Winter Quarters Coal Mine Disaster

On May 1, 1900, 200 coal miners were killed in what is called the 5th largest mine disaster in United State's history. The historic Winter Quarters mine is located in Scofield, Utah. The graveyard on the hill in Scofield town gives tribute to the miners who were lost their lives.

May 1 was a special holiday in 1900. It was named Dewey Day for George Dewey's triumph in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. "May Day" celebrations of decorating the May pole and picnics were a common tradition. Scofield, the prosperous mining town had much to celebrate. The mine had recently received a contract to produce large amounts of coal for the US Navy.

The Winter Quarters mine was scheduled to close early at noon for festivities.

A blast rang through the town at 10:30 a.m. Many mistook the explosion as a celebratory blast to herald the beginning of festivities. The town quickly realized that the blast was a horrible accident. Wives of the miners ran to the mine to find their husbands and sons.

Many miners were burned beyond recognition. Most suffocated in the aftermath.

A 21-year-old miner was standing at the portal (mouth) of the mine with a mule. The force of the explosion picked them up and blew them across the canyon. The mule was killed instantly. The miner was impaled on tree branches 820 feet from the portal. He was still alive! He and four other men were put on a train that evening to be transported to a hospital in Salt Lake City. After extensive surgery, the miner was able to return home. Though he was not able to work for the remainder of his life, the miner lived into his 70s.

There were not enough caskets in Utah to bury the dead. Additional caskets had to be ordered from Denver. At the time, the Winters Quarter explosion was the largest mining disaster in North America. Today it is numbered as the fifth largest in American history.

The cemetery in Scofield town contains a large stone that pays tribute to all of the miners killed. One hundred-fifty of the miners are buried there. Many of the miner's graves were marked only by faded wooden headstones. Scofield residents Woody and Ann Carter organized an effort to find the names of the miners and replace the dilapidated headstones. Their effort is complete. New stone markers ensure that no miner's name will be forgotten.