The Glen Coal Mine was one of several coal mines
operating to supply the locomotives in the area. This particular
mine shuddered in a massive explosion just as the workday began the
morning of May 27th, 1925. Extensive rescue efforts were launched
involving military operations from Fort Bragg but no one survived who
were in the deep tunnels at the time of the explosion. Much of the
active mining was being done at nearly 1000 feet. To compare that
to more recent mining disasters in America, the heroic rescue in
Pennsylvania several years ago occurred at 83 ft. The explosion
and failed rescue (resulting in the death of 6 rescuers) in the 2007
Colorado mining explosion occurred at more than 600 ft. Most of the
mining in North Carolina from the turn of the 18th century into the
early 20th century were for Gold and to a lesser extent, Silver.
The source for much of this material includes a retrospective piece by
WRAL-TV and a website developed for those doing genealogical research.
This site was last updated
02/29/08
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