May 25, 1925

The 1920s began as a hopeful venture for the Deep River Coal Field. The thriving Cumnock and Carolina Mines shipped hundreds of tons of coal daily, new endeavors at the Deep River Coal Mine – the location previously known as the Willcox Furnace – had major promise, and the Deep River Coal energy prospects rivaled some of the greatest coalfields across the pond. All that would change on May 27, 1925. Early in the morning, the earth shook with another firedamp explosion, but this time, the death toll proved greater than all the previous accidents combined. The Coal Glen Mine Explosion rocked the two mining communities, and the state, as one of the largest industrial accidents the state ever encountered. Miners descended the slope at seven in the morning; not three hours later, at 9:40 AM, the first of three explosions rocked the mine. The first is nearly 1800 feet below the surface, with the second, is reported to occur around 1200 feet below. The mine superintendent found six trapped men upon entering the mine between the first and second explosions. Escaping before the total collapse, the first rescue crews descended the mine at 11:00 AM. Four hours after the miners descended the mine, they found themselves in a similar fate to many miners before them.

This disaster still holds a tight grip on the region. Perhaps this is because there are living children of those who escaped the mine, or perhaps because of the resources available. Vital records tell the stories of nearly all of the miners, something previously impossible to do with the other disasters. The 1925 Coal Glen mining disaster struck the proverbial nail in the coffin, signaling what would be the ultimate decline in Deep River Coal. In the following paragraphs, I first explore the origins of the dead, and what can be learned. A deeper examination into the legacies of those who perished allows me, and the reader, to understand the true nature of Deep River Coal, one of migration and movement, an above-below segregation-integration story, and the lasting influence on regional labor relations. With the knowledge of who died, I believe one can begin to unpack further why this region matters and to better understand that its legacy extends far past the Lee-Chatham borders, or even those of North Carolina. From its early inception to its deadliest days, Deep River Coal profits on migratory labor, some forced, others by choice.

Name	Birth Date	Age	Race (Nationality)	Hometown/Birth Location	Burial Location
John Alston		17	Black	Siler City, NC	Piney Grove, Chatham County, NC
Lewis Alston		abt 34	Black	Chatham County NC	Union Grove Church, Chatham County, NC
George Anderson		49	White	Unk	Ragland AL
Franklin Anderson		37	White	Alabama	Ragland AL
David Barr		19	Black	Johnsonville SC	Johnsonville SC
Thomas Buchanan		20	White	Harnett County, NC	Cool Springs, NC
John Burgess		~30	Black	South Carolina	Bethune SC
William Byerley		40	White	Unk	Farmville Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Reuben Chambliss		32	White	Ragland, Al	Ragland, AL
Wilson Chesney		51	Black	Chatham County	New Hope Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Thomas Cotton		28	White	Merry Oaks, NC	Asbury Church Cemetery
June Cotton		20	Black	Chatham County, NC	Union Grove Church, Chatham County, NC
Clifford Davis		abt 32	White	Ragland, AL	Ragland, AL
Edward Dillingham		abt 30	White	Alabama	High Point, NC
Walter Dillingham		abt 27	White	Alabama	High Point, NC
Henry Hall		35	White	Montgomery	Farmville Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Elmer Hayes		26	White	Randolph County?	Holly Springs Cemetery
Isaac Hayes		?	Black	Unk	Cumnock, NC
Eligs Hill		50	Black	Chatham County, NC	Cumnock
Lee Hodges		abt 40	Black	Virginia	Danville VA
Archie Holland		35	White	Sampson County, NC	Bethany Baptist Church, Gulf, NC
Albery Holly		?	Black	Unk	Cumnock, NC
Wesley Howard		27	Black	South Carolina	Orangeburg SC
Joe Hudson		27	White	Harnett County, NC	Cool Springs Cemetery
Dan Hudson		16	White	Harnett County, NC	Cool Springs Cemetery, NC
William Irick		abt 35	Black	South Carolina	Fort Motte SC
Claude Johnson		48	White	Chatham County	Farmville Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Nathan Johnson		26	White	Chatham County, NC	Jones Chapel, NC
Manly Lambert		abt 25	Black	Chatham County	Gulf, NC
John Laubscher		20	White	Vass, NC	Johnson Grove Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Alfred Martin		38	White	W Va.	Pheobus, VA
Will Moore		abt 45	Black	Unk	Mt Croghand, SC
James Nabors		abt 65	Black	Birmingham AL	Greystone, NC
Sam Napier		abt 27	White	Stokes, NC	Cool Springs, NC
Arthur Poe		?	Black	Unk	Union Grove Church, Chatham County, NC
Hollis Richardson		abt 20	White	Chatham County, NC	Coal Glenn, NC
Zeff Riner		23	White	Union County	Waxhaw, NC
John Shaw		?	Black	South Carolina	Bishopville, SC
James Spruill		20	Black	Chatham County, NC	Union Grove Church, Chatham County, NC
A.L. Stokes		abt 50	White	Unk	Savage MS
H.W. Sullivan		55	White	Georgia	High Point, NC
Charles Watson		38	Black	Chatham County, NC	Union Grove Church, Chatham County, NC
James Williams		21	Black	Moore County, NC	New Hope Cemetery, Chatham County, NC
Rovery Williams		54	Black	Chatham County, NC	New Hope Cemetery
Daniel Wilson		31	White	Randolph County	Seagrove, NC
Wade Wilson		?	Black	Unk	Cumnock, NC
Claude Wood		23	White	Alabama	Ragland, AL
James Wright		23	Black	Bladen County, NC	Rosindale, NC
Thomas Wright		49	Black	Bladen County, NC	Rosindale, NC
Russell Wright		abt 16	Black	Bladen County, NC	Rosindale NC
Theodore Wright		18	Black	Bladen County, NC	Rosindale, NC
J.B. Curd		abt 35	White	Alabama	Ragland, AL