RIP Miners 🙏🏻 We understand mining tragedies here in in WV..God Bless All Coal Miners 🙏🏻

Unfortunately animals can sense things before people do. We need to pay more attention to the animals. Very interesting video.

I just shared this event (which I learned from you) with some other friends. Again, I love how you make sure we understand these were someone's husband, father, brother, cousin, uncle and grandfathers/great grandfathers. Knowledge is power THANK YOU Mr. Donnie🙏🏾

I come here when I’m missing my daddy. He was a storyteller too. Thank you for all you do!

As a fellow, and active longwall miner, my hat is off to you, and those lost to the dark. Laying a fellow miner to rest tomorrow. Brothers in arms. God bless him. He was a fine man.

Thank you Donnie for your 30 years of service in the mines at what is a VERY dangerous occupation! Thank you also for educating us on the mines and to the 11,000 men and boys who perished I say thank you and God bless you all. 😢

The art of story telling ... I can listen to these mining stories all day long. Runs in my family.

This is so sad, just hard working men and boys. Trying to feed their families. Another hard time in the life of Americans. Thanks for sharing Mr Donnie. My grandad worked the coal mines in east Kentucky. He was born in 1896 in not sure how young he was when he started working them. Hard work. God bless🙏

Thank you for honoring these brave men.this was a very heart touching video. My mother in laws' father worked in the mine in big stone gap, he died when a coal car rolled back on the tracks and crushed him.they brought him out and he lived for day,two and when he died at home, his funeral was held at home and all his buddies,neivhbors came to pay respects. He worked very hard but was a kind, happy man.

Thanks Mr Donnie You're The Best Storyteller Ever!👌❤️😊

what a shame what happened to all them miners that were just trying to earn a honest living. them miners were the heartbeat of America. thanks for sharing Donnie very interesting stuff how it was back in the old days in those mines and the those people putting their lives on the line everyday. take care and stay safe out there Donnie

Thank you Mr. Donnie. Going to watch this a 3rd time now. So sad, but those men and families are an inspiration to me. ✝️

Until now I never realized how dangerous coal mines could be. And hundred years ago, how there were no LED lights and all. My Grandfather was one of those mine "helping" boys, and he had stories that before he was 10yrs old, he and his brothers would help return the empty coal cars to the miners. It's been so long.... he had 2 or 3 stories he told about being a kid and making some coin around the coal mine. It's difficult to tell you "thank you" for a story like this....but I do appreciate you passing it on. We live in very safe times here. It's very rough imagining that town after this disaster. All the men and some boys gone. How Eerie life must have been for so long. That letter you read really made me cry. Count our many blessings!

Thank you, Donnie, for posting. This story is especially sad to me because my grandfather was killed in a mine explosion in the 1920s. He was at the bottom of an inclined shaft that had a conveyor to take the coal up to the surface. A conveyor bearing went out and got hot, causing a methane explosion. I have a copy of his death certificate, which gives the cause of death: "Burns, after damp, caused by an explosion bottom of shaft...." Damp is bad air that has no oxygen. It is hard to explain how I can love someone so dearly who was gone years before I was born.

My grandfather was injured in a cave in at Blue Diamond in Perry county, Ky, Jan 1950. Roof caved in and a roof timber broke his back. He spent the last 39 years of his life in a wheelchair. I tried to get information from umw but they had no records.

I just watched your video and I knew all about this mine explosion because one of my relatives was one of the miners in this mine who was in the group of 26 men who died from the lack of air. His name was Powell Harmon and he was one of the men who was able to write a note to his wife and sons. It was such a tragedy that so many lost their lives. Several of my relatives worked in the coal mines at one time or another. My grandparents and their family including my father lived in Coal Creek for many years and raised their family there, even after the name was changed to Lake City. Thank you for letting us see this video so that we can see exactly what happened when the mine exploded. I can remember hearing about it from my relatives and father but it actually makes a difference seeing pictures of it. So very sad that so many children had to grow up without a father. But back then you were either a coal miner or a farmer.

Man I couldn’t imagine. These poor guys were just trying to provide for their families. The wives and family of these men had to feel completely helpless, they had to of known deep down that there wouldn’t be any survivors. Such a tragedy. Thanks for telling this story Donnie and remember these hard working men, I pray their souls were able to move on.

You're a wonderful source of Appalachian history and culture, especially coal mining. I've never been in a mine, but my grandfather was a coal miner for several decades starting in the 1920s. I've learned so much from your channel about what his job was like. Thank you for making these videos!

Thank you Mr. Laws for this piece of history. There are no words that can be said. I can not imagine this. So many lives lost so quickly. I can only pray that the widows and children were able to survive. Such a tragedy.

I have such an appreciation for the work you do, and share with all of us, your knowledge and your experience. It affect me in every real way, and I don’t know any minors that have lost their life but you know you make it so personal for all of us to feel the emptiness of a minor that has expired due to the coal mines. It’s your ability to tell a story. I’m from and still living here in northern Maine

Thank you Mr. Laws for remembering these people from this tragedy, we shouldn't forget the sacrifice they made. So sad!

I never heard of this until now. So very heartbreaking. You are doing a great job putting these histories on video to educate folks like me 😁 . More than that, Donnie, it’s the generations following us that need to know about such as this terrible tragedy. May all those who died Rest In Peace.

I’ve lived in East Tennessee my whole life and I’ve never heard of this mining disaster

Thank you for telling the story of these miners Donnie. Keeping their story alive, gives them a breath of fresh air. God bless you, and all the men who have toiled so long in the mines.

Thanks Donnie for keeping these men in our memories. We lost several extended family members in the disaster. My grandfather is buried in Leach Cemetery where the memorial stands. The men are buried in a circle around the memorial.

I couldn't imagine having to write my wife and family a letter like those men wrote. Much respect to you Mr. Donnie and the men in the coal industry past and present. Thanks for sharing and God bless.

Such a sad story... life was pretty hard for coal miners and their families. Thanks Donnie 🤗❤️

Thank you Mr Laws for passing along history that could have been lost. You are very knowledgeable and I appreciate that you explain what happened and educate us, the viewers. God Bless those who work near or in the mines currently and in earlier times both animal and human.

Few of us realize what is involved in providing the comforts on which we rely. I know that I could never do a coal miner's job so I appreciate the risks these people take. Because of your videos I have read several accounts concerning coal mining and it's history. What a tough and hard lived life these people experienced and continue living.. Appalachian people certainly have my respect and admiration.

How incredibly sad. Sure makes me think about how we take things for granted. Makes me appreciate my life a lot more.

LOve you very much Donnie! I truly adore all of your stories and feel your spirit🌄🌠💗Thanks again

I live in Southern Illinois. We still have a few minds around here. My husband's family were all miners,except my husband and one brother. Hard life!!

Thank you friend Godbless 🙏 you and yours Keep on keeping it real 👍

Donnie you might like looking into TCC Tennessee consolidated coal Co we had a bad one just up the road about 15 MI and 13 were kill that day ...... Thanks for the clips .

Wow, excellent video. It’s so important to remember our history. ❤

Great shows keep up the good work be safe my friend

Sir I appreciate every video you put out to Share our Home and Keep The Stories Going. My strength comes from how I was raised & taught. No whining. Simply Thankful & enjoyed Life. Thank you for these. You’re a good man. And you sound like my Dad. 🙏🏼👍🏼 Gosh bless y’all.

What a dangerous job. We have to give those brave men a lot of credit for doing these jobs. I suppose they didn't have a lot of choices, living in that area. The coal some of them brought out is probably some that kept me warm with our coal furnace in the mid 1940's in Michigan.............Thank you!!

Speaking from outside the Appalachians, it’s a tragedy in itself that they don’t teach stories like this in school. Thank you for this little history lesson, I appreciate it

Wow! I can't even imagine the heartbreak those families went through. It's sad beyond words! Thank you for this history.

So heartbreaking,can't imagine how the many widows and children moved forward. God Bless each precious soul.

That old mule was pretty smart. Can't imagine working in a coal mine for a career. Those miners were special people. You gotta do what ya gotta do to put food on the table. Thanks again Donnie!

Very tragic heartbreaking story Donnie thanks for sharing this piece of history with us never heard this until now

Thank you, Donnie, for keeping the memories of these miners alive, and for sharing some of their last thoughts. God bless.

Such a sad, sad, time. How awful for those families and the town. Thank you for keeping their memories alive by telling the story.

I've heard talk of this tragedy all of my 69 years. So sad I can't imagine how everybody coped with such a disaster. I thank you for making this video and the history lesson. God Bless. NW Ga. The letter you read and shown to us was heart breaking.

Hello Donnie I dont think I'd be able work in a mine. At the same time a man has to do what he has to do. Such a tragedy beyond words. Its upsetting even to hear of such things that happened so long ago. Have a great day sir.

How tragic! Thanks for sharing this history once again, Mr. Donnie! I was doing fine until you read aloud the final letter written by the trapped miner to his wife & remaining family. Your voice really added to the realism & emotion of those miners. I'm glad you made it out of the mines safely!

Donnie, I know this was about a mining disaster and the horrible tragedy of Fraterville but knowing that you too were a miner for many years made this a very personal story as well. You can see how this happened and why. The letter you read from the miner who knew he was going to die was so sad, I had tears running down my cheeks. I do not understand one thing however which is; were all miners brave? Seems like one would have to be very brave to be able to stand working under the earth in such darkness and danger. Or did they just swallow their fear? If a man has no choice but to work the mines, but is terrified, does he still work the mines back then? I cant even imagine.

I've of this tragic event when I had to take a class in college about Appalachian culture among other tragedies in Appalachia. Which was ironic in taking such a class as I am from the Southern Appalachian Mountains in far Southwestern Virginia. My family worked in the Austinville lead mines that had several tunnels running under the New River. My grandpa would tell us about the river would leak into the tunnels and the pumps ran 24/7 to keep the mine drained. Then my other grandpa worked at the Union Carbide plant processing carbide for use in the mines of Appalachia. I remember them telling stories about the dangerous conditions in the leas mines how men were killed or injured from accidents in the mines over the years that both my grandfather's worked there. That's why one of my grandpa went to work at the carbide plant because of those conditions. Thanks Donnie for the videos about our culture and history of the Appalachian mountains.

Once again, Mr Laws has delivered an excellent short story about Appalachia. Thank you sir!

Thank you for telling their story. You're a great storyteller. RIP to those miners.

This touched me so deeply, especially today, 9 months to the day, since my best friend, my dog, Spooner, died. God bless.

Thanks for the history of a tragic accident in the mines. I lived in Elkins, West Virginia for about six years and knew some Coal Miners .

Such a tragedy, Donnie. The letter broke my heart. I just hope the widows and orphans made it. I know God took all those good men Home. God bless, Donnie.🙏❤️

Thanks Donnie, keep up the good work!

My Granddad worked for the mines back then. He was 8 or 10 years old.They wouldn't let him in the mines, so he drove the coal wagons, pulled by mules. He was barely big enough to do that, so he had to stand on top of the seat to drive em. He did that for years. A lot of people worked so hard to make ends meet for themselves and for others.

Good video Donnie my father was a coal miner his job was to pin the top to keep the top from caving in.

Told beautifully Donnie, all those souls, may they rest in peace.

We have a coal mine in Golden NM just miles away from Albuquerque NM. It's been burning for decades you can still see smoke coming from it 💕

It's taken me days to digest this particular video, Donnie. Your powerful telling of this truly horrible disaster had me speechless, unable to describe my feelings. I lost five relatives in a year one year and I can tell you that I would not wish that type of pain on anybody. But to lose an entire town of men...men who had families who loved and depended on them is incredible in the absolute worst way I pray that the men who died in the mine are resting in the arms of the Lord. I hope and pray that the remaining victims of the disaster, the families who lost all of their men, were all able to somehow go forward and one day find new and easier lives for themselves. It wouldn't have been easy though, as women were not allowed into much of the work force back then and those that were didn't even make half of what a man would be paid. Life could be brutal back then. Thank you for telling this story. I won't forget how fortunate I am for a while now!

Without a doubt this is the saddest mining disaster ever. I can't imagine losing all the men and boys in my family in one disaster.

God rest them all. Bless you for sharing this sad story. My Dad worked 46 years below in coal mines in southern illinois....know well all that you have shared God bless you for working below and living to tell this story

Oh Donnie...this just breaks my heart. So very sad. Hope you are well and happy. See you in the morning for another episode of As The Ridge Turns. God bless!

Don't know anything about mining, not even from Appalachia, but this story hurt my heart. So tragic and terrible. May these poor souls rest in peace. 😢

This will be good!

My family members worked in the coal mines when I was a child in Tennessee. The explosion of Grundy-Marion County in the mines was horrible. All my family was long gone except young people I knew. Sad day in our connecting counties in Tennessee

Great video Donnie. I’m an ex miner, and when something goes wrong underground, it’s always extremely bad. The saying now is not if, but when.

I've been finding and exploring abandoned mines in Appalachia for over a year now and I learned a LOT from this video. Some of the things that I've found make a lot more sense now. Well done, sir.

Thank you for sharing this part of your life Sir. I spent 17 yrs as a maintenance mechanic at a coal fired electric generating power plant in northern Illinois back in the 80s and 90s. We got our Black Butte coal from out west. The only coal mine I've ever been in was at the museum of science and industry in Chicago. I often thought about the coal miners while working on the plant equipment. Many of the jobs I did were difficult but none compared to what miners had and have to endure.

Last year I started in the mines. I’ve always worked in dangerous industries but mining adds a little more. Everyday I drive by the Farmington #9 mine disaster memorial on my way to work. I always talk to those guys on my way by. Lol

As sad and tragic as this was. I enjoy your videos and stories. God bless all the Cole miners and their families.

Thank you Donnie There we’re a lot of mine disasters in NE Pa where I grew up Terrible accidents My great uncle used to sell Oak props to the mine owners He was a Timber man

Thank you for the video. It’s so sad! I’m sure they are reunited in heaven with some of their family members. Have a good evening Donnie.

I enjoyed the history and story of the coal mine.Thank you Donnie.

What a horrible tragedy! Donnie thank you for sharing this story. I can’t even imagine what it was like on that day. So many men……..and so many widows & fatherless children. I really appreciate the fact that you explain everything & show pictures and diagrams so we have a better sense of what being a miner was. Blessings always my dear friend and I’m thanking God that He spared your life! 😊❤️✝️

Just listening to this story really makes a man thankful for how good we have it

That good by letter that was left behind. Lot of people need to hear that and appreciate the intensity of the loss.

Hey Donnie sir I’m glad to see you’re videos

It's always a treat to get a notification from your channel. Come from coal miner grandpas, so this is extra important to view. thanks!

Magnificent Documentary! Donnie this was very detailed and informative and 1st class in story telling. This is my kind of history, the kind told by someone who knows what they are talking about and sharing personal experiences. I can remember as a young kid living for a while on post at an army base in Kentucky, the housing we lived in was right next to an old boiler plant that burned coal. I remember how dirty it was with coal dust, I remember the large piles of coal piled up waiting to be burned in the plant. My Dad who was in the army told me many times about how he shoveled coal at the barracks in order to provide heat. I have often thought about the miners and the mines, your story here really drives it home. thank you, they must be remembered.

What a terrible tragedy!? 😱🥺😭 The Good Lord watched over my Papo too when he worked in the coal mines in Kentucky. 🙏

Brother Donnie, you are a wealth of knowledge and I thank you for sharing it. I am humbled by the lives that were lost and the families that had to go on without their loved ones. Courage, love and the Lord, were the mainstays of these lovely mountain folk. Thank you.

I'm a disaster Doco' buff, and I've seen some great stuff. But this was brilliant. I was glued to every minute of it. Cheers 👍

Omg that letter absolutely broke my heart 🥺 What a horrible situation. I can’t even imagine. I just live about an hour from Rocky Top. I love your channel❤ God bless

The letter you read made me tear up! That poor man knowing he and what was probably his son were going to die in that place. Watching his friends dying around him. His thoughts were about his wife and the Lord ❤️❤️❤️

Oh Donnie this story was so very sad. But this also was a great story Your stories are the real deal. Real people, real stuff. ❤

Thanks Donnie I had heard of Fraterville but this is the first time i've heard the story behind it

Really educational, Donnie. Thanks for putting in your time on this.

What a tragedy, so sad. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Wow Donnie. I just learned so much about mining from you. I never really understood just how dangerous mining is. So many lost at one time is unfathomable.

Thanks for sharing this history Donnie ! Very interesting but sad ..

Thank you for the story, I live in the coal fields in North East Pennsylvania,god bless.

My Dad which was born in 1919, Lost is dad in a train accident when my dad was around 4 years old. No government aid back in them days & they was several kids in the family. Dad went to work at the mines at 7-8 years old. He said he thinks they felt sorry for him knowing he didn’t have a dad. Started off carrying water to the miners. Hard life.

Wow there’s no way I could work down under the ground like that God Bless the poor miners . I worked welding mining equipment and the carrier men transporters was so low that you couldn’t even sit up in them I use to think how could a man ride way under the earth in a shaft that you couldn’t even stand up straight no way I could do it . Thanks for a great story and you are lucky to be here to day ❤

Thank you Donnie for this very interesting piece of history, i commend you for your hard work. Take care my brother in Christ.

Hey Mr Laws. That letter was Heart breaking and Heart warming. I've worked hard all my life and my body is broken, but I never had to work steady under ground. I'm glad You made it and walk in the Open air. Me and my pup always search for Shells so we can holler "Shotgun Shell!",still ain't found a Sweet Sixteen Shotgun Shell, but we ain't done looking. Starbucks Sucks.We make our own Java Juice, can't afford Starbucks, and me and Hans, my Bulldog pup aren't Nancys anyhow. God Bless You Brother. And God Bless All the hard working folks. We owe God everything and I am Grateful for Your shows. Take it Light Mr Laws. Thank You. 🙏👍🇺🇲🐕🪶🐻⚡♥️🙏

Think you for sharing this with again. I for one are very glad the make them safer in our time sir. God bless you and your whole family sir....🙏❤🙏❤🙏🙂😊😀

That was a tragedy for sure Donnie! Thank you for the video!

I used to use a Koehler Wheat light and belt battery when exploring caves as a teenager. A lot of my family members worked in the coal mines in Southwest Virginia, including my grandpa, uncles, cousins, etc. A good friend and mentor of mine, died in a mine explosion back in 1992. Coal mining is one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs anyone could do. "Black Lung" was extremely commonplace, and I never met a miner who didn't have bad lungs, bad knees and bad backs. They practically killed themselves to put food on their tables and clothes on their families backs. I sure hope that their kids appreciated the sort of sacrifices that they made daily. They helped build the towns in Appalachia. Helped build modern America, as coal was the fuel of choice for many, many years, and kept manufacturing and industry going in this country. I'm glad that I never had to go into the mines, but I absolutely appreciate the men (and eventually women) that provided for their families doing the sort of work that is highly under appreciated by modern people and culture today. Miners are made of sterner stuff. Rugged, brave, and hard working folks. They deserve our respect. They've earned it.