Knox Mine Disaster
Jenkins Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On January 22, 1959, twelve men died in a tragic accident at the River Slope Mine near this site. The mine had been illegally excavated beneath the Susquehanna River at the direction of the Knox Coal Company. When the force of the ice-laden river broke the thin layer of rock, over ten billion gallons of water flowed through this and other mines. This disaster ended deep mining in much of the Wyoming Valley.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On January 22, 1959, the anthracite fields of the Wyoming Valley met their reckoning when the Knox Coal Company's illegal mining beneath the Susquehanna River breached the riverbed. More than ten billion gallons of icy water poured into the workings, killing twelve men and effectively ending deep mining across much of the valley.
Why it matters
The Knox Mine Disaster stands as a grim monument to the human cost of unregulated coal mining and marks the collapse of the anthracite industry that had built northeastern Pennsylvania.
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Related events
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Themes & tags
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