Castle Gate Mine Disaster

On the morning of March 8, 1924, coal dust left undampened from the previous shift ignited in the Number Two mine, and three explosions killed every one of the 171 men working underground. A rescuer, George Wilson, died soon after when he lifted his breathing mask in the poisoned air. The dead were mostly immigrants — Greeks, Italians, Welsh, Japanese, English — the youngest fifteen, the oldest seventy-three. They left more than four hundred widows and children. It was the second-worst mine disaster in Utah's history, and the coal towns never quite stopped grieving it.

What the plaque says

At 8:30 a.m., March 8, 1924, an explosion occurred in the Castle Gate No. 2 Mine, located about one half mile to the southeast of this site, instantly killing 171 miners. Rescue teams were rushed to Castle Gate from the surrounding mines. Wearing oxygen breathing apparatus, the crews initially made explorations in the main haulage road, but no bodies were found. Repairs were started on the caved haulage road portal, this being necessary on account of gas issuing from this point. During one of these exploration trips, George Wilson, age 29, married, Captain of the Sandardville No. 1 Rescue Team was killed by inhalation of carbon monoxide, caused by the removal of his nose clip on the breathing apparatus. The majority of the miners killed were immigrants. Fifty-seven of the miners were single, 115 were married. They left 417 dependents, including 241 children and 25 expectant mothers. Nearly all of the miners were buried in the Price City Cemetery. This historical marker was dedicated on October 3, 1987 in memory of the 172 courageous miners killed in this disaster and to their families.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Prehistoric Museum at USU Eastern — 9.7 mi
  A small-town museum punching way above its weight in dinosaur science
• Price — 9.7 mi
  A gritty coal mining town with a surprisingly excellent dinosaur museum
• Skyline Drive — 31 mi
  A hundred miles of dirt along the 10,000-foot crest of the Wasatch Plateau

More markers nearby

• Utah's Coal Industry — steps away
• Pleasant Valley Coal Company — steps away
• Geneva/Horse Canyon Mine Monument — 3.5 mi
• Francis M. Ewell — 4.2 mi