The Banner mine disaster of April 8, 1911 near Littleton, Alabama was a coal mine explosion that killed 128 people. The event ranks among the 15 deadliest coal mine disasters in U.S. history. The exact cause of the early-morning blast is unknown. It is likely that an accidental spark ignited gas in the air, which directly killed seven men and knocked out a ventilation fan. Without the fan, levels of

blackdamp Blackdamp (also known as stythe or choke damp) is an asphyxiant, reducing the available oxygen content of air to a level incapable of sustaining human or animal life. It is not a single gas but a mixture of unbreathable gases left after oxygen is ...

rose in the mine. Another 121 miners suffocated. About 40 other workers were able to dig their way through rubble and escape. The Banner Mine was run by Pratt Consolidated Coal Company, then owned by Tennessee Coal & Iron. Seventy-two of the casualties were black convicts leased from the state and from

Jefferson County Jefferson County may refer to one of several counties or parishes in the United States, all of which are named directly or indirectly after Thomas Jefferson: *Jefferson County, Alabama *Jefferson County, Arkansas *Jefferson County, Colorado **Jeffe ...

. The explosion brought enough attention to horrific mine conditions for new governor

Emmet O'Neal Emmet O'Neal (September 23, 1853 – September 7, 1922) was an American Democratic politician and lawyer who was the 34th Governor of Alabama from 1911 to 1915. He was a reformer in the progressive mold, and is best known for securing the co ...

to push a mine safety bill through the legislature.

References

{{Coal mine disasters in the US 1911 industrial disasters 1911 mining disasters 1911 in Alabama 1911 disasters in the United States April 1911 events Penal labor in the United States Mines in Alabama