Borninabarn

Various News Accounts

 

One of the companies that helped coal mining become a major industry for DuBois was the Berwind-White Coal Company. It purchased 2,000 acres of land southeast of DuBois and put down a shaft where the DuBois Mall is now located. In 1900, it was taken over by the Buffalo and Susquehanna Coal and Coke Company and became known as B & S Shaft #1. A new railroad, known as the B & S, was constructed from Sinnemahoning to Shaft #1, using a new tunnel dug at Sabula. The railroad line continued to Armstrong County. A second shaft known as B & S. #2 was opened just beyond Highland Street a few years later. Labor disputes in 1929 forced the closing of the B & S and Northwest Mining and Exchange Company operations, and they were never reopened. The shafts flooded, effectively bringing an end to deep shaft mining.

 

DUBOIS, PA., March 23.

What a sad story and how awful for the families. I heard there are several people from the mine explosion buried in Rumbarger Cemetery. I wonder if they have any relatives around that would care for their graves?

Yes...I do :>)

116 Years ago today My Great Great Grand Father...Henry Harvey along with 12 others lost their lives in a coal mine...this mine was and is under the Du Bois Mall...

DuBois, Pennsylvania March 23, 1896 TERRIBLE MINE EXPLOSION.

13 Men Killed Outright

The following miners were killed today by an explosion in the Berwind-White mine:

Their names are as follows:

GEORGE HARVEY

HENRY HARVEY

REUBEN NOBLE

HENRYY SMITH,

JAMES GRAHAM, Sr.,

JAMES GRAHAM, Jr.

LINDSEY H. BRADLEY

JOHN MONROE

JESSE POSTLEHWAITE

GEO. POSTLETHWAITE

ANDREW NOWAK

DAVID BELL

GEORGE AINSLEY

The Accident at the Berwind-White Mine Was Caused by the Firing of a Charge.

BODIES FRIGHTFULLY MANGLED

The dead were kept below until their mangled bodies could be made presentable. They were washed, wrapped in blankets and then sent up, many wives, and mothers

who were crowding around the mouth of the shaft, fainted at the sight of the dead bodies.

The mine on the north side was wrecked, beams and supports were smashed into match wood. Rails were twisted and the roof caved in. The victims all met their deaths

from the force of the explosion.

I found Henry's grave at Rumbarger last year...

Thank you for the interesting article that mentioned the Electric Park! I never even heard of the Electric Park in DuBois.

You are welcome !

????

With water, gas and electricity, arc street lights, the town took on city

airs with the opening of the nineties, and there began really serious talk of a

street railway. The Griers, Bostwick, Jimmy Lane, with the aid of the Bailey

brothers of Ford City, who came to look over the prospects for an electric car

line from the DuBois House, east side, to Electric Park, end of South Main

street. That venture was of magnitude and took time and a good lot of capital.

Meantime John Bierly came to take hold of the Commercial hotel corner lot, and

the new three-story brick hotel was to replace the one-story red brick

structure in which the banks had burned out. E. Kuntz had built the brick home

at the rear of Commercial building; Griers and Henry Knorr rebuilt in brick,

the latter three rooms, two stories high; the postoffice now occupied the new

brick next to the Deposit bank building toward Scribner; the LeGrande Hotel was

a new brick north side Booth; Henry Knorr had his new brick house at corner

Long and Stockdale; St. Paul's church went up next Bilger's livery on Scribner;

the Methodists got a new location and built a brick church at corner of Long

and High; the new Central hotel went up in brick at corner Long and Evans.

Bundy's and Duttry's here too...

He was a very Important man...I am tired of people who are not from this area...who have no family ties to the area...or who just don't care...

sure I will share the stories once I get them all gathered and put togather. I have heard several stories about ghosts of Interstate 80 along with some about a cemetary in Punxy and other places te DRMC and central catholic stories are interesting I am working on developing more info on those. The one about Luthersburg I am very aware of and have seen. However I wish to be careful with that  because the mother of the girl involved recently died and I know some who knew her are still in the area so I don't want to cause them pain. But once I have everything gathered I will share them here because this is an interesting part of the local history. I have heard some stories about Rumbarger Cemetary and the rail road line west of the city. But I am still researching and gathering data. I think we will find an interesting history from all this.

thanks

Dave

Just wondering how the stories are coming...

Another treasure I just received...my Grand father was born in 1889...he is in the bottom left of the photo...William John Harvey...he worked for the Berwind White Coal mine...shaft #1  He and his family lived in what was called Shaffer Siding...He was a miner by the time he was 10 years old...His Father was one of the 13 miners killed in the explosion of that mine on March 23 1896...The uniforms they are wearing have the logo JED if you look close...I believe it means JE DuBois something...hopeing someone might know more...

I was just given this photo...I know my dad is in it but I have no Idea which child he is...thought someone else might enjoy the photo

1942 WCED VICTORY COOK BOOK DUBOIS PENNSYLVANIA

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1942-WCED-VICTORY-COOK-BOOK-DUBOIS-PENNSYLVANIA-/250908579202?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item3a6b511582#ht_2540wt_1195

Looking for historical info on Mansell Stadium.  Pictures?  I know it was at one time a Vocational school.  Any and all info appreciated!

My dad was a maintenance man for DASD back in the 70's ...I know I have some pictures...I will try to look them up for you...anything in particular you're looking for ?

I ran across some very good websites and news headlines on the history of the coal mining industry in our area.

 

Here is a fantastic website on the Eriton Shaft Mine in Sandy Township:

 

http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cleeriton.html

 

Class and Labor: When Singing Hymns for the Union was a Crime

in Rossiter PA

 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/06/19/348450/-Class-and-Labor:-When-Singing-Hymns-for-the-Union-was-a-Crim

 

DuBois in Mourning Thirteen Victims of Gas Explosion

March 24, 1896

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7e9IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gAINAAAAIBAJ&pg=1165,706367&dq=dubois+pa&hl=en

 

1897  Sep 11, A strike by some 75,000  coal miners in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia ended after 10 weeks. Concessions included an eight-hour work day, semi-monthly pay, and the abolition of company stores (which were famous for over charging workers). The day before, about 20 miners were killed when sheriff's deputies opened fire on them in Pennsylvania. (AP, 9/11/97)(MC, 9/11/01)

 

Explosion Wipes Out 21 Lives: Disaster in Coal Mine Near DuBois PA

July 17, 1911

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CaMlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TPwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6963,5619720&dq=dubois+pa&hl=en

 

Bodies Recovered in Mine Explosion March 29, 1937

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iKtQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CyIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4161,3175384&dq=dubois+pa&hl=en

 

My Great Great Grand father was one of the 13 miners killed March 23 1896,,,I just learned of this in March,,,he was laid to rest in RUMBARGER cemetery,,,after I finally found his grave I was amazed....

I am a decedent of people in the cemetery,,,I started tracing my family history and found out that my Great Great Grand Father was killed in the mine explosion on March 23 1896,,,the mine that was by the Du Bois mall,,,I have found an article from the courier express,,,in the library that states "If this town EVER forgets about these men who's lives were taken from them in such a horrible way,,,this town should be FOREVER be ashamed....If I had known his grave would not look like this

My husbands grandfather is on the right,,,photo taken about 1916...does anyone have any info on this team,,,local DuBois or Sandy twp

1957