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Underground Fire: Hope, Sacrifice, and Courage in the Cherry Mine Disaster
A historic mine fire traps hundreds of men underground in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction meticulously researched and told by a master of the genre.
It is November 13, 1909, and the coal miners of Cherry, Illinois, head to work with lunch pails in hand, just like any other day. By seven a.m., 484 of these men are underground, starting jobs that range from taking care of the mules that haul coal to operating cages that raise and lower workers and coal to chiseling out rocks and coal from the tunnels of the mine. With the electrical system broken, they’re guided by kerosene torches—and come early afternoon, a slow-moving disaster begins, barely catching the men’s attention until it’s too late. In what starts as an hour-by-hour account, Sally Walker tells the riveting and horrifying story of the Cherry Mine fire, which trapped hundreds of men underground. Alternating between rescue efforts above and the heroic measures of those trying to survive the poor air and entrapment below, the tragic story unfolds over eight excruciating days in a narrative compelled by the miners’ hope and absolute will to survive. Rich with archival photographs and documents, this stirring account includes sources, bibliography, an author’s note, and follow-up information about survivors, rescuers, and families.
It is November 13, 1909, and the coal miners of Cherry, Illinois, head to work with lunch pails in hand, just like any other day. By seven a.m., 484 of these men are underground, starting jobs that range from taking care of the mules that haul coal to operating cages that raise and lower workers and coal to chiseling out rocks and coal from the tunnels of the mine. With the electrical system broken, they’re guided by kerosene torches—and come early afternoon, a slow-moving disaster begins, barely catching the men’s attention until it’s too late. In what starts as an hour-by-hour account, Sally Walker tells the riveting and horrifying story of the Cherry Mine fire, which trapped hundreds of men underground. Alternating between rescue efforts above and the heroic measures of those trying to survive the poor air and entrapment below, the tragic story unfolds over eight excruciating days in a narrative compelled by the miners’ hope and absolute will to survive. Rich with archival photographs and documents, this stirring account includes sources, bibliography, an author’s note, and follow-up information about survivors, rescuers, and families.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2022
About the author
Sally M. Walker
93 books74 followersSally M. Walker has written science books for children, including Earthquakes, an NSTA/CBC Best Science Trade Book of 1997. She lives in DeKalb, IL.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 7, 2022
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Life was different in 1909, although there were some situations that we still see today. While parents might not send their children into the mines at 14, recent immigrant populations still struggle to find work with safe conditions, and rely on family to help. In Cherry, Illinois at this time, there was a promising new vein of coal, and a town rose up in the area to support the workers who would bring the material to the surface. Mining conditions require close monitoring, and there were teams of engineers, overseers, and others who tried to make sure that the mine was up to code. Still, human error can lead to disasters, and that's what happened here. A lamp that was low on kerosene started to drip on top of a cart of hay down in the mines, and although people were somewhat aware of it, nothing was done. Before long, the fire was raging under control. This caused several problems; smoke in the shafts that endangered men, panic in the workers both above and below ground, and structural damage to the mine as wooden supports burned and gave way. Mining fires are particularly hard to put out, and the Cherry mine fire was no exception.
Using the same method of describing the events through the eyes of people who would have been involved that was so successful in her 2011 Blizzard of Glass, Walker describes the background of daily life and the involvement of miners, coal company administrators, doctors, and people in the community as the tragedy unfolded. The inclusion of period photos of ordinary life is helpful in setting the scene and understanding what the miners' day-to-day life was like working in the mines and living in a small town. One of favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of period diagrams and specifications for the mine that had to be filed to prove that the mine was operating safely! I'm sure at the time, the mine was considered to be very modern, and the people running it tried to have all of the latest safety features.
Good Points
Walker doesn't shy from the fact that many of the miners were recent immigrants to the US, and shows how difficult their lives were. One family consisted of a mother, father, two children, and five of the parents brothers! Again, period photos show the company housing, families, and occasionally pictures that weren't from Cherry but are useful in showing young readers what is meant by things like coal powered fire places.
Because the story follows particular people, whom we meet early in the morning as they are getting ready to go to work at the mines, there is an immediacy and urgency to finding out what happens next! While there were some immediate casualties, there were people who managed to get out alive, and well as some workers who were trapped underground for a significant amount of time. Since nearly everyone in town had someone who worked in the mine, and 259 men died, the effect on the town was acute. Chapters at the end of the book address how the widows and children of men killed were helped, and how the town went forward afterwards. Today, Cherry has fewer than 500 residents, so it certainly didn't become the center of mining and industry that flyers in the early 1900s promised!
Readers who enjoy delving into historical disasters with books like Soontornvat's All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team, Murphy's The Great Fire, Hollihan's Ghosts Unveiled! (Creepy and True #2) or Marrin's Flesh and Blood So Cheap will be enthralled by the harrowing attempts to get men out of the mines and the different tactics employed to do so. They will also learn much about daily life over 100 years ago, and even I learned something new: the term "teamsters" for truck drivers comes from the fact that early transportation of goods involved teams of horses! I just had never thought about that!
Life was different in 1909, although there were some situations that we still see today. While parents might not send their children into the mines at 14, recent immigrant populations still struggle to find work with safe conditions, and rely on family to help. In Cherry, Illinois at this time, there was a promising new vein of coal, and a town rose up in the area to support the workers who would bring the material to the surface. Mining conditions require close monitoring, and there were teams of engineers, overseers, and others who tried to make sure that the mine was up to code. Still, human error can lead to disasters, and that's what happened here. A lamp that was low on kerosene started to drip on top of a cart of hay down in the mines, and although people were somewhat aware of it, nothing was done. Before long, the fire was raging under control. This caused several problems; smoke in the shafts that endangered men, panic in the workers both above and below ground, and structural damage to the mine as wooden supports burned and gave way. Mining fires are particularly hard to put out, and the Cherry mine fire was no exception.
Using the same method of describing the events through the eyes of people who would have been involved that was so successful in her 2011 Blizzard of Glass, Walker describes the background of daily life and the involvement of miners, coal company administrators, doctors, and people in the community as the tragedy unfolded. The inclusion of period photos of ordinary life is helpful in setting the scene and understanding what the miners' day-to-day life was like working in the mines and living in a small town. One of favorite parts of the book was the inclusion of period diagrams and specifications for the mine that had to be filed to prove that the mine was operating safely! I'm sure at the time, the mine was considered to be very modern, and the people running it tried to have all of the latest safety features.
Good Points
Walker doesn't shy from the fact that many of the miners were recent immigrants to the US, and shows how difficult their lives were. One family consisted of a mother, father, two children, and five of the parents brothers! Again, period photos show the company housing, families, and occasionally pictures that weren't from Cherry but are useful in showing young readers what is meant by things like coal powered fire places.
Because the story follows particular people, whom we meet early in the morning as they are getting ready to go to work at the mines, there is an immediacy and urgency to finding out what happens next! While there were some immediate casualties, there were people who managed to get out alive, and well as some workers who were trapped underground for a significant amount of time. Since nearly everyone in town had someone who worked in the mine, and 259 men died, the effect on the town was acute. Chapters at the end of the book address how the widows and children of men killed were helped, and how the town went forward afterwards. Today, Cherry has fewer than 500 residents, so it certainly didn't become the center of mining and industry that flyers in the early 1900s promised!
Readers who enjoy delving into historical disasters with books like Soontornvat's All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team, Murphy's The Great Fire, Hollihan's Ghosts Unveiled! (Creepy and True #2) or Marrin's Flesh and Blood So Cheap will be enthralled by the harrowing attempts to get men out of the mines and the different tactics employed to do so. They will also learn much about daily life over 100 years ago, and even I learned something new: the term "teamsters" for truck drivers comes from the fact that early transportation of goods involved teams of horses! I just had never thought about that!
December 20, 2022
The small town of Cherry, Illinois was forever changed on the morning of November 13, 1909. In this engrossing examination of that day, readers will observe an almost hour by hour account of a mine disaster that affected almost every person in the region. Almost five hundred men and boys descended deep into the earth that day, and fewer than half survived.
Walker reels readers in by an almost true crime approach of omnipotent observer, showing life above and below the earth on the day of the explosion. Numerous black and white photographs and diagrams paint a detailed picture. Most poignant are the letters that were written to loved ones by those trapped far down in the mine, knowing that the likelihood of their survival was slim. A font simulating handwriting makes their plight feel immediate and heartbreaking. Although the author assigns no blame to any one player, it is clear that the technology of the time and slack or negligent emergency preparations are partly to blame. Walker personalizes the account with names and nationalities, showing that the largest number of workers were recent immigrants who on the whole had the dirtiest jobs. Young readers will be surprised by the number of children affected, both as workers and as those who were orphaned by the disaster. Walker shows that there were also many acts of courage and caring. Her clear, detailed writing makes the book easy to zip through.
With a table of contents, source notes, bibliography and index, this is an exhaustive and satisfyingly detailed look at a disaster that is little known outside Illinois.
Walker reels readers in by an almost true crime approach of omnipotent observer, showing life above and below the earth on the day of the explosion. Numerous black and white photographs and diagrams paint a detailed picture. Most poignant are the letters that were written to loved ones by those trapped far down in the mine, knowing that the likelihood of their survival was slim. A font simulating handwriting makes their plight feel immediate and heartbreaking. Although the author assigns no blame to any one player, it is clear that the technology of the time and slack or negligent emergency preparations are partly to blame. Walker personalizes the account with names and nationalities, showing that the largest number of workers were recent immigrants who on the whole had the dirtiest jobs. Young readers will be surprised by the number of children affected, both as workers and as those who were orphaned by the disaster. Walker shows that there were also many acts of courage and caring. Her clear, detailed writing makes the book easy to zip through.
With a table of contents, source notes, bibliography and index, this is an exhaustive and satisfyingly detailed look at a disaster that is little known outside Illinois.
April 3, 2023
On November 13, 1909, inside the Cherry Mine in Illinois, kerosine lamps dripped on a mine cart full of bales of straw and caught fire. As the ventilation fans circulated air, they also supplied oxygen to the fire. By the time mine supervisors realized it was out of control, evacuating the miners was difficult and over 300 miners were trapped inside the mine. For the next several days, the miners who were safe from the fire were stranded in areas with bad air and little to no light, no food, and almost no hope of rescue. Above ground, the families desperately waited for news of their loved ones, while mine management tried to control the fire and make it safe for rescuers to retrieve the dead and find the living.
Sally M. Walker (Written in Bone, Blizzard of Glass) is a master storyteller, tying all her well-researched information together into a heart-wrenching narrative non-fiction. I loved all the captioned photographs, the maps of the mine, and the insight into the miners and their families provided by family photos. Especially poignant were the quoted passages from notes written by the miners themselves as they awaited either death or rescue. In addition to the excellent photographs, Walker has included source notes and an index. Underground Fire would be a great addition to your non-fiction section. Most of the miners are immigrants from Europe.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
Sally M. Walker (Written in Bone, Blizzard of Glass) is a master storyteller, tying all her well-researched information together into a heart-wrenching narrative non-fiction. I loved all the captioned photographs, the maps of the mine, and the insight into the miners and their families provided by family photos. Especially poignant were the quoted passages from notes written by the miners themselves as they awaited either death or rescue. In addition to the excellent photographs, Walker has included source notes and an index. Underground Fire would be a great addition to your non-fiction section. Most of the miners are immigrants from Europe.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
March 27, 2024
Walker spins a riveting tale about a disaster that occurred at the Cherry Mine in Cherry, Illinois- a town that sprouted up overnight around the mines in which the drudgery of coal mining was offset by the money made by the dangerous work the men (and boys) did day in and day out. As the European immigrants came to the United States, they connected with others in their extended family and friend groups. Mining was one of those professions that many began doing, but it was more than just being in the mines it was the boilers above, the mule caretaking- everything that encompassed it.
But tragedy struck on November 13, 1911 and many people died, many survived, and many were maimed. There were heroes. But there also needed to be blame by the end and plenty of work went into discovering the chain of events that set it off.
Riveting especially when Walker led by introducing readers to the individuals to get to know them before sharing the tragedy that struck and feeling it alongside their families- especially the ten boys who were underage and working for the mines, the wives that were widowed, and the men who left the work altogether after narrowly escaping with their lives.
But tragedy struck on November 13, 1911 and many people died, many survived, and many were maimed. There were heroes. But there also needed to be blame by the end and plenty of work went into discovering the chain of events that set it off.
Riveting especially when Walker led by introducing readers to the individuals to get to know them before sharing the tragedy that struck and feeling it alongside their families- especially the ten boys who were underage and working for the mines, the wives that were widowed, and the men who left the work altogether after narrowly escaping with their lives.
November 7, 2023
I have read several articles about the Cherry Coal Mine Disaster during the time it happened. I read Black Damp many years ago and also read Trapped which was basically a photo essay about the disaster. Sally M. Walker brings the event to life telling the story through the eyes of people who existed during the disaster. This book is a great telling of the lives of the employees and others who worked at the Cherry Coal Mine. I think my Grandfather John J. Madiar, who survived the disaster would be proud to be able to relate this event through her story. Thank you Sally for retelling the story of this forgotten event.
November 5, 2022
This true story of the Cherry Mine disaster of 1909 reads like a thriller: who will live and who will perish? Walker's account doesn't just follow the fates of the miners, but also encompasses the families, the rescue workers, and those who rallied to support the families left behind. An all round engrossing, compassionate look at an American disaster that spurred changes in labor laws and mine safety. Highly recommended.
April 5, 2023
This book would be a good mentor text to show how research can really help you to dig out great information and unknown facts about an event in history. It also details how difficult the job of coal mining was/is and the dangers inherent in the job. I could see using this book with All Thirteen by C. Soontornvat as well to show how some of these disasters take a long time to solve and have many heroes along the way.
November 23, 2022
Well written account of the Cherry Mine Disaster in 1909 Illinois, the 3rd deadliest mining disaster in the US. It shows how our ideas of work safety have evolved. These men were unionized but still they worked in appalling conditions. This same author wrote one of my favorite “disaster reads,” Blizzard of Glass.
February 26, 2023
I saw this book while I was working at the library. I picked it up because any time I would drive through Cherry with my father, he would tell me about the mining disaster. I wanted to learn more about it, and I have been trying to get into reading more nonfiction books, so this was an excellent place to start.
April 26, 2024
Zzz. The over use of meticulous details is a burden for the intended age group. An interesting little known piece of history bogged down by minutiae. So, so many names to keep track of.
Not bad, just not as engaging as All Thirteen.
Not bad, just not as engaging as All Thirteen.
July 2, 2022
This would be a great book to add to your classroom library and a must read when talking about mining in America and the 1900's.
January 13, 2023
1910, Cherry Illinois, Coal Mine
April 26, 2023
Thoroughly researched, impeccably written, and heartbreaking to read.
June 1, 2023
This was a typically wonderful nonfiction by Sally Walker. I learned a bunch about mining and the hazards of the industry. Nice read.
June 7, 2024
Sally M. Walker is a master at Non-fiction
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews