This month marks the 114th anniversary of the Cherry mining disaster. November 13, 1909, 459 men and boys went down into the mine, only 200 would escape alive. This was one of the worst mining disasters in the US. It left 160 widows and 390 fatherless children. There were boys as young as 10 who died.
This was a mine that was declared fire proof, but that day a kerosine lantern caught a load of hay on fire, it was left to burn 45 minutes before they started evacuating the miners.