Underground Fire: Hope, Sacrifice, and Courage in the Cherry Mine Disaster
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Inspired by Karen Tintori's adult nonfiction novel Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster, as detailed in an end note, this keen account from Walker (Deadly Aim) chronicles the 1909 Cherry, Ill., coal mine incident via straightforward text. On Nov. 13, 1909, 480 men began their day shift at Cherry Mine, which opened in 1905. "Everything about the new mine sounded good to men seeking work," including the purportedly fireproof brick buildings, electric light bulbs, and guaranteed year-round employment for 700 miners, a previously unheard of statistic. But after a fire breaks out and the only escape ladder is destroyed following an attempt to douse the flames, the miners are trapped underground, resulting in 259 deaths before anyone can be rescued. Using clear and concise language, Walker lays out the mine's structure, the workers' day-to-day duties, and how the fire spread. A heavy focus on Cherry's citizens—who were largely European immigrants—adeptly foregrounds the tragedy's victims as well as the people who came together to uplift the devastated community. B&w photographs featured throughout add depth to this critical, accessible telling of one of the worst coal mine disasters in U.S. history. Ages 10–14.
