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Nigger Hollow Mine No. 2

The St. Louis and O'Fallon mines (unofficially the Nigger Hollow mines) were two coal mines located in St. Clair County, Illinois operated by the St. Louis & O'Fallon Coal Co. Workers at the Nigger Hollow Mines helped start the United Mine Workers Strike in 1919.

Name

The official name of the mines were the St. Louis and O'Fallon mines; however, they were commonly called the Nigger Hollow mines. There are a number of competing theories of how the Nigger Hollow mines received their names. One theory relates the naming of the mines to the East St. Louis Riot of 1917. Another posits that miners were turned black by dust and the lack of a washhouse prior to 1915. A third theory is that the name "Nigger Hollow" preceded the mine and referred to an African American community living outside of Belleville. An 1899 coal report announced the sinking of shafts 1.5 miles northeast of Birkner, describing the location as Nigger Hollow.

St. Louis and O'Fallon Mine No. 1

St. Louis and O'Fallon mine operated from 1901 to October 1928. From 1914–1916 and in 1925 the mine was idle. The mine was an underground shaft mine with a depth of 127 feet (39 m). The average coal seam was 6.2 feet (1.9 m) thick.

St. Louis and O'Fallon Mine No. 2

The shaft for St. Louis and O'Fallon mine No. 2 was sunk 2 miles East of the first mine and 4 miles east of French Village, Illinois. The mine operated from 1905 to June 1954. In addition to the official name of "St. Louis and O'Fallon Coal Mine No. 2", the mine was referred to as "Black Eagle mine". The mine was an underground shaft mine with a depths ranging from 193 feet (59 m) to 212 feet (65 m). The average coal seam was 6.5 feet (2.0 m) thick.

On November 7, 1913, St. Louis and O'Fallon Mine No. 2 broke an Illinois coal-hoisting record. On that day, the mine hoisted 4400 tons of coal in 7.75 hours. The previous Illinois record was held by a Benld, Illinois mine that had hoisted 4356 tons in 8 hours.

In 1916, over 600 people worked at this mine.

Strike

During the week of July 4, 1919, countrywide strikes occurred to protest the incarceration of Thomas Mooney. Thousands of miners near Belleville participated in the strike and had their pay docked due to stipulations in the union contract. Workers at mine no. 2 initially requested that the fines for striking be returned; however, the operators of the mine refused. A spontaneous meeting was held between the workers of that mine who drafted a petition for the local union chairman, which he refused, asking him to call a meeting of the local.

Deaths

See also: Mining accident

Mining near the end of the 19th century and in the early 20th century was a very dangerous occupation. An average of 2,658 coal miners in the United States died every year between 1906 and 1910. At least 28 people died in the St. Louis and O'Fallon mines:

Name	Date	Age	Mine	Residence	Occupation	Cause of death	Ref
Joseph Lesher	November 5, 1902	18	1	Belleville	Miner	While drilling a misfired explosive charge, Lesher's drill contacted sulfer in the coal, which ignited the powder. He died from the impact of flying coal and burns.
Jos. Beattie	May 20, 1903	32	1	Belleville	Shooter	Premature detonation of shot
Charles Shanual	March 1, 1905	56	2	Belleville	Miner	Falling slate
William Weiss	March 28, 1905	32	1	Lenzburg	Miner	Falling slate
James Harrison	July 17, 1905	50	1	Belleville	Miner	Died 13 hours after being hit by falling slate.
George Strebel	September 17, 1905	45	1	Caseyville	Miner	Injuries received from falling rock on August 7, 1905
Otto Heitman	ca. May 1906	17	2	Belleville	Driver	Blood poisoning, three weeks after having his left leg broken by falling slate on April 17, 1906
Louis Hartman	April 28, 1906	28		Belleville	Miner	Falling coal
Albert Herman	November 5, 1906	18	1	Belleville	Miner	Falling clod
Anton Tournelle	January 26, 1907	35	2	Belleville	Machine helper	Falling slate
Fred Raeber	October 10, 1907	27	1	Belleville	Miner	Falling coal
John Rickert	December 14, 1907	34	1	Belleville	Miner	Falling slate
George Ehret	May 13, 1908	34	2	Belleville	Miner	Premature blast. Ehret was charging a hole which exploded early, flying shot from that charge severely bruised him. Nearby cartridges exploded severely burning him
Joseph Macke	July 22, 1908	35	2	Belleville	Miner	Flying coal. Macke was working with Ehret on May 13, 1908. Coal flying from that blast hit Macke who died later of his injuries.
Wm. Lewis	October 9, 1908	34	1	Caseyville	Shot firer	Had lit a shot in a cross cut which was being driven from room No. 20 to room No. 21; when walking up room 21 and when opposite the cross cut coming from room No. 20 the shot blew through the pillar killing him instantly.
Geo. Kelly	January 8, 1909	36	2	Gillespie	Machine Helper	Crushed by 15 tons of coal in a room cave in
Philip Young	April 5, 1909	58	2	Bellevillie	Mine carpenter	Falling slate. Young was knocking down cross bars in an abandoned room with Philip Herrman. Despite a warning from his partner not to knock the leg of one of the bars, Young proceeded thinking there was no danger. As the crossbar fell, loose slate fell.
Fredrick Kunkel	June 25, 1909	55		Belleville	Miner	Falling slate broke his neck while he was setting up support timber
Henry D. Anderson	December 27, 1910	65	1	Belleville	Switchman	Hit by empty cars
Emil Miller	March 6, 1912	30	1	French Village	Miner	Falling slate
Louis Eichorn	July 19, 1916	29	1	Belleville	Miner	Falling slate
James Sullivan	January 23, 1922	44	2		Machine Man	Falling coal

Geo. Kelly, a 36-year-old machine helper, was crushed by 15 tons of coal in a room cave in on January 8, 1909. Charles T. Glasener, a 22-year-old driver from Tilden, was killed by pit cars on February 2, 1912. Evan J. Edwards, a 50-year-old Belleville resident, was killed by falling coal on February 23, 1912. He had three children. Joseph Bianjo, a 38-year-old Belleville resident, died on June 21, 1912 when he was hit by falling slate. He was married and had three children. John Mullitt, a Belleville resident, was killed by falling slate while loading a car on September 28, 1914. He was married and had three children. Frank DeLorme, a 39-year-old trip rider from Caseyville, died on March 5, 1915. He had been riding in the front of a series of empty cars when he fell out; four cars passed over top of him. William Bodman, a 53-year-old Belleville resident, was killed on October 27, 1915 by falling coal. John Charlwood, a 27-year-old Belleville resident, was killed on December 29, 1915 by falling slate. Frank Galbreath, a 33-year-old Belleville resident, was killed by falling slate on April 18, 1916. He was married and had five children. Henry Brod, a 45-year-old O'Fallon resident, was killed by falling clod on June 13, 1917. He was married. Frank Croch, a 40-year-old timberman from French Village, was killed by falling slate on January 24, 1918 while taking props out of an abandoned room. He was married and had one child. J William F. Albrecht, a 43-year-old resident of Collinsville, was killed on October 22, 1921 by flying coal from an exploded charge. He was married and had one child. Karadji, a 35-year-old East St. Louis resident, was killed by falling slate on January 18, 1924. Henry Meyer, a 38-year-old machine man from Belleville, died when falling coal broke his neck on November 4, 1925. He was single, but left a dependent mother. James Lebruska, a 56-year-old East St. Louis resident, was killed by a falling clod on February 26, 1927. He was married and had five children. Matthew Falcetti, a 50-year-old Belleville resident, was killed by falling slate on February 7, 1928. George Hacich, a 37-year-old East St. Louis resident, was killed on November 23, 1928 by falling coal.