October 27 1914 Royalton Mining Accident 52 Men Died The mine is owned by the Franklin Coal and Coke Company. Coal sizing plant, power plant, tipple and head frame. North or No. 1 Mine, Royalton, Illinois 7:00 a.m. Miners decended below to begin there work for the day. Gas explosion occured inside the mine. Believed to be ignited by a lamp of the mine workman 100 miners known dead and 200 imprisioned. Government Rescue car and apparatus rushed to the scene 12:00 p.m. 15 bodies recovered 50-75 miners remain inside the burning mine. 150 persons had been taken alive Slight chance they are alive 2:00 p.m. Entire mine now ablaze 250 miners were rescued 40 Doctors on scene aiding in rescue work 2:30 p.m. 25 bodies recovered Rescue work directed to conquering the flames Rescue work of 60 men remaining abandonded, probably burned to death 50 of those rescued had injuries, many possiably fatal. 275 men escaped death 85 of those Injured had been overcome by gas 24 Bodies Taken from Burning Shaft Sixty-One Deaths Reported on the Casualty List 13 of the men killed in the explosion belonged to the Virgin Mary Othodox Church. A memorial to all the miners stands outside of the church still today. List below of the 52 known men that died that day. NAME NATIONALITY AGE COMMENTS ALBOSKY, Tony Russian 45 Brothers in St. Louis ANTONNACCI, Joe Italian 41 Wife and 1 child BABICH, Jno. Austrian 36 Wife and 5 children BALSIS, George Lithuanian 35   BARCLAY, Jno. Scotch 20   BARDSORA, Pete   33 Relatives in Italy BARTA, Barta Italian 45 2 Sons, wife dead BARTOLINA, Orlento Italian 26   BELLAMY, Chas American 28   BENEGRO, Lewis Italian 36 Wife and child in Italy BOLINSKI, Steve Polish 31 wife and 1 child BONDI, V. Italian 36 Wife and 2 children BONAZINIA, Tony Italian 30   BORTA, William Russian; Lithuanaian 30   CETRIC, Felix Russian 30 Wife and 1 child CORNELLI, Pete Italian 38 Wife and child DRONOVICH, George   32 Wife GRACHINO, M. Italian 30   HARRIS, Russell American 21   HAVIK, Joe Russian; Hungarian 31 Wife HILLODONK, Alex Russian 23 Wife in Italy HOWAY, George Russian 37 Wife JOHNSON, James Scotch 45   JUHIS, Lewis Russian 27   KAVICH, Hack Slavic 30 Wife KAZAR, John Slavic 34 Wife and 5 children KERELE, Pete   40 Wife and 2 children KOLK, George Slavic 26 Wife LITKUS, Harry Russian   Wife and 7 children LORENTO, Domiec Italian   Brothers here LUTANTANSKI, Dom Polish 24   MELESKI, Adam Slavic 32 Wife and 2 children MEREGILDO, B. Italian 39 Wife and 1 child MERSI, Alex Italian 24 Brothers here MICHITICH, Phil   42 Wife and 3 children MOZELLA, Guy Italian 32 Wife and children MULLEN, Neal Scotch 19 Parents here NOLUPKI, Pete Russian/Pole   Wife and 5 children OGILINI, Dom Italian 26   PARROTT, Phil German American 30 Wife and 1 child PATRONE, Chas. Polish 40 Wife and 5 children PLUSNIC, Tony Lithuanian 43 Wife and children POLKAC, Mike Slavic 30 Wife SAKALY, Lewis RussoHung.   Wife and 1 child SHELLER, Andy Russian 40 Wife and 5 children SHONDER, Steve Russian 38 Wife and child SMIDDY, Sam American 55 Married, Family in Tenn. SMITH, Jno. American 30 Wife TERIONINE, Jno. Russian 29   VORGA, M. Russian 19 Brothers here WILLIAMS, W. D. Welsh 35   YOUNG, Pete Scotch 21   THE ROYALTON NEWS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1923 ROYALTON HERO IS FINALLY HONORED After a period of over eight years honor has finally come to the hero of the Royalton mine explosion with the receipt this week by Dr. A. W. Springs of Dewmaine of a beautiful gold medal in acknowledgment of the wonderful work he did to bring back to life some of the men who were rescued in a dying condition on October 27,1923, when fifty-two men, were killed by a gas explosion The metal is the size of a silver dollar and comes from the Dr. Holman Safety Association, which organization awards medals for heroic deeds performed in connection with mine rescue work. There were one half a dozen awarded this last year in the entire United States and Dr. Springs is the happy winner of one of them together with a diploma that also recites the perilous undertaking. One side of the medal is engraved, "Awarded to A. W. Springs, resuscitation, Royalton,. Illinois, explosion, October 27, 1914," and on the reserve side is an engraving reading, "Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, Medal of Honor." Dr. Holmes was head of the national bureau of mine safety work and did a great mission to promote safety and rescue work in coal mines. He died sometime ago and the association bearing his name is a memorial to his memory. The heroic work of Dr. Springs is a well known story in the mining field of Southern Illinois. There were hundreds of people gathered about the mouth of the shaft after the mine went up in explosion and of the forty or fifty doctors, the colored physician of Dewmaine, armed with a pulmotor insisted upon going below with the rescue team and taking part in the perilous task of rescuing the dead and dying. There on the bottom he worked his pulmotor bringing to life men who were given up for dead by some of the rescuers. The fame of his work spread all over the nation and he was called by everyone the hero of the disaster. But not until this week did he receive any recognition aside from the usual spoken compliment for his deeds. The doctor was quite modest about this mark of recognition of his work but a bit proud too of the little medal that means much to him and is indeed worth quite a little more than its weight which is really gold. "You know," he said as he put the little medallion back into its white satin case, "you know, I now have something now really worth while to leave to my posterity." As I look back upon that perilous day when I risked my life for those dying men, I feel that I was really serving my fellow man there in a way I never had served before." The doctor is probably the only possessor of such a medal in the state of Illinois, and surely the only owner of one in the Southern Illinois coal fields. Offsite Links 1923 Royalton News Paper Return to the Main Index Page for Franklin County Nanette Riley 2008 ©Illinois Genealogy Trails History Group