Robena No. 3 Mine Explosion Memorial - Carmichaels, Pennsylvania - Disaster Memorials on Waymarking.com

Robena No. 3 Mine Explosion Memorial - Carmichaels, Pennsylvania

The Robena mine, operated as one unit, consists of three interconnected mines, Nos. 1,2, and 3, located at Greensboro and Carmichaels, Greene County, Pennsylvania, which are served by barges on the Monongahela River.
THE EXPLOSION
There was two explosions total in the disaster. Thee first at about 1:05 p.m. and the second at about 1:25 p.m., occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1962, in the 4 mains right area of Robena No.3 mine, United States Steel Corporation, Coal Division, Frick District, Carmichaels, Greene County, Pennsylvania. Thirty-seven men, all of those working in the 8 left section of the explosion area, are believed to have died as a result of the first explosion, as attested by the fact that some of the watches, including the watch on the body of the outermost victim, had been stopped between 1 :03 and 1:05, while two other men who approached the area after the first explosion were knocked down but not injured by the forces of the second explosion. The other 133 men in the Robena No.3 mine at the time were withdrawn without mishap. Bureau of Mines investigators believe that the first explosion originated in the face area of 8 left inby 90 crosscut between Nos. 4 and 8 entries when a mixture of methane and air was ignited by one of four possible sources: A nip station just outby 90 crosscut on No.6 entry, a car puller activated by an open-type electric motor located on intake air at the inby right comer of No.6 entry at 90 crosscut, friction sparks from bits of a continuous miner being operated at the face of the slant place between Nos. 7 and 8 entries inby 91 crosscut, or an auxiliary fan in operation and in nonpermissible condition in 91 crosscut between the slant and No.8 entry. The second explosion originated somewhere in 8 left section when gas and/or dust was ignited by residual fires or by an electric arc, since the main fan had been restarted and the mine power system had been reenergized soon after the first explosion. Coal dust assisted in the propagation of both explosions.
THE RECOVERY
Soon after the second explosion, recovery operations were started and mine rescue teams were summoned. It was soon discovered that the forces of the explosions had destroyed stoppings, the air was short circuited about 4,000 feet from Frosty Run shaft bottom, and explosive and noxious gases permeated the atmosphere inby this point. Thus it was necessary to explore all entries leading to 8 left with self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus to ascertain the presence of and extinguish any fires before ventilation was reestablished. The recovery was a long and tedious operation, taking from about 3:00 p.m. December 6 until the morning of December 11, 1962, when the face area was fmally ventilated. The body of the first victim was found at 3: 15 a.m. December 8 and the last was brought to the surface at 2:04 p.m. December 11, 1962.
THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
This disaster was caused by the ignition of a body of methane by friction sparks or electric arc. The methane had accumulated in a portion of the face development that was not ventilated for a short period of time and was moved over operating equipment when completion of a permanent stopping in the section resulted in a reversal of face airflow.