Darr Mine Tragedy: Pennsylvania's Worst Mining Disaster

A seemingly unimpressive hillside along the Youghiogheny River holds a secret. It was within the hills of two small Southwestern Pennsylvania patch towns that one of the worst disasters in American History occurred. Over 200 people were killed in this hillside, shattering the lives of everyone in the valley. This is the story of the 1907 Darr Mine Disaster.

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[RedoubtProductions]

Thanks For All The Support This Documentary Has Gotten, Even With The Glaring Inaccuracies. I Promise Someday To Return To The Story Of The Darr Mine And Rectify Those Errors. Just Did Not Have Time Throughout 2021. Hopefully In 2022? Anyways, For Those New To Finding This Video, Enjoy It And Let Younger Me Off Easy. And On Today, December 19, 2021, We Look Back And Remember The 239+ Lives Snuffed Out In One Of The Worst Mining Disasters In American History.

[jessicalynnhepner]

My great great great grandfather died in this disaster Mike Migo. Thank you for telling their story.

[denisehogarth]

I was told that I had family killed in that disaster. I never questioned it since my mother was born in Jacobs Creek 1913. That grave marker in Olive Branch Cemetery was where my grandmother would always place a flower.

[renegade]

Good job covering this event! Never heard of it before.

[bonniemoerdyk]

I think you did just fine for your first documentary, keep it up! If you're looking for new material, there was a mining disaster in a small town north of Terre Haute, Indiana back in 1907, the town of Fontanet. The entire town blew up, but was rebuilt. Not related to the explosion but my Grandfather died just a few feet away from the entrance of the mine in a freak railroad accident 25 yrs after the explosion. I grew up going to church just a couple blocks from the disaster, albeit almost 60 yrs later.

[jeffjones]

Well researched, GREAT documentary!!

[Saturday 4/16/22] Driving into Smithton for a family mini-reunion 3 days ago, I saw the historical marker @ 21:30. Was only vaguely familiar with the disaster, so researched on YouTube... Found your video. Highly informative, well documented!!

I am so grateful that my great-gandfather Stoney Jones was busy starting a brewery in Smithton in 1907 and not working in the local mines like his father, a Welsh immigrant.

[larryfugate]

I just came across your documentary. Well done. As a native of SE Ohio, mine disasters were common including the Willow Grove mine disaster near 22:35 Neffs, Ohio in the 1940s, a mine toured by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt just several years before the horrific explosion that killed about 140. The Willow Grove was touted as a modern, safe mine. Today a large new memorial marks the explosion site.

[leonkriner]

Thank you for very informative research. I never knew about this tragedy before.

[josephgluz]

That’s my father Steve Gluz on the mule in front of the company store. My dad and my grandfather’s and uncles worked at Banning #1. Jacobs Creek was District #5 headquarters at one time. The cause of the explosion was brutal criminal negligence the Mellon family who owned Pittsburgh Coal

[MizzzFizzz]

I rly like how professional and empathetic you are to the victims and their family, thank you.

[destiniedrent]

I live in Van Meter. This is great! We'll done and Thank You for the history of this sweet little village.

[wv]

In WV old days if didn't have fan to draw bad air. We use build big fires outside drift mouth. This would pull bad air to outside. Specially in New river area coal fields. Shocking but true.

[joelewis]

Man I wish I could hit the like button more times. Great job covering the mine disaster

[kvlteacher]

Awesome job. I grew up in Library- home of the Montour #10 mine. Had a summer internship in the 80s at the Bureau of Mines researching ways to stop mine explosions from propagating. They were setting off coal dust explosions at the research mine in Bruceton while I was there. I can recall looking at a lot of old documents they had there regarding this and other disasters. Very interesting history.
Memory eternal to the lost miners …

[talesfromanoldmanpatoneal]

Nice job young man. I really liked seeing the photos for the town as it is now. Gives you a really good perspective. A time lost.

[williamcotter]

Great job. I am impressed by the research done. Love the topic. Also I am impressed by your age and the work you put into this program.

[themossypottery]

A sad but fascinating story. Thank you. Great job!

[ProspectingLife]

Good work making this video mate! Keep their memories living on. 👍🏼

[cattinamarie]

You did a really good job on this one! It’s so nice to see young people interested in this sort of history! I don’t live far from there now and also came from a town that had its own disaster in 1908. Marianna mine. Keep up the good work!

[ariw]

Great job on this documentary very informative did not know about this disaster sadly.