- Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 November 2014 03:15
Rostraver Township Historical Society has acquired a very large poster regarding the Coal Miner U.S. Postage Stamp, subsequently issued in August 2013. Rep. Ted Harhai of the 58th district of PA was instrumental in securing a Coal Miner U.S. Postage Stamp. The poster was produced by The Pennsylvania House of Representatives and donated by Mary Lou Magiske, a Darr Mine Disaster researcher.
The disaster occurred in Van Meter, PA, on December 19, 1907. It is located in Rostraver Township. There were 239 men and boys killed, and one survivor, according to the Pittsburg Coal Co. and testified to by extant relatives. The victims were buried in various local cemeteries and at least one in an out-of-state cemetery, but 71 of them are in a common grave in Olive Branch Cemetery, on Route 981 South, heading towards Smithton, PA. Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria, provided the very large stone monument in 1909. At this point in time, Darr Mine still remains the worst Pennsylvania coal mining disaster.
The Rostraver Township Historical Society participated in the 100th Anniversary Commemoration of the disaster. This event brought hundreds of people to Rostraver Township; many photos can be seen on the following web site: http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_DarrMine.htm
This site contains names of the 239 victims. Due to so many foreigners being involved, many of their names recorded on the coal mine owner's roster of employees have been corrected, reflecting the spelling of both given and surnames to more closely match their actual foreign spellings. Recognizing the more accurate church record's spellings was another reason for the corrections.
