Sixty-five years ago on Saturday, Nov. 6, 1943, eleven coal miners lost their lives in Boone County’s single worst coal mining disaster at the ARMCO No. 3 Mines at Nellis, W.Va.
Now, after sixty-five years there is finally a fitting tribute to the lives lost at the ARMCO No.3 Mine at Nellis, W.Va.
Men, women and children arrived for the memorial on a recent afternoon, filing in quietly on a small patch of ground bordering the Nellis Church and Elementary School. Though sixty-five years removed from the tragedy that shook this small community, those in attendance mourned the eleven men who perished in their commitment to provide a better life for themselves, their families, their community and their country.
Many Nellis residents remember the methane-fueled explosion as though the event occurred just yesterday.
It was evening on Saturday, Nov. 6, 1943, and twenty-eight men had returned to work after a strike had shut the No. 3 mine down that year. This small crew was busy at their duties when a sudden blast brought immediate death to 9 miners and so badly burned two others that they soon perished.
According to newspaper accounts from 1943, hundreds gathered shortly after the explosion near the mouth of the mine, where rescue squads under the direction of Superintendent A.E. Oakley lost no time in doing all that was humanly possible to save the lives of the miners.
But nine men were reportedly removed dead, charred, blackened, mangled and broken from the mine. A list of their names as published in the Nov. 11, 1943, edition of the Coal Valley News were as follows:
William H. Gunnoe, 48, foreman, wife and four children.
Lester Gunnoe, 37, machine man, wife and three children.
William Workman, 43, motorman, wife and three children, including two sons in the armed services.
Onal O. Miller, 28, slate man, wife and three children.
John Williams, trackman, wife and seven children, including two sons in the service.
Julias Domokos, 34, section foreman, wife and two children.
O’Dell Linville, 37, loading machine operator, wife and seven children.
Steve Turkovitch, 48, wife and two children.
John Setliff, 49, slate man, wife and three children.
Lawrence Vincent, 23, who leaves a wife, but no children, died in a Charleston hospital Sunday afternoon.
The eleventh, whose sight had been destroyed, died in a Charleston hospital Tuesday: William Barker, 59.
According to the Historic Nellis Church Archives, the 11 victims of the Nellis explosion were all family men, with a total of 49 children between them. Two of the wives, Nellie Vincent and Dorothy Miller, were expecting.
One victim, William Workman, had two sons in the service and William Gunnoe's son Willie was missing in action. None of the men were new to the coalmines - the youngest victim was 23 and the oldest was 63 and they were all too aware of the hazards to be encountered hundreds of feet beneath the mountain.
“Though it is the marking of that tragedy that brings us together today, we would be missing the greater point and failing those miners if we were to walk away from this gathering thinking that we were here only to commemorate that moment from the past,” Congressman Nick J. Rahall, II, said.
“At the height of its operations, the Nellis ARMCO mine, like so many other mines, drew together individuals from an enormous range of backgrounds, ages, colors, and experiences. As is the tradition of the coal miner, those men formed a bond.
“One man relied upon another, above ground as well as under. Life intersected life. Dream intersected dream. And, on November 6, 1943, grief intersected grief,” he said to a crowd that included family members of the deceased miners.
The memorial stands on a small patch of grass in front of the Historic Nellis Church Archives.
“How appropriate that a former place of worship – also a former school – would be selected to house these archives. Because, in this special way, the building continues to be a place where we can come to seek guidance, understanding, insight, and renewal,” Rahall said.
Nellis’ location is in northern Boone County about 25 miles from the State Capital. In 2000, Boone County officials applied for historic status for the town. The history of this model coal mining community and the people is one of struggle and achievement.
Nellis was a booming coal town, with coal operations beginning as far back as 1917, when T.E.B Siler, and Matthew Slush, named the town after their close friend Frank Nellis, the editor of the Mount Clemens Independent Newspaper.
It could easily be argued that the town of Nellis existed because the American Rolling Mill Company, known as ARMCO, built the town.
Even the non-denominational Nellis Church which today houses the historic archives was built by the ARMCO Association, with help of a donation of land and a financial contribution.
When the United States entered World War II, the demand for coal and steel skyrocketed and ARMCO was poised to reap the benefits of providing that coal for the country’s war efforts – if they were able to resolve some labor disputes among their employees.
According to the Nellis Church Archives, had it not been for a recent strike the casualties could have been much higher. The miners had walked off the job over a wage dispute, but it had been resolved two days earlier.
The night crew was preparing to work the first shift since production resumed. Forty men, all experienced veterans of the mines, made their way to the portal that evening. Normally there were about 260 miners working at the mine, but the full force hadn't returned at this point. Disaster struck at 7:00 p.m. Details come from those who did not work that Saturday, and from the investigators, according to the Archives.
Survivors of the tragedy consist of the family members left behind.
Onal Miller’s surviving relatives in attendance at the memorial service included Opal Miller, Greg Miller, Joyce Miller-Pauley,m Brandon Miller, and Bethany Miller.
“My father died about a year ago. He was here for the initial dedication ceremony, but wasn’t able to attend this. I know he would have been pleased with today and this would have meant a lot to him,” said Opal Miller.
“What we also know from the history of Nellis is that the eleven men who lost their lives in the explosion were working to improve their lot in life; to provide something better for their families, and to make something grander of their community,” Rahall said.
“Inspired by the miners of Nellis, and all the hardworking, honest, loyal, God-fearing miners whom we memorialize today, let us muster the courage, the faith, the energies, and the good old-fashioned gumption to improve our lot, provide something better for our families, and to make something grander of our community,” he said.
Colors and flag salute for the memorial were presented by Daniel Boone VWF Post 5578, followed by the Nellis Elementary School students’ singing of the National Anthem. Ed Bowles led the invocation, followed with a musical selection from the Nellis Elementary students, led by Music Director Denny Sayre.
Nellis Elementary School Principal Jeff Nelson recognized the winners of a poster and power-point presentation contest held in conjunction with the day’s memorial service.
Following the speech from Congressman Nick Rahall, the commemoration of the ARMCO No. 3 Mine Memorial was given by Edward Belcher, representing Governor Joe Manchin.
Ann Turley read a tribute poem to the miners; Sue Baire and Judy McComas gave a memorial tribute; and Wanda Kincaid gave the benediction. Refreshments were served and the gathered crowd invited to the Historic Nellis Church Archives and to observe the Nellis Elementary students as they participated in a Miners Memorial Mile Run.
Contact Joanie Newman at jnewman@coalvallynews.com or call 304-369-1165.
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