 | THE FRATERVILLE MINE DISASTER OF 1902 |
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| THE FRATERVILLE MINE DISASTER OF 1902 |
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Several years ago I was going through some old photos belonging to my grandmother, Ollie Massengill Fritts, when we found two yellowed old pages of hand-written notes. These appeared to be what someone had transcribed from notes found on the bodies of miners removed from a mine explosion and sent to my grandmother. I asked my father what they could be about and he said probably the big Fraterville Mine explosion. This aroused my curiosity and I decided to see how much I could learn about this disaster.
Dad told me about a memorial to the miners in the cemetery behind Clear Branch Baptist Church at Lake City, Tn. I have visited this cemetery several times.
I recall when I was a boy my Grandmother Fritts telling me about how her father vowed after one of the mine disasters, that he and none of his kids would ever work in the coal mines again. I wish I had asked her more about those times.
At first, I did not know if Grandma's notes were from the Fraterville disaster or the Cross Mountain explosion. When I obtained the list of deceased, it became clear that the letters were from the Fraterville disaster. One of the deceased is listed as Nicholas Massengill, Jr. My grandmother's father was named Nicholas Massengill. I was fairly sure that Nicholas Massengill, Jr was a relative but did not know the exact relationship until I heard from a reader. See "Mystery Solved" for details below.
- Since I became interested in the Fraterville disaster, I discovered a book "Tennessee's Coal Creek War, another fight for freedom" by Chris Cawood published by Magnolia Hill Press of Kingston, Tn. His book mentions the Fraterville explosion at the very end.
The letters below are transcribed from the notes in my grandmother's things. I have since obtained typed copies of these and other letters which are listed on the page entitled "Letters and Program for Services". There are some differences which I will leave to the readers to speculate as to which is more accurate.
JE Vowel letter: We are shut up in the head of the entry with little air and the bad air is closing in on us fast. It is about 12 o'clock. Dear Ellen, I will have to leave you in bad condition. But dear wife,put your trust in the Lord to help you raise my little children. Ellen, take care of my little darling Lillie. Ellen, little Elbert said he believed in the Lord. He said he was saved if we never see the outside again, he would meet his mother in heaven. He would meet his mother in heaven if he never lived to git out. We are not hurt bad, only perishing for air. There is but few of us here. I don't know where the other miners are at. Elbert said for you all to meet us in heaven, All the children meet us both in heaven.
Harry Beech letter: Alice, do the best you can. I am going to rest. Goodbye Alice. Elbert said the lord had saved him. Do the best you can with the children. We are all perishing for air to support us. but it is getting so bad without any air. Charlie said for you to wear his shoes and clothing. It is now 1- 1/2 o'clock. Marvell Harmon's watch is now in Andy Wood's hands. Ellen, I want you to live right and come to heaven. Raise the children the best way you can. Oh how I would love to be with you. Goodbye to all of you. Bury me an Elbert in the same grave. Tell little Ellen goodbye. Goodbye Ellen. Goodbye Horace. We are together. It is now 25 minutes after 2 o'clock. A few of us are alive yet, Jacob and Elbert. Oh God for one more breath! Ellen, remember me as long as you live.
Jim Herman's letter: Dear darling Mother, Brother and Sister, I have gone to heaven. I want you all to meet me in heaven. O dear friends, don't grieve for me for I am in sight of heaven. O dear Sarah, stay at Fathers or your Fathers. Pay all I owe if possible. Bury me at Pleasant Hill if it suits you. If not bury me anywhere it suits you all. Bury me in black. This is about 1-1/2 o'clock. So good bye dear darling father.
There had been a page 3 but it was missing.
The Clinton Courier-News, Clinton, Tn on November 5, 1987 published a "look back 1887-1987". In this issue, there were the following articles:
1902:
Two hundred and fourteen miners are dead as a result of an explosion at the Fraterville mine on May 23. No one lived to tell what happened inside the mine. Rescue efforts proved useless as the mouth of the mine was blocked by falling slate. There were 150 widows and between 800 and 1000 orphaned children as a result of the accident. Relief funds were setup in Clinton, Knoxville and elsewhere. A memorial service was held the following Sunday at the First Baptist Church. The company settled out of court and will pay each family $320.00 per death. Mrs. Susan Disney is awarded $5000.00.
1912:
A mine explosion at Cross Mountain in December resulted in 35 damage claims being filed against the Knoxville Iron Co. by the widows of the workers killed. Each claim asks the sums from $10,000 to $25,000 each. The cases are not to be heard until the July term. Most, (19) were settled out of court.
Fraterville is located on Tennessee Highway 116 between Lake City and Briceville in Anderson County, Tennessee, about 30 miles north of Knoxville.Lake City was formerly called Coal Creek prior to the construction of Norris Dam by theTennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933. The name was changed from "Coal Creek" to "Lake City" as"Coal Creek", the town, was the nearest city to the site of Norris Dam, the first of the TVA Dams. Norris Dam was constructed across Clinch River a few miles upstream of the junction of "Coal Creek", the stream, with Clinch River.
The pages listed below are from information provided by the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, TN and from a book entilled, "Historical Summary of Coal Mine Explosions in the United States, 1810-1958' published by the Bureau of Mines in 1960.
 Memorial Program Cover. |
List of Deceased. |
Program Resolutions. |
Letters and Program for Services. |
Info from Bureau of Mines. |
Period Photos. |
Fascinating New Website:
My friend, Dr. Bailey Francis, has posted his great-grandfather's autobiography on his webside at SEVENTY YEARS IN THE COAL MINES. I found this to be a fascinating story of how life was in the last last half of the 19th century and early 20th. As it turns out, Philip Francis was the leader of a group who went into the Fraterville and Cross Mountain Mines to remove casualties. You will find his account of this on pages 136-143. Bailey has researched and annotated additional iformation to many of the persons, places and events mentioned in the autobiography. I highly recommend reading the whole work from beginning to end.
Mystery Solved:
For years, I wondered what relation this man was to my grandmother and me. Thanks to a reader, Bobbie Dean Pruett, I have determined that this Nicholas Massengill is the son of David Massengill who was my grandmother's uncle. There were at least three Nicholas Massengills which contributed to the confusion. This Nicholas Massengill (married to Alice Amos) was born Oct. 5, 1869 and died in the disaster on May 19, 1902. His uncle, my grandmother's father, was also named Nicholas Massengill (married to Jane Weaver) as well as his father Nicholas Massengill (married to Nancy Shoatman and born in 1797).
2001 tour:
On May 19, 2001, I toured the Fraterville area historic sites. On this tour I visited the site of the entrance to the Fraterville mine. Yes, that photo is how it appeared in 2001. If it were not for the steam engine foundation and the spill piles not shown in the photo, there would be no trace of the mine entrance. Here is a photo of the mine entrance as it appeared in 1902 as the relatives awaited news of their trapped loved ones. It is interesting to note how things change in 99 years.
2004 tour:
Donna and I participated in the 102nd Anniversary Tour of the Fraterville Mine Disaster sites on May 15, 2004. To see photos of the tour, visit this page by the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation.Stamp Question:
Another question has arisen concerning this stamp. It makes a round raised impression with the words, "United Mine Workers of America Deposit, Tenn." around the perimeter. The words, "Local Union No 707" are in the center. Where is or was Deposit, Tenn? And how was this stamp used? Was it used to have a union representative stamp the weigh slips as the miners weighed their coal to determine how much credit they would get at the company store? If anyone has any answers, please email me.
Postage Stamp:
There is a movement to get a postage stamp to commemorate miners. You can sign an online petition by clicking here.
Related Links:
My Fraterville Links page provides additional links to related sites.
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