Coal Glen mine disaster
Coal Glen mine disaster
On May 27, 1925, explosions at the Coal Glen coal mine in Chatham County, North Carolina, killed at least 53 miners and made it the deadliest industrial disaster in the state’s history.
The mine, opened around 1921 by the Carolina Coal Company in the Deep River Coal Field, was a slope mine with underground mules and a ventilation system. Signs of dangerous gas were seen the day before the blast, and rats ran from the mine on May 26, hinting at trouble.
Around 9:30 a.m. the first explosion killed all workers underground and their mules. The mine superintendent, Howard Butler, went down with a helper to help but a second explosion at about 9:55 knocked them down. A third explosion at about 10:10 collapsed part of the shaft, trapping the way out.
Rescue teams from nearby mines, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and local civic groups responded. The official death toll was 53, though some fear the total was higher. About 70 men were working that shift; many were unmarried, so some bodies were never identified.
Investigations concluded the blasts were caused by blasting charges that blew out dust, which then ignited. A second charge failed to detonate, and the state confirmed improper placement of blasting charges.
The disaster devastated the community: 38 wives lost husbands and 79 children lost fathers. The Carolina Coal Company later went into receivership, and no lawsuits were filed related to the disaster. The mine closed in 1953 after a brief reopening in 1943; the shaft was eventually flooded.
North Carolina passed a workers’ compensation law in 1929, partly influenced by this disaster. A state historical marker was placed in 2017, and the story continues to be told, including an exhibition in 2025.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 03:00 (CET).