Mining has always been one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation. But in 1907, Monongah, West Virginia was certainly one of the most dangerous places in the country. The Monongah Mining Disaster killed hundreds of miners and is still considered the worst mining disaster in the history of the nation.

The town of Monongah, West Virginia was chartered in 1891, and quickly grew to be a bustling mining town.
D.D. Meighan/flickr
Coal mining was a way of life in the early 1900s.
Born1945/flickr
The town was populated with immigrants from Italy (specifically, the little village of Molise), Russia, Poland, Austria and Hungary. Work hours were long and the labor was grueling.
Mining wasn't just for adults; in the early 1900s, children as young as twelve years old entered the mines with their fathers.
D.D. Meighan/flickr
Children were especially effective in the mines, which had very low ceilings. These young boys entered the mines before the sun rose at 5:30 AM and didn't leave until after the sun set.
On December 6, 1907 at 10:28 AM, the Monongah Mine exploded, killing almost every miner inside instantly.
United States Department of Labor
Officially, there were 367 men inside the mine, but that didn't include the children, who weren't registered to work in the mine, so they weren't counted as they entered every day. The cause of the explosion was never confirmed, but officials speculated that a spark ignited coal dust or methane gas.

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Rescuers plunged into the mine to look for survivors just 25 minutes after the explosion.
The Spokane press. (Spokane, Wash./Wikimedia
It was a difficult operation. The noxious fumes from the explosion and a lack of oxygen made it impossible for rescuers to stay in the mine for more than about 15 minutes. They did manage to rescue one Polish miner, however. Four more miners made it out on their own.

Anxious family members waited outside the mine until it became obvious that almost everyone inside had died.
D.D. Meighan/flickr
The disaster created more than 250 widows and left more than 1,000 children fatherless.
The nation was stunned and horrified.
D.D. Meighan/flickr
There had never before been such a catastrophic mine explosion in our country, and the thought of more than 360 hard-working miners losing their lives was almost too much to bear.
The official death toll was 361 victims, though many more perished that day (the official count didn't include most of the children and other family members who unofficially accompanied registered miners into the mine).
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/flickr
The Italian government placed a memorial in the town as well. At least 171 Italians were killed in the mine that day.
D.D. Meighan/flickr
This mining tragedy is still considered the worst mining disaster in the history of the United States.

Though it’s dangerous, coal mining has long been the pride of West Virginia. Take a look at these historic photos.

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