On this day in labor history, the year was 1947.
That was the day Centralia Coal Mine #5 exploded, killing 111 miners in Centralia, IL
The explosion occurred just as the day shift was ending.
Those not killed instantly were trapped and died from their burns or the afterdamp.
Words scrawled on the walls of the mine read, “Look in our pockets. We all have notes. Please give them to our wives.”
State inspectors had been forewarning mine owners about the dangers of accumulated, combustible coal dust for years before the explosion, but were ignored.
Illinois Mine Inspector Driscoll Scanlan had been filing reports since 1942 about deteriorating conditions.
The demand for coal during wartime had increased production at the expense of safety.
In the aftermath of the explosion, John L. Lewis, president of the UMWA, called a work stoppage in memory of the dead miners.
He also held Secretary of the Interior, Julius Krug, guilty of criminal negligence.
Lewis accused Krug of having failed to enforce existing mine regulations.
In response, Krug ordered that 518 mines remain closed for inspection.
The House and Senate proceeded to organize hearings on mine safety.
They demanded that the Bureau of Mines continue to pass inspection findings onto the proper state agencies.
Given the power mine owners held at the state level, these instructions ensured no improvements in mine safety would occur.
It would be another 22 years before any real change occurred at the federal level.
April 8 - John L. Lewis Takes on Henry Ford
April 7 - Flora Tristan is Born
April 6 - Rose Schneiderman is Born
April 5 - Massey Mine Explodes, pt. 2
April 4 - Massey Mine Explodes, pt. 1
April 3 - Lincoln Freed the Slaves, Ford Brought Them Back
April 2 - Trouble in the Sweetest Place on Earth
April 1 - The Promise of 1946
March 31 - Hospital Workers Stand United
March 30 - 15th Amendment Adopted
March 29 - West Coast Hotel v Parrish Decided
March 28 - Partial Meltdown at Three Mile Island
March 27 - FE Strikers Battle Police at Harvester
March 26 - Police Attack UE Amid ‘46 Strike Wave
March 24 - Exxon Valdez Runs Aground
March 23 - Texas City Refinery Explosion Kills 15
March 22 - ERA Passes the Senate
March 21 - Truman Signs Loyalty Order
March 20 - Another Deadly Explosion
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