port Griffith, contributed to the end of deep mining in the Wyoming Valley.”
Kondrad said Plymouth Borough was no stranger to mining disasters.
At the time of the disaster, the coal company was in the process of re-opening old workings at the Gaylord, Kondrad said, adding that before mining ceased in these veins several years prior, it was standard practice for miners to “rob the coal pillars.”
Kondrad said when the Kingston Coal Company decided to re-open the deep mines at the Gaylord, they knew that several coal veins had been robbed.
“They sent mining experts to check on the condition of the mine chambers,” Kondrad said. “Their report stated that areas of rock falls from roof collapses were noticed. But, the mine was safe to be worked.”
Kondrad said historical accounts show that on Feb. 13, a group of 12 miners, led by Picton, were attempting to support the rock roof of the Bennett Vein in the Gaylord Mine, with massive wooden timbers. Prior to this, a “squeeze” was noticed at the mine, meaning that the weight of the roof was pushing down hard, Kondrad said.
“Timbers were beginning to buckle under the tremendous pressure,” he said. “The miners knew that a squeeze was a sign that the roof may collapse. Some miners refused to go down into the mine, fearing the worst.”
Kondrad said the historical records show that Picton told the men that he had no use for them in the mine if they were afraid to go. During the morning hours of Feb. 13, a massive cave-in occurred, without warning, in the Bennett Vein, where Picton and his 12-man crew were working. All thirteen men perished.
“The news of the disaster was devastating to their families and the entire town,” Kondrad said. “Rescue and recovery efforts began as soon as possible. It was estimated that 400 feet of rock separated the caved-in areas from the open chamber. It took nearly two months to recover all 13 bodies of the victims.
Gaylord Disaster
The following is a complete list of the victims of the Gaylord Mine Disaster:
Thomas Herbert Picton, Peter McLaughlin, Joseph Olds, John Hammer, Michael Walsh, Thomas J. Jones, Richard Davis, James Kingdom, Thomas Cole, Thomas Leyshon, Thomas Merriman, John D. Morris and Daniel Morgan.