Accidents and Deaths for the Year ending Jun 30, 1906
State Mine Inspectors
District No. 1, John Verner, Chariton
District No. 2, James A. Campbell, Ottumwa
For the year ending Jun 30, 1906 Monroe County
Number of Mines 23
Tons of coal of all grades produced 2,443,687
Number of miners employed 2,585
Number of other inside employees 1,001
Number of outside employees 289
Total number employed 3,875
Number one coal-producing county
Number one in fatal accidents
Number one in serious mine accidents
District No 1
Three mines were abandoned last year. The Excelsior Coal Company mine was closed last September, No. 4 mine of the Smoky Hollow Coal Company and No. 1 mine of the Hocking Coal Company were abandoned early in 1906. The Whitebreast Fuel Company at Hilton will be operated for a few months longer.
Fatal Accidents in District No. 1, July 1, 1905-June 30, 1906.
| Date | Name | Occupation | Cause | Employed by |
| July 17,1905 | James McDonald | driver | Runaway car | Hocking Coal Co |
| July 17, 1905 | S. Johnson | miner | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
| Aug 5, 1905 | Joseph White | timberman's helper | fall of slate | Whitebreast Fuel Co |
| Oct 9, 1905 | A. Tadjevich | miner | fall of slate | Whitebreast Fuel Co |
| Nov 7, 1905 | F. Caldwell | driver | caught between mule and car | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Dec 14, 1905 | James Wiley | miner | fall of slate | Hocking Coal Co |
| Jan 13, 1906 | A. Sheppard | miner | premature explosion | Hocking Coal Co |
| Jan 13, 1906 | W. Sheppard | miner | premature explosion | Hocking Coal Co |
| Feb 15, 1906 | P. O'Hara | driver | fall of slate | Star Coal Co |
| Mar 1, 1906 | E. Mitchell | driver | caught between car and rib | Hocking Coal Co |
| Jun 18, 1906 | O. Ribbing | miner | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
Serious Accients in District No. 1, July 1, 1905-June 30, 1906
| Date | Name | Occupation | Character of Injury | Cause of Injury | Employed by |
| Jul 5, 1905 | J. C. Thomas | Timberman | Foot badly bruised | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
| Aug 4, 1905 | Geo Roberts | Cager | Ribs broken | caught under cage | Wapello Coal Co |
| Aug 23, 1905 | F Stice | driver | shoulder dislocated | caught by tail chain | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Aug 25 ,1905 | S Wilson | driver | skull fractured | struck by post | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Aug 28, 1905 | A J Swanson | trip rider | back injured | fall of slate | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Sep 28, 1905 | J Allison | miner | arm broken | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
| Oct 23, 1905 | C Lingren | miner | head and side cut | str'k by tail rope trip | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Nov 7, 1905 | A L Van Pelt | blacksmith | leg broken | pit car fell on him | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Dec 1, 1905 | M Ridener | shotfirer | face burnt | explosion | Hocking Coal Co |
| Dec 8, 1905 | H Morrell | miner | leg broken | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
| Dec 13, 1905 | G Hartman | laborer | finger cut off | struck by wedge | Wapello Coal Co |
| Jan 8, 1906 | W Garrington | miner | ribs broken | fall of coal | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Jan 12, 1906 | W Bitterman | miner | collar bone broken | fall of coal | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Jan 26, 1906 | C Miller | outside laborer | ankle broken | caught between cars | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Feb 7, 1906 | F Quilhan | miner | back and leg injured | fall of slate | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Mar 5, 1906 | J Delvesco | miner | back bruised internal inj | fall of slate | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Mar 9, 1906 | O Eck | driver | ankle broken, head cut | run over by car | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Mar 17, 1906 | L Brown | trapper | ankle broken | run over by car | Phillips Fuel Co |
| Mar 20, 1906 | W F Lomax | miner | ribs and bones in hand broken | fall of slate | Smoky HOllow Coal Co |
| Mar 24, 1906 | G Rowley | miner | leg broken | fall of coal | Hocking Coal Co |
| May 24, 1906 | Geo Long | miner | face and hand burnt | premature explosion | Hocking Coal Co |
| May 24, 1906 | Geo Stocks | miner | leg broken | premature explosion | Hocking Coal Co |
| May 25, 1906 | P B Jenkins | timberman | leg and ribs broken | fall of slate | Smoky Hollow Coal Co |
| Jun 8, 1906 | E Valentine | driver | leg broken | fall of slate | Wapello Coal Co |
| Jun 13, 1906 | O Olson | miner | leg broken | fall of slate | Phillips Fuel Co |
List of fatal accidents occurring in the mines of the second district for the year ending June 30, 1906.
Joe Monzluck
On October 10, 1905, a fatal accident occurred to Joe Monzluck, a digger in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Accident occurred in Mine No. 11, and was caused by falling slate. He was about 40 years old and had been in the employ of the company for three years.
Jackson Meash
On November 29, 1905, fatal accident occurred to Jackson Mease, a miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Mine No. 10 was the one in which the accident occurred. Mr. Mease was at work in room No. 30, when fall of slate occurred covering him completely and killing him instantly. He was found a few minutes later by Alonzo Brooks a timberman in the employ of the same company. Mr. Brooks had gone to fix the timbers and found Mease dead under slate.
James Ferguson
On January 22, 1906 fatal accident occurred to James Ferguson a miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Accident happened about 9:30 a.m. Mr. Ferguson was at work in his room No. 11, on 5th B when fall of slate occurred breaking one leg and mashing in side and ribs. He died in about two hours after bringing him home. Slate was at face of room, should have been taken down. Accident occurred in Mine No. 13, of above company.
Garland Brown
On December 19, 1905 fatal accident occurred to Garland Brown, a trapper in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Accident occurred in Mine No. 10 of above company. He was holding an empty on the 4th A siding when car got away from him down the hill running over him and killing him almost instantly. When found he was lying under the hind end of car with his head across the track. He was dead when found. His death was considered purely accidental by the coroner's jury and a verdict so rendered.
Minor Brooks
On May 1, 1906 fatal accident occurred to Minor Brooks a miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Mr. Brooks was in his working place, 1st A entry pulling pillars, when fall of slate occurred killing him. Accident was purely accidental as his buddy had told him to take down slate before he went to work, but he did not. Mr. Brooks was over fifty years old and had been in the employ of the above company for about four years. Accident occurred in Mine No. 11 of above company.
List of non fatal accidents occurring in second district during the year ending June 30, 1906
August 16, 1905, Sept Baird, an entry man employee of Consolidation Coal Company, Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa, caught by car and crushed. One leg broken.
September 25, 1905, George W. Bland, a digger in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa, fall of slate breaking one leg.
October 6, 1905, Albert Ahn, a timberman in employ of Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa, fall of slate. One leg broken.
October 12, 1905, Ed J. Downs, miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa, was going past mouth of No. 1 Room on his way to dinner when shot went off and flying coal struck him breaking his leg.
October 21, 1905, W. H. Taylor, a digger in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. He went to get on cage with others. A trip came onto the bottom and hit an empty, the cage did not have time to move and it caught Taylor between car and cage breaking one leg.
November 10, 1905, Charles Shelton, a driver in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Car jumped the track and pinched him against the rib breaking one leg.
November 21, 1905, Marshall Lowery, a digger in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa, fall of slate, one leg broken.
December 7, 1905, William Mash, a coupler employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. He was going past motor and reached out and put hand on motor cog wheel. Had three fingers and part of hand mashed off.
December 11, 1905, Robert Fairfax, digger in employ of Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa, run over by car and leg broken.
December 14, 1905, Frank Miller in Mine No. 11 of Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa, fall of slate breaking one leg.
January 27, 1906, Hugh Siron, a miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa. Shot went off before he got out of room. Bone in hand was broken and hand mashed.
May 24, 1906, Angello Bazzacco miner in the employ of the Central Coal Company, Hickory, Monroe county, Iowa. Fall of slate. Right arm and collar bone broken.
December 27, 1905, John Boden miner in employ of Ackers Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Fall of slate. Hurt in back.
January 23, 1906, John Smith, shot examiner and shot firer, in teh employ of the Crickett Coal Company Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Explosion of caps. Hand blown off.
January 29, 1906, John H. Allen, miner in the employ of the Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. He was using fuse and thought it had not lighted when the shot went off coal hitting him and breaking his ankle.
June 30, 1906, William Moppin, driver employ of Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Iowa. Run onto by car. Leg broken.
May 3, 1906, Owen Bringman, entry man, employ of Consolidation Coal Company of Buxton, Monroe county, Iowa. Fall of slate. Shoulder blade broken.
May 24, 1906. Anton Motin, miner, employ of Central Coal Company of Lockman, Monroe county, Iowa. Fall of slate. Collar bone broken and back bruised.
Monroe County(part)
That part of Monroe County bounded on the west by the Wabash Railroad and on the south by the C. B. & Q. Railroad is in the Second District, the other part of the county being in the First District as was noted in previous report. In the part of the county situated in this, the Second District, 10 mines are in operation. Mines Nos. 1 and 2 of the Coalfield Fuel Company are located near Coalfield, and mines 1 and 2 of the Central Coal Company are located near Lockman. The Regal Coal Company, the Ackers Coal Company, and mines Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the Consolidation Coal Company are located near Buxton.
The output of these mines for the year ending June 30, 1906, was 1,183,143 tons of coal. This is an increase of 195,373 tons above output of previous year, and this represents but 11 months work, as mines were closed during the month of April pending an agreement, regarding the scale of wages to be paid, between the miners and operators of the state.
Monroe still leads as the largest coal producing county in the state. In producing the 1,183,143 tons of coal, in the part of the county located in this district, employment was given to 1575 miners and 419 day men, making a total of 1994 employees working in around the mines.
All of the coal in this county is of an excellent quality and finds a ready market. The vein runs from 4 to 6 feet in thickness and is mined on the room and pillar plan. Nearly all the mines in the country are shipping mines, but little coal being sold locally. The equipment of the mines in this county is usually good and considerable care is used on the part of the operators in keeping the mines in fair condition.
13th Biennial report of the State Mine Inspectors to the Governor of the State
by Iowa Department of Mine Inspectors