The Horrifying Mine Explosion That Haunts North Carolinians To This Day

The Tar Heel State is no stranger to nightmarish disasters that claim the lives of residents. From floods to hurricanes and fires, history holds many such events that have left indelible dents in the souls of communities throughout the state.

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The year 2018 marks the 93rd year since North Carolina's worst coal mining disaster on May 27, 1925. Although there may be a generation or two between then and now, the horrific accident still haunts many families to this day. waymarking/NCDayWalker On that fateful day at least 59 miners were deep in the mine when an explosion occurred, killing at least 53 of the men. Even worse, two more explosions followed, making the rescue efforts all the more difficult. Facebook/North Carolina Coal Mining History As the community and the families and friends of the miners waited in despair, rescue efforts were finally underway. Residents and miner's families stood by as teams descended into the shaft by way of coal cars and began searching for signs of life. Six miners were pulled from the mine alive, while 53 were not so lucky. gendisasters.com/Stu Bietler Some accounts say the state's worst mining disaster killed as many as 71 men — the number of miner's lamps that were missing on that day. The cause of the explosion was thought to have been a spark from a lamp that ignited some methane gas. gendisasters.com/Stu Bietler The search and rescue/recover efforts lasted two full days. The Coal Glen Mine (a.k.a. Farmville Mine) continued to operate until 1951.

For another disaster with epic consequences, check out the story of the lost colony in North Carolina.