[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E707-E708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BALTIMORE MINE TUNNEL 
                                DISASTER

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2019

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th 
anniversary of the Baltimore Mine Tunnel Disaster, one of the deadliest 
mining accidents in Pennsylvania's history.
  On June 5, 1919, more than a hundred miners entered the Delaware & 
Hudson Coal Company's Baltimore Mine Tunnel No. 2 in Wilkes-Barre. 
Disaster struck when 12 barrels of blasting powder ignited, killing 92 
miners and injuring dozens. Historians believe the blast was caused by 
a loose power cable that came into contact with the trolley, causing 
the powder from the rear cart to ignite. Unfortunately, only seven 
miners escaped unscathed.
  Following the disaster, legislators questioned the official 
procedures and safety regulations in mining plants. They believed 
regulations were not followed entirely, and many blamed the Baltimore 
Mine Tunnel Disaster on an ambiguous and lax mining code. Historians 
believe the incident could have been avoided if the Pennsylvania mining 
code had explicitly prohibited the transportation of powder in the same 
trolley cart as miners. As a result, legislators passed sensible 
protections that restricted the access and distribution of blasting 
powder by employees. To this day, the Baltimore Mine Tunnel Disaster 
remains one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Pennsylvania's 
history.
  It is our responsibility to commemorate this day in Northeastern 
Pennsylvania's history, remember our region's roots in anthracite coal, 
and honor the legacy of those who lost their lives in the mines.

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