Bentleyville Area Historical Society : April 2026

A photo taken by an unknown photographer of the families of the Cincinnati Miners at the entrance of the mine after the April 23, 1913, explosion. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Mine Health & Safety Academy, obtained on the www.academia.edu website.

Family members gather near the entrance to the Cincinnati Mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company, Finleyville, Washington County, Pa. soon after the explosion at the mine on April 23, 1919. The boiler house (powerhouse) of the mine can be seen along the Monongahela River in the background. Photo courtesy of the Monongahela Historical Society as found on the www.academia.edu website.

There was total confusion as mourners and families of the miners gathered around the Cincinnati Mine Monongahela River tipple and mine portal shortly after an explosion rocked the mine, which was part of the Pittsburgh Coal Company in Finleyville. This photograph is courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Mine Health & Safety Academy as found on the www. academia.edu website.

A deadly explosion killed 96 miners and one rescue worker 113 years ago in Washington County's Cincinnati Mine, leaving 51 widows and 131 fatherless children. One of the mine's shafts was just 10 miles north of Bentleyville.

I had never heard of this disaster until recently when I was helping friend research her family tree. When I found the death certificate of her Great Grandfather Howard T. Holmes, I noticed that he died in an explosion at the Cincinnati Mine. At first, I wondered why a Finleyville man would be working in a mine in Ohio, but further research revealed that there was a Cincinnati Mine owned by the Pittsburgh Coal Company on Route 88 near Finleyville, Washington County, Pa. While the newspaper articles and the official records have slightly different death tolls, it is certain that this disaster killed nearly 100 men.

Here's an account of the disaster issued by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mines, Harrisburg in 1913, included in a report by Raymond Anthony Waslaski and published in the www.academia.edu website:

"At about noon the explosion killed 97 men, 20 or more by suffocation, the others by force and burns. Of the 167 men in the mine, 67 escaped uninjured through old workings, one was rescued alive by the first rescue parties and two by apparatus crews about 60 hours later. Five mules were taken out alive four days after the explosion. One member of a rescue party lost his life while wearing breathing apparatus that was afterwards found to have a broken connection.

Rescue and recovery work was started without delay. The explosion doors at the fan, which had been blown open, were closed, and the fan was repaired and started 8 minutes afterward.

Breathing apparatus crews from two coal companies and the Bureau of Mines were brought in. The origin of the explosion was at the face of 12th butt of No. 14 face entry. A miner had fired a shot that had broken into a clay vein. Liberating a gas blower. After eating lunch, he returned pushing an empty mine car and ignited the gas as he reached the face. The gas explosion stirred up the coal dust and traversed the live workings for a distance of 3,000 feet.

Locked flame safety lamps were used in parts of the mine considered dangerously gassy, open lights elsewhere; many haulage ways were lighted with incandescent electric lamps. Haulage ways were sprinkled and crushed rock salt was used to moisten dust in rooms. Permissible explosives were used tamped with clay and fired by shot firers where safety lamps were used. Use of safety lamps and better control of dust by wetting and rock dust were recommended."

A historic plaque indicates that the mule opening to the shaft was located about two miles south of Finleyville, which would have been near the Mingo Creek Presbyterian Church. If you are traveling on Route 88, just before you get to the church, you will see this small plaque commemorating this tragedy on the right side of the road.

A plaque is situated on a small patch of grass near what was the mule entrance to the Cincinnati Coal Mine. It is located .2 of a mile south of Mingo Church Road, on the left when traveling south. The plaque was erected by the Peters Creek Historical Society and U.M.W.A. Local 2244. This image is from Google Maps.

Here is a list of the men who were killed that day. This information, typed with descriptions exactly as they were written in the day, was taken from the Daily Republican newspaper of Monongahela, published on April 26, 1913:

William M'Colligan of Jacobs Creek, aged 31, first aid man. Married and leaves wife and two children.

Charles Bowen, of Riverview, aged 36 years, American, coal cutter. Married.

Henry Wood, of Nottingham Township, aged 19 years, a driver. Single.

Robert Anderson, of Courtney, English, aged 38 years, machine boss. Married and leaves wife and four children.

Walter Wilkinson, of Gastonville, aged 39 years, colored, loader. Married.

John Keserouskis, of Hackett, aged 22 years, Russian, loader.

Louis Vernoski, of Hackett, aged 37 years, Austrian, loader. Married and leaves wife and 10 children.

Walter Conley, of Finleyville, aged 24 years, driver. Married.

Emil Leroy, of Courtney, aged 24 years, French, laborer. Married and leaves wife and four children.

Louis Clater, colored, of Courtney, widower, 49 years old. miner.

Tony Modezerski, 28 years old of Courtney. Russian, single.

Charles Hager, colored of Courtney, 45 years old, married, miner.

Peter Mockus, of Courtney, 45 years old, single.

Stephen Long, of Courtney, 31 years old, coal cutter, single.

John Clement, colored, of Finleyville, 35 years old.

Peter Pivinski, of Courtney, 50 years old, single.

William J. Warner, aged 55, widower, loader, lived at Courtney, leaves six children.

William M'Neil, Scotchman, aged 36, lived at Granville, mine foreman, married, leaves wife and two children.

Harry Hynds, miner of Riverview, single.

Archibald Ferguson, Scotchman, of Riverview, 55 years old, married.

Charles H. Miller, colored, of Finleyville, 31 years old, married, six children.

Joseph Weldon of Coal Bluff, 29 years old, a widower with two children, assistant mine foreman.

Victor Atrinis, of Cincinnati Patch, 28 years old, married; two children.

Walter Bennett, colored, of Venetia, 37 years old, married.

Lem Briggs, of Venetia, 40 years old, married, two children.

Andy Paziuneta, Italian, of Courtney, 29 years old, married, two children.

Felix Donina, of Courtney, 29 years old, single.

Stana Kultannowski, Russian of Courtney, 45 years old, married.

Walter Terebezo, Russian of Courtney, 20 years old, single.

William Bennett, colored, of Finleyville, 39 years old, married.

Charles Narsche, Italian, Finleyville, 25 years old, single.

John Polowski, of Courtney, 26 years old, single.

Frank Fellentine, Courtney, 28 years old, married, two children.

William Sabutis, Courtney, 34 years old, single.

George Didyrgia, of Courtney, 26 years old, single.

Frank Fitchue, colored, Finleyville, 23 years old, married.

Joseph H. Weaver, colored, Finleyville, 36 years old, married, three children.

Joseph Galanta, of Courtney, 31 years old, married, one child.

John Henry Rush, of Gastonville, 26 years old, married.

Thomas Carter, 18 years old, single, Shire Oaks.

Oscar Alston, colored, 17 years old, single, Finleyville.

George Alston, colored, 54 years old, married, Finleyville.

Thomas Donnelly, 34 years old, married, five children, Charleroi.

Merle Brewer, 24 years, single, Monongahela.

Emil Langlais, 35 years old, married, two children, Monongahela.

Guiseppi Donati, 32 years old, married, three children, Courtney.

Graconi Zannati, 24 years old, single, Courtney.

Baptista Palaniada, 34 years old, single, Courtney.

Peter Barcenicia, 31 years, married, one child, Courtney.

Henry Leach, 20 years old, single, Crookham Station.

James Busby, 32 years old, married, four children, Crookham Station.

Selmo Spadino, 21 years old, single, Courtney.

William Watson, 21 years old, single, Courtney.

Joseph Dale, 29 years old, single, Courtney.

John Terebezo, 24 years old, single, Courtney.

David Stratton, colored, 45 years old, married, Finleyville.

Thomas Ford, colored, 47 years old, married, one child, Finleyville.

Peter Mercer, 21 years old, single, Monongahela.

Andy Skonyak, 36 years old, married, three children, Courtney.

Joseph Larency, 50 years old, married, five children, Courtney.

William Berry, 31 years old, married, three children.

Chas Alston, colored, 44 years old, married, four children, Finleyville.

George Herman, 31 years old, widower, Monongahela.

William Rathkowis, 27 years old, single, Courtney.

Semas Youkuzo, 29 years old, single, Courtney.

Joe Koski, 35 years old, married, two children, Cincinnati.

William Ruthoski, 27 years old, single, Cincinnati.

Matt Fabyan, 37 years old, married, four children, Cincinnati.

Mike Bruce, 36 years old, married, six children, Cincinnati.

Six other bodies have been partially identified.

A subsequent newspaper articled listed the following information about these six men who were partially identified:

John Halczyan

George Melnek

Peter Pivonetski

Louis Varnek

Howard T. Holmes (It is believed he was one of two men who were decapitated and could not be identified. He was listed as "Howard T. Holmes, colored of Finleyville.")