Some time back, my brother David Davis and I were researching explosions on board Navy ships - magazine explosions, that include the spread of burning propellant - and in that research Dave came upon the phenomenon of coal mine explosions. From there, we learned about Farmington; we became quickly very interested when we learned a few rather surprising facts about the 1968 explosion, fire, and subsequent ten-year mine recovery effort.
-No official cause of the first explosion was ever officially determined, and the exact location of the first explosion in the mine on that day was also not determined.
-No one attempted to enter the mine to look for survivors until days after the initial explosion.
-The only copy of the official MSHA report on the Farmington / Consol No. 9 mine explosion and fire which could be found online was incomplete; it was missing vital illustrations and diagrams. This led to a FOIA request by Dave, which produced a great deal of material.
-Although the mining company paid settlements to survivors after the accident, lawsuits continued for years until it was determined that the statute of limitations had run out on all claims made. This essentially buried fairly solid information that safety equipment at the mine had been bypassed.
After spending several years looking into the events of November 1968 at Farmington and the various things that followed, we feel as if we've got enough information and analysis that is either new (and original) or else is not available to the public that we should collect and record this information. That is the purpose of this blog.
Link lists appear at the right of the blog; these contain important videos or documents about the No. 9 mine accident and recovery, or information important to understanding what occurred there. Posts on this blog will not be chronological but when put together, eventually will, we hope, tell a great deal more of the story than has been available so far.
-Will Davis 4/18/2023
