Cherry Mine Disaster Memorial (original) - Cherry, IL
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 41° 25.381 W 089° 13.096
16T E 314632 N 4588092
In 1909, 259 coal miners lost their lives when the mine accidentally caught fire.
Waymark Code: WM9X5Y
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 10/09/2010
Views: 4
One of the sites where the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad mined coal for its steam engines was in Cherry, Illinois. On November 13, 1909, a load of hay intended for the mule stables at the bottom of the mine was ignited by burning oil dripping from a kerosene torch.
259 miners, men and boys, lost their lives in the smoke and fire that ensued.
On the second anniversary of the disaster, the United Mine Workers of America installed a white marble monument in the cemetery were many of the victims were laid to rest.
The memorial simply reads as follows:
TO THE MEMORY OF THE
MINERS WHO LOST THEIR
LIVES IN THE CHERRY
MINE DISASTER NOVEMBER
13, 1909.
ERECTED BY THE U.M.W.
OF A. DISTRICT 12,
ILLINOIS NOV. 13, 1911
This waymark is not to be confused with second granite memorial erected by the Village of Cherry on the 100th anniversary next to the Village Hall.
Disaster Date: 11/13/1909
Date of dedication: 11/13/1911
Memorial Sponsors: United Mine Workers of America
Disaster Type: Technological
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
Parking Coordinates: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
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