WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. -- It was 72 years ago on December 21, 1951, when 119 men were killed after an explosion at the Orient No. 2 mine in West Frankfort.
Many in southern Illinois took the time on Thursday to share their thoughts on social media sites to remember the lives lost and the families affected from the tragedy.
Funerals were held in the days after the incident, some held before and others held after the holiday; in what became known as “Black Christmas�.
The disaster led to improved federal and state safety regulations with President Truman signing the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act the following summer.
A report from the United States Department of Interior Bureau of Mines Region VIII stated a widespread gas and coal-dust explosion occurred in the Orient No. 2 mine at around 7:40 p.m. that night. 257 men were in the mine when the explosion happened with 133 escaping to the surface uninjured, four were rescued and taken to the hospital with one person rescued 58 hours later.
A granite monument was unveiled in 2020 at the Coal Miner’s Memorial Park in West Frankfort. It has a photo of the Orient Mine etched into it, along with the names of all the miners who died.
