Osage in Monongalia County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Christopher No. 3 Mine Tragedy

Photographed By Bradley Owen, June 14, 2021

1. Christopher No. 3 Mine Tragedy Marker

Inscription.

Christopher No. 3 Mine Tragedy. . , On May 12, 1942 at 2:25pm, the Christopher No. 3 mine in Osage exploded, killing 56 miners. At the time of the explosion 130 miners were on duty. Rescue teams from other mines came from as far away as Kanawha County to help rescue men trapped in the mine., The blast was three miles underground and it took half a month after the explosion to find the last of the bodies. Over the years, 18 other men were killed in individual accidents in this mine., Jack Jones was first of the bodies to be pulled out of the mine after the 1942 explosion. Jack was well respected in the community. He was known to stop every day after his shift to give a group of waiting kids whatever he had left in his lunch pail, usually cookies. He also knew how to play the piano, and would teach some of the neighborhood kids chords. John Propst, 90, can still play a Hoagy Carmichael song Jack Jones taught him. John Propst is white and Jack Jones was black, attesting to the little difference race made to friendships in Scott's Run., As always, the community came together after this accident that put wreaths on so many doors and left so many widows and fatherless children. Families would take in kids to their already full four-room company houses. The Christopher No 3 mine was located at the back of the field across Scott's Run creek about 1500 feet behind this sign and across the bridge., (Photo Captions): , Large photograph from The Dominion News, which later became The Dominion Post, Morgantown paper in 1942. Smaller photograph is of the Christopher No 3 midnight shift in 1940, some of whom were killed in this explosion or other accidents., Darrell Adams . Noah C. Ancell 1945 . Wayne Arbogast 1944 . Roy Batton . Allen W. Baughman . Tony Belec . Thomas O. Brinegar . William Cannon . John Casper . Harry Collins 1941 . John B. Cook . Thomas Cordwell . Berman Cooker . Robert Joseph Covert . Alonzo Alonza Crook . Arthur Cunningham . Homer Dee Cunningham . Carl Reese Dawson 1934 . Edward Delaney . Attillio Dorinzi . Douglas Donaldson . George Fagulla . Charles Fenwick 1948 . James Foley . Albert Frazier . John Friel . James Gatian . Thomas Gillespie 1950 . Harley Hayhurst 1948 . Earl Henderson . Austin James . Eddie Jefferson . Charles Jennings 1939 . Allen Jack Jones . Michael Kundrat 1941 . Basil Reed Lafferty . Harold Little, Lemsley Martin 1925 . Everett Marshall . Samuel Marshall 1933 . Sam May . Aubrey Mayfield . Kermit Mayfield . Edward Leo McCardle . John McGee . Junior McGee . Edson McClain . Floyd Metheny . Stewart Mills . John W. Mitchell . Luther Molisee 1936 . Frederick Lee Mongold . Harry Moody . James Moore 1932 . Don Morris . A.P. Morris . Harlan C. Murphy . Harold Murphy . Nick Nimcheck . William Newhouse . Frank Powley . John Powley . Lionell Powley . Joe Ranjik 1936 . William Shinko . Howard Smith 1944 . Bruce Stone . Russell Wade Turner . Hoye Thompson . George White 1946 . F.E. Willard 1935 . Alfred Delford Wetzell . Dennis Wolfe . James Yeager 1932

On May 12, 1942 at 2:25pm, the Christopher No. 3 mine in Osage exploded, killing 56 miners. At the time of the explosion 130 miners were on duty. Rescue teams from other mines came from as far away as Kanawha County to help rescue men trapped in the mine.

The blast was three miles underground and it took half a month after the explosion to find the last of the bodies. Over the years, 18 other men were killed in individual accidents in this mine.

Jack Jones was first of the bodies to be pulled out of the mine after the 1942 explosion. Jack was well respected in the community. He was known to stop every day after his shift to give a group of waiting kids whatever he had left in his lunch pail, usually cookies. He also knew how to play the piano, and would teach some of the neighborhood kids chords. John Propst, 90, can still play a Hoagy Carmichael song Jack Jones taught him. John Propst is white and Jack Jones was black, attesting to the little difference race made to friendships in Scott's Run.

As always, the community came together after this accident that put wreaths on so many doors and left so many widows and fatherless children. Families would take in kids to their already full four-room company houses. The Christopher No 3 mine was located at the back of the field across

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Scott's Run creek about 1500 feet behind this sign and across the bridge.

(Photo Captions):
Large photograph from The Dominion News, which later became The Dominion Post, Morgantown paper in 1942. Smaller photograph is of the Christopher No 3 midnight shift in 1940, some of whom were killed in this explosion or other accidents.

Darrell Adams • Noah C. Ancell 1945 • Wayne Arbogast 1944 • Roy Batton • Allen W. Baughman • Tony Belec • Thomas O. Brinegar • William Cannon • John Casper • Harry Collins 1941 • John B. Cook • Thomas Cordwell • Berman Cooker • Robert Joseph Covert • Alonzo Alonza Crook • Arthur Cunningham • Homer Dee Cunningham • Carl Reese Dawson 1934 • Edward Delaney • Attillio Dorinzi • Douglas Donaldson • George Fagulla • Charles Fenwick 1948 • James Foley • Albert Frazier • John Friel • James Gatian • Thomas Gillespie 1950 • Harley Hayhurst 1948 • Earl Henderson • Austin James • Eddie Jefferson • Charles Jennings 1939 • Allen Jack Jones • Michael Kundrat 1941 • Basil Reed Lafferty • Harold Little

Lemsley Martin 1925 • Everett Marshall • Samuel Marshall 1933 • Sam May • Aubrey Mayfield • Kermit Mayfield • Edward Leo McCardle • John McGee • Junior McGee • Edson McClain • Floyd Metheny • Stewart Mills • John W. Mitchell • Luther Molisee 1936 • Frederick Lee Mongold • Harry Moody • James Moore 1932 • Don Morris • A.P. Morris

Photographed By Bradley Owen, June 14, 2021

2. Christopher No. 3 Mine Tragedy Marker

Marker is at the far left.

• Harlan C. Murphy • Harold Murphy • Nick Nimcheck • William Newhouse • Frank Powley • John Powley • Lionell Powley • Joe Ranjik 1936 • William Shinko • Howard Smith 1944 • Bruce Stone • Russell Wade Turner • Hoye Thompson • George White 1946 • F.E. Willard 1935 • Alfred Delford Wetzell • Dennis Wolfe • James Yeager 1932

Erected by Scott's Run Museum & Trail.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Disasters • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 39° 39.531′ N, 80° 0.488′ W. Marker is in Osage, West Virginia, in Monongalia County. Marker is on Scotts Run Road (County Road 19/25) north of Number Three Hill Road (County Road 19/26), on the right when traveling south. The marker is a short walk south from the Scotts Run Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 Scotts Run Road, Morgantown WV 26501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Scott's Run Railway Co. (a few steps from this marker); They Counted (a few steps from this marker); Eleanor Roosevelt (a few steps from this marker); Music (within shouting distance of this marker); Bunny Hop (within shouting distance of this marker); Osage Spot

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Scotts Run / The First Shack (approx. ¾ mile away); Scott’s Run Veterans Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Osage.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 1, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 576 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 1, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.