Life is rough in the coal mines of 1876 pennsylvania. How a pennsylvania coal mining film shook the nation. Last year, a television movie was made about one such tragedy, the pennsylvania miners story. Curiously, the films climax is inconclusive, as if the film had been made during the. The movie detailed the events surrounding a group of nine coal miners who were trapped deep inside a collapsed mine in pennsylvania will little hope of survival. The pennsylvania miners story was first aired at abc on november 24, 2002. How a 1897 massacre of pennsylvania coal miners morphed from a galvanizing crisis to forgotten history smithsonian magazine striking members of the united mine workers march to lattimer, pennsylvania. The pennsylvania miners story tv movie 2002 plot summary. This is pennsylvania miners story by kathleen mcnenny on vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. This mine fire has been burning for over 50 years history.
A secret group of irish emigrant miners, known as the molly maguires, fights against the cruelty of the mining company with sabotage and murder. The pennsylvania miners story is one of my husbands favorite movies. Trapped 240 feet below the ground when they inadvertently poked through. The pennsylvania miners story tv movie 2002 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The pennsylvania miners story dvd, 2003 for sale online. Warfel, is an indepth study of eckley miners village through oral histories, documentary research, and archaeological excavations and evidence. The coal region is a historically important coalmining area in northeastern pennsylvania in the central ridgeandvalley appalachian mountains, comprising lackawanna, luzerne, columbia, carbon, schuylkill, northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of dauphin counties.
But the molly maguires is well worth seeing, as it tells an essential pennsylvania story. Roomandpillar mines have been active in pennsylvanias bituminous coalfields since the late1700s. The pennsylvania miners story is a 2002 television film. Published in 1993, the book tells the story of ordinary families who worked in the anthracite industry and who lived in eckley. It was written by elwood reid and directed by david frankel. Based on the reallife chronicle of the nine for nine pennsylvania coal miners who were rescued in the summer of 2002. In 2002, the story was dramatized by abc in a television movie, the pennsylvania miners story. Cnn heres some background information about the quecreek mine rescue. Accidents pennsylvania mines and mining library guides. Dirty great machines s1 e2 dirty great machines bucket wheel excavator technology documentary reel truth.
One of the most dramatic events of the summer of 2002 was the story of the nine pennsylvania coal miners who were trapped inside a mine for more than three days. Pennsylvanias john stanky stankovics legendary 74year musical career will be feted during his august induction into the international polka associations hall. Mark schweiker celebrates after announcing that nine coal miners were found alive. Originally titled the miners tale and adapted for television by novelist elwood reid from the miners bestselling joint autobiography, the pennsylvania miners story premiered november 24, 2002. The original company coal homes sill exist along with the old company store. With graham beckel, dylan bruno, marisa ryan, jd souther. World war i was at its height, american industry was straining every muscle, and virtually everything that required power ran on coalindustry, railroads, steamships, electrical. Full story of nine trapped pennsylvania coal miners yenra. From july 24 through 28, 2002, nine coal miners were trapped for 77 hours in the pennsylvania mine. On 24th july 2002, two shifts of miners18 men in allentered the black wolf coal companys quecreek no 1 mine, a few miles northwest of the town of somerset, pennsylvania.
The quecreek mine rescue memorial monument for life honors and portrays the team of rescue workers who saved the nine trapped coal miners from certain death. Mining resources genealogical society of pennsylvania. The pennsylvania miners story 2002 movie moviefone. The quecreek miners, as cast for the tv movie the pennsylvania miners story. Eckley miners village weatherly, pennsylvania atlas. At last our car full of coal came to a building, called a coal breaker. Bituminous coal was first mined in pennsylvania at coal hill mount washington, just across the monongahela river from the city of pittsburgh. Coal mining numerous books, both fact and fiction, have been written about coal mining. The pennsylvania miners story tv movie 2002 full cast. A detective, also an irish emigrant, is hired to infiltrate the group and report on its members.
The film is based on the real events occurred at the quecreek mine. In 2003, rescuer bob long committed suicide, a reminder that depression often follows the event among those involved in highprofile rescues. Pennsylvanias northern anthracite coal field 18701970 this 1955 publication summarizes anthracite coal data by year and by county. The shattering explosion killed 21 of the 27 miners working that night. Pennsylvania miners story, the television twohour television movie. This eerily wellpreserved coalmining town was saved from destruction by a sean connery movie. About pennsylvania, coal employment records, 19001954 the lehigh coal and navigation company lcnc was formed in 1820 by a merger of the lehigh coal company and the lehigh navigation company.
Miraculously, all nine miners survived, providing an uplifting and happy ending to a story most thought would end in tragedy. Child coal miners with mules in gary, west virginia in 1908. Both had been founded in 1818 by josiah white, erskine hazard, and george f. Coal patches in western pennsylvania generally date from the 1870s through the 1920s. This fine example of a typical coal patch town tells a story of how the miners lived when coal was king.
Its another blow to the coal industry, which president trump has promised to. The film centers on joe radek, a slovak miner in a western pennsylvania coal town, who is happily working to save up money to buy a farm where he and his fiancee, anna, can raise pigs and kids. The pennsylvania miners story premiered november 24, 2002, on abc. In july of 2002, nine men were trapped 240 feet below the ground in a somerset, pa, coal mine.
The bravados classic western, full movie, gregory peck, english free full western films duration. Exploring abandoned mines and unusual places recommended for you. The pennsylvania miners story 2002 rotten tomatoes. Its neighborhoods include little italy, swedetown, and. After breaking into a waterfilled abandoned mine, the nine miners struggle to stay alive while rescue crews fight against time to drill down. A patch of land owned by the company, written by pennsylvania historical and museum commission staff archaeologist steven g. Nine coal miners face a harrowing fight for survival after they become trapped below ground. From the pennsylvania state archives, listings of coal mine accidents in pennsylvania from approx. Mining in pennsylvania was a well regulated industry after the avondale mine disaster in 1869. The miners themselves wrote a book about their ordeal. The pennsylvania miners story gives a realistic and heartfelt depiction of the true story of nine men trapped in coal mine. The miners became trapped in the flooded quecreek mine on. In a larger sense, the memorial site will honor the tireless heroism of rescue workers everywhere, as well as serve as a lasting tribute to the coal miners of southwestern. Video quecreek rescue drama held world riveted news.
It was mostly filmed on location at somerset county, pennsylvania and some scenes were shot on the actual quecreek mine. Located a bit off the beaten path in weatherly, pennsylvania, the ghost town is now maintained by the phmc as a historical site dedicated to educating the public about coalmining life. Miners, who were trapped in a pennsylvania mine for three days, thanked the people who helped rescue them during a news conference in. Baker towers jennifer haigh january, 2005 bakerton is a community of company houses, church festivals, and firemens parades. The year the pennsylvania coal mining film was released, the country was in the midst of the great depression. Coal from local mines fueled its homes and its economy, and its 1,200.
Set in 1876, the film is based on the true story of a group of irish immigrant miners belonging to the. Pennsylvania mining accidents 1814 1986 sherard gerald sherards compilation of records culled from the annual reports of mines and other sources. Rescue workers in the us state of pennsylvania on sunday pulled nine miners. The pennsylvania miners story based on the summer 2002 rescue of nine coal miners at quecreek mine, after they had been trapped for 77 hours. It was announced this past week that a coal mine the 4 west mine in southwestern pennsylvania will close. I lay snug and comfortable for many years, way down in the middle of a large mountain, until i grew into a great big coal. Told from their own perspective, the movie reveals their extraordinary experience and, takes viewers inside the mine shot in real mines and recreated on a soundstage to show the life. Coal in pennsylvania pennsylvania mines and mining. Working conditions were brutal for coal miners, and unionization was violently suppressed. See more ideas about coal mining, coal miners and pennsylvania. Nine miners were below when water trapped in an adjacent mine burst through the wall of the new mine they were working. Workers hook equipment to a drill used to create an escape tunnel for the trapped miners from the quecreek mine in somerset, pa. W hile few may be familiar with the warner brothers film, black fury, its release in 1935 sparked a national debate over controversial issues that affected millions of american workers.
Rescued pennsylvania miners, strong harrisburg teacher. Directed by marc brodzik and produced by woodshop films. Told from their own perspective, the movie reveals their extraordinary experience and, takes viewers inside the mine shot in real mines and recreated on a soundstage to show the lifethreatening dangers and physical limitations the men faced for 77 hours as they waited for. Click here to view a rare video from pennsylvania in the 1940s. A century ago, centralia, pennsylvania was a busy small town filled with shops, residents and a brisk mining business. These 15 rare coal mining photos from pennsylvania give us a look into what life was like for miners and their families in the early part of the 20th century. Details of mining accidents, fatal and nonfatal, can be found in the volumes of the commonwealth of pennsylvania mine inspector reports.
Discover eckley miners village in weatherly, pennsylvania. It was filmed by paramount pictures and told the true story of a group of irish miners who were called the molly maguires it is the town were heavy production of coal was mined in northeastern pa. Some seven hours later, nine men were trapped by rapidly rising water in a cavern more than 200 feet below ground, and the nine others, drenched and exhausted, had. The home where the movie the molly maguries was filmed. Graham beckel as randy fogle, dylan bruno as blaine mayhugh, j. The pennsylvania miners story 2002 cast and crew nine coal miners face a harrowing fight for survival after they become trapped below ground. Coal rush offers an unprecedented look at some of the. A coal patch called coal camp outside of pennsylvania is a town where everything was built and owned by a coal company, including schools, churches, stores, theatres, and residential structures. I am from california, however my mother was in this movie.
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