The following excerpt is from an excellent article by Adriana Colindres published in the October 3, 2009 edition of the Galesburg.com. The article is about what became known as the Cherry Mine disaster, in which about 259 men and boys were killed.
On Nov. 13, 1909, a torch ignited a load of hay 300 feet below ground at the Cherry coal mine in Bureau County. Rescuers worked for days to save their co-workers, friends and family. Eight days after the ordeal began, 21 survivors were brought to the surface. An estimated 259 men and boys were killed.
A new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield takes a look back 100 years after the tragedy.
The exhibit sheds light on the disaster and its impact on public policy. The mining accident inspired a crackdown on child-labor laws and the crafting of mine safety rules that eventually paved the way to modern-day workmen’s compensation laws.
“In the annals of Illinois history, the Cherry Mine disaster is important because of the legislation it spawned,” said Dennis Suttles, a genealogical research librarian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. He helped coordinate the exhibit, “The Flames Caught Us,” which is now open and runs through March 31, 2010.
An author’s roundtable discussion will also be held – dealing with the Cherry Mine disaster on November 7, 2009 at 6:00 pm. Tickets are free, but reservations are required. For tickets call 217-558-8934.
Read more about the disaster – and the exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum website.
