Mather Mine Explosion 90th Anniversary

On May 19, 1928 at 4:07pm, a gas and dust explosion shattered the calmness of Mather Mine, part of the Pickands-Mather and Company of Mather, PA. The explosion, one of the worst in coal mining history, originated in the northwestern corner of the mine, where an arc from an electric underground locomotive ignited an accumulation of explosive gas.

The explosion ripped through the mine, 350 feet below the surface, covering an area about a mile wide and a mile and a half long. 270 men were in the mine when it happened; 69 escaped without assistance from the unaffected area. Of the 208 men left, 14 escaped safely, 2 died after being rescued, and 192 were killed as a result of the explosion.

State and mine officials worked on recovery, assisting with rescue crews and extinguishing fires. Nearby coalmines sent rescue teams and equipment to Mather to assist in recovery work. Hundreds of rescue workers worked to learn the fate of the more than 200 men not accounted for after the explosion, while thousands watched, desperately hoping those inside would make it out.

The Mather Mine disaster ranks as the seventh worst mining disaster in U.S. history and the second worst in Pennsylvania history. The explosion, and others like Monongah, WV and Darr Mine in Van Meter, PA in 1907, brought about more regulations and worked to change coal mining as it was. Disasters like these led to improved safety precautions and protocols. The Mather coal mine closed in 1964.

Mather remembered the 90th anniversary of the Mather Mine explosion with a town festival on May 26th. Rep. Pam Snyder opened the ceremony and Pastor Shawn Davis, Jr of Pillar of Faith Church in Clarksville began the memorial service with prayer. At 4:07pm, the town whistle blew just like it did on that May 19 in 1928 and for a moment, everyone in attendance thought about that devastating day and the bleak days that followed. Dave Brichetti and John Plock, retired coal miners and Mather residents, along with Pam Snyder and Ed Yankovich, read the 194 names of the miners that died from the explosion. The memorial service was closed with a prayer led by the pastor of Mather Christian Church.

While there, people stopped to pay their respects at the Mather Miner Memorial. The monument was unveiled 16 years ago on May 19th, 2002 74 years after the disaster. The monument, made from Pennsylvania black granite, includes the 194 names, as well as an etching of a miner drawn by Brian Fowler, whose grandfather died in the explosion.

Before and after the service, vendors, food, and music were available from 10am-9pm. An organizer from the event, Rachelle Maison Zebro, said that the town hopes to continue to do hold the event yearly.

To read more about the explosion, Tony Bupka’s The Mather Mine Disaster recounts stories from those involved and compiles articles and reports from the time.

Published in July 2018 GreeneScene Magazine.