Source: The Wilburton Gazettee - April 1, 1910

There was an explosion at the Great Western Mine No. 2, Thursday morning about 3 o'clock in which six men lost their lives. They are:

Wm. Pahlon

Thad Cunningham

Ben Coffman

Olya Boyd

Billie McMahan

Geo. Belcher

All were married men with families. They were working on the night shift and had quit work and started out. It is supposed that a "windy shot" caused the explosion. Five of them were found his a heap and Geo. Belcher was found higher up the slope. All were badly burned and must have died instantly. There was some delay in recovering the bodies on account of bad air and a fall of rock on the slope. The force of the explosion cracked the roof on the fan house. This was to have been the last days work as there was to be suspension the first of April.

Source: The Latimer County News Democrat - January 22, 1926

When we went to press last week, all the bodies had been removed from mine 21 but six, and it was Tuesday before the last one, that of Alonzo Franklin, was removed from the pit. It was a difficult matter to extricate the last six men, as tons of debris and rock pinned their bodies in a fashion that it was almost impossible to remove them.

Saturday saw the burial of more than half of the blast victims. The clouds were heavy and the whole atmosphere about Wilburton was saturated with a grief and a despondency that is inexpressible. At one time, in the improvised morgue, more than fifty caskets containing bodies were arranged in three rows the entire length of the building. All day crowds surged about the front door; not all of them were curious for there were many relatives who had come from afar to view the remains of deceased miners and to take charge of their bodies. Truck load after truck load of caskets were removed, some to the homes of the miners, some to churches, and some direct to the City cemetery. At the latter place, Saturday morning there were fifty or more open graves waiting the reception of these bodies. All Saturday morning was given over to the burial of the negro dead. Many of the scenes were heart-rending when the negro women where having torn from their homes, so suddenly, stalwart husbands and bread-winners, and their were many instances of fainting and hysteria, and loud shrieks on the part of these poor people at the graveside.

Robert Lucas was buried at Center Point, Perry Johnson at Damon and Allen Cox at Wilburton Friday, and many attended those funerals.

Jack Evans was interred at McAlester and A. B. Thomas at Hartshorne. Barney Dailey and his son, Bernard, and Alix Hovonick were buried Saturday morning in the presence of a large number of people, as were Roy Greenfield and Ben McFadden in the afternoon.

The funeral of Sam Wilson and his tow sons was indeed a very sad one, as was that of Alick Domnick and his young son, Michael.

Louis Endruzzi left an expectant wife and five little children. a few of the negro dead were removed to neighboring town from whence they had come to work in the ill-fated mine. Henry Phillips, who was one of the rescued, saw four of his sons buried.

The last body was put under the sod Wednesday afternoon, just one week and a few hours after the disaster occurred. The last act of the rescue men was to send to the top Wednesday morning, 'Sam" the lone surviving mule of the several in the mien when the explosion occurred. Ropes were girded about his body and when the reached the top and was unlaced, he appeared little worse for the experience. It required no one to lead him to the barn, but sniffing the fresh air and realizing his freedom had been affected from an underground prison for 168 hours, he kicked up his heels for joy, with a bray of delight, ran at a breakneck speed to home at the mine barn.

Source: The Latimer County News Democrat - January 15, 1929

94 Dead in Explosion at 21

The Story of the Explosion

A terrific explosion occurred at Mine No. 21, Degnan-McConnell property, a mile and one-half west of Wilburton at 7:55 Wednesday morning, just twenty-five minutes after the 101 men below were suppose to be at their places ready for the day's work. The force of the explosion blew timbers and debris from the bottom of the 195 foot shaft and the earth tremor was felt distinctly in the city.

The word of the disaster spread like wile fire and in a few moments men in cars were racing to the scene and the phone wires were put hard to the task of calling for help and notifying the world of what gave promise of being the State's biggest disaster and toll of human life.

Miners, company men, and operators rushed to the scene from Hartshorne, Red Oak, Pittsburgh, Iowa, [unreadable ], Nineteen, Lutie and Great Western and in a very short time, hundreds of men were offering their services for rescue work.

At 9:50 J. B. Hymnal, in charge of rescue paraphernalia; arrived from McAlester, where the Federal Bureau of Mines rescue are is located, and preparation was hurriedly made for the entry into the mine of the first rescue party.

In the meantime a small hoisting engine, bull wheel and steel bucket was installed to be used in the stead of the regular hoisting apparatus which had been put out of commission on account of the wrecking of cages by the explosion. At 10:22, J. B. Hynal, A. B. Livingston and Joe Guisnsky entered the manway equipped with helmets. The equipment was then removed from the men and let down separately, then the men went in and finally made their way toward the bottom of the shaft, but found a rock fall where they were halted. The three men returned and others followed who removed the rock and soon the foot of the shaft was reached and communication established with the eight men who had escaped from the 13th west and who had been waiting for two hours at the bottom of the shaft and whose voices had been heard by those calling from above.

While this effort was being made to reach the bottom of the shaft from the manway, Jim Redpath and Walter Pugh went as far down the shaft as they could in the steel bucket and finding obstructions, were compelled to saw and crop their way through. Finally the men in the bucket reached the bottom of the shaft and talked to the eight men who were waiting to be brought out of the mine. They were dent over to the man way, which by this time had been cleared, and when word reached the people gathered about, that these men were coming to the top and to safety through the manway, the center of interest and curiosity soon shifted to the fan house where a space had been roped off to protect workmen and the men coming to safety, from being pushed by the curious throngs, pressing the ropes.

One at a time, the eight lucky miners from the 13th west made their exit through the steel door of the brick room over the manway, each wrapped in a blanket, but all able to go to the wash house unassisted except one, Tom Carter, the first to appear through the doorway.

These men gave horrifying accounts of their experiences following the explosion. They were working together and immediately selected a leader and did the bidding. While almost overcome with afterdamp, these men fought their way over debris and through falling rock and over dead bodies and fortunately reached the shaft where good air was found and where the men waited for the rescue party.

In a little while rescue parties which had been organized from among the most experienced miners who had come to the scene of disaster from eastern Oklahoma mines, entered the wrecked property and began a systematic search for men who were still alive. At six o'clock, Wednesday, on six bodies had been located and nobody alive. The work progressed all night and heavy eyed and weary men were reluctant to give away to relief parties, which were always ready to enter the pit of death. All night long, and through Thursday, shifts of thirty-five men worked for six hours, each, looking for live men and locating and bringing to the shaft the remains of those who had died as a result of the explosion.

There was a thrill for the hundreds of workmen and spectators early Thursday morning, when Cecil Kin, age 22, white, appeared at the door of the manway. Exhausted and haggard he had fought his way to the top. For twenty-four hours he had crawled through the intricate labyrinths of the mine, alone and unaided, fighting and praying for a chance to live. His path, ever threatened with new dangers was one of horror, dispair and nervewrecking, but the young miner fought on. Through small crevices, over sharp edged rocks, and across dead bodies, including the lifeless form of his own father, he literally pulled himself. Without food, water, pure air and will little hope, he kept on and on. Finally there came into sight the foot of the manway. It was familiar to him. He uttered a prayer of thanksgiving and began his last lap on the road to another chance to live. McKinna was taken to his home and under the care of a physician, he is resting.

Another surprise came when the rescue party found Beryl Holland, colored, about ten-thirty in the 14th east with life in his body, but unconscious. He was brought out immediately, and while still unconscious at this writing, there is hope for his recovery.

IN THE SIXTEENTH WEST

Workers think that the explosion originated in the 16th West. One miner said it was as easy as tracing a rabbit in snow, this task of finding where the explosion started. From a given point, in room ten, he said, everything was swept forward, and this is alleged to have been the room where gas had been previously observed. It was said that it was even possible to find the man who set off the gas.

Source: The Latimer County News Democrat - December 5, 1930

At twelve-fifteen Saturday afternoon, November 29, an explosion occurred in the ten and one-half cast entry of Number Five Lutie, Hailey-Ola property, and as consequence, fifteen lives were lost, thirteen men dying in the mine and tow of four that were seriously injured, dying later. The other two injured men were reported improving in the hospital.

The news of the explosion reached Wilburton soon after its occurrence and the road leading to the scene of the disaster was literally lined with traffic.

Members of the families of the dead workmen, rushed to the mouth of the slope to learn the fate of their loved ones.

The scenes were heart-rending, but such experiences were not new in this community, since it was here that ninety-one men lost their lives in a mine disaster five years ago next month when an explosion at Twenty-one occurred.

Wilburton and its little suburb mining camp, Lutie, Monday were scenes of sad activity as relatives went about the silent job of burying the dead of the No. 5 mine disaster, which claimed the lives of 15 miners.

At the mine Monday morning, Miller D. Hay, chief mine inspector of Oklahoma, said that the official investigation into the cause of the explosion would be started Tuesday. The investigation was being held up until after the burial of most of the victims.

Dan McAlpine, of Haileyville, manager and part owner of the disastrous mine, sent H. G. Phillippi, company official to the mine vicinity to look over the situation and check the number of dependents left by the mine victims.

Clear, sunshiny weather has been favorable for the out-of-doors funeral services. Saturday afternoon while the rescuers worked on diligently, a steady rain beat into the faces of those anxious mothers, wives and children that stood faithfully at the mouth of the mine, awaiting news from below.

38 other miners who were working in various other entries of the mine heard the explosion in the auxiliary slope, and rushed up the main slope and emerged uninjured at the top of the mine.

Fact that the explosion occurred in the small or panel slope, sending its force upward, was attributed by miners as having saved the lives of the 38 men in other parts of the mine.

Thirteen of the lives were lost outright by the explosion and afterdamp and two other m

Two other men, Louie Pate and Louis McMahan, the only two survivors of the 17 workers in the 10th cast entry, are in a Hartshorne hospital, reported recovering.

As son as the 38 miners emerged uninjured, they organized themselves into rescue squads and returned to the scene of the explosion to remove fellow workers. Little trouble was had in restoring circulation to the entry in which the blast occurred, and as the explosion has caused no great rock falls, the rescuers were able to go into the entry.

Rapid rescue work continued and the last of the 13-dead bodies were brought to the surface at 3:30 p.m. just three hours and 15 minutes after the blast occurred.

Old time miners marveled at the rapid work, as it was one of the quickest rescue jobs of a similar major disaster, ever known in this mining district.

Like most mines in this district, the No. 5 Lutie was a slope digging, its throat slanting north and slightly west into the ground.

Source: The Latimer County News Democrat - March 6, 1936

William H. Powers, pioneer citizen of Wilburton, and for a number of years prominent in his association with the coal industry, died at the St. Mary's Infirmary in McAlester Monday morning, March 2, at 2:18 o'clock following an illness of several months duration. He made a valiant fight during his long illness and suffered a great deal during the time but bore up like the good Spartan that he was.

Funeral services were held at the Church of the Sacred heart at 10:00 o'clock Wednesday morning, Rev. Father Lynch officiating. The service was attended by a large number of sympathizing friends. Following the service interment was made at the Calvary cemetery. Pallbearers were Bill Wynn, Sr., Jack McConville, John McGinley, J.W. Martin, John Spence and Sam Bussell.

Mr. Powers began working in a coal mine when he was nine years of age and for twenty-five years was a superintendent for the Degnan-McConnell Coal company. For the past few years he has operated a small independent mine of his own.

Decedent was born at Casey Mines, a coal mining camp in Kentucky, Oct. 28, 1870. He was in the coal mining business in Kansas two years. For about 40 years he had been a resident of Wilburton.

In the death of Mr. Powers, Wilburton loses another old landmark and a citizen who enjoyed the friendship and confidence of a large circle of friends and acquaintances in this community. During his career he saw the coal industry in all its phases. He was bossing when coal mines were flourishing and he was on the job when the industry hit the rocks. He saw hundreds of happy men go to and from the mines when wages were high and he witnessed strikes, explosions, floods and every other character of diastase that go with coal mining.

The deceased is survived by three sons and three daughters as follows: William H. Powers, Jr., Wilburton; Mrs. Margaret Morrison, Russellville, Pa; Pat J. Powers, McAlester; Mrs. J. J. Seerey, Little Rock, Ark., Mrs. Helen Leonard, Wilburton; James Powers, Wilburton, and James McConnell, a half-brother and a sister, Mrs. Mary E. Ramshaw, Wilburton.