The Fraterville Mine disaster was a famous mining disaster in the United States.
On May 19, 1902, at 7:30 a.m., an explosion took place at the Fraterville Mine, a coal mine located between the towns of Coal Creek and Briceville, Tennessee. All 184 miners inside the mine lost their lives. Many miners were killed instantly by the explosion, while others attempted to stay alive by barricading themselves in side passages or going deeper into the mine. The small village of Fraterville located near the mine was devastated, with only three adult males remaining in the town after the disaster. Miners trapped inside left notes for their families. One of these notes indicated that as late as 2:25 p.m. some miners were still alive. Rescue efforts proceeded slowly because of the need to vent the mine of toxic fumes created by the explosion. All of the miners eventually succumbed to suffocation or toxic fumes before the rescuers could reach them. Many of the deceased miners' bodies were not removed until four days later.
The cause of the explosion was never concretely determined, although the most likely cause was the mine's ventilation system having been shut down all weekend, resulting in a buildup of methane gas.
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