William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-12-01 / 12. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán Fire in the hole They made the way for us—now it is up to us to keep the memory of their sacrifce alive THE WORST MINE EXPLOSIONS IN all American mining history happened 96 years ago in 1907. They called it at the time "The Dreadful Month" that December, as five separate mine explosions took 702 lives. Darr was one of the five. Darr Mine was owned by Pittsburgh Coal Company and employed nearly 500 men, mostly on day shift. Half of the workers were immigrants from eastern and central Europe. The mine was closed for two days prior to Dec. 19 for observations of the St. Nicholas Day holiday, and many workers had taken an extra day off. The explosion killed 239 men and boys, leaving 542 peopleincluding 130 wives, 300 children and 112 parents-without a source of income. Among those killed were nearly 100 Hungarian immigrants. Two monuments commemorate the Darr tragedy. One is at the Olive Branch Cemetery in Van Meter, Pa.; the other stands at St. Emory's old cemetery. Indeed, a large section of the St. Emory cemetery is taken up by the graves of the miners who lost their lives in the explosion. The old grave yard is enveloped within a section of Chestnut Hill Cemetery, located on the south side of Connellsville, Pa. The cemetery was maintained by St. Emory Hungarian Roman Catholic Church, which opened in 1906 and was closed by the Bishop of Greensburg, Pa., in 1970, against the will of the parishioners. All church records and the responsibility for the cemetery were handed over to Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Connellsville. The cemetery became neglected. Immaculate Conception failed to maintain the property. Arm Toth of Bobtown, Pa., who is truly a sister to the miners, has been instrumental in cleaning up the graveyard. The William Penn Association has also played a part in trying to preserve this piece of our Hungarian American history. Our Association's interest and generosity reflect our shared feeling of brotherhood and respect for our Verhovay coal miners. The title of this column, "Fire in the Hole," comes from coal mining terminology. The miners used a fivefoot hand auger to drill a hole into the coal, filled the hole with dynamite, sealed the hole with mud or dirt, lit the fuse and yelled "fire in the hole" as they ran for cover. If monuments to the past, such as those at St. Emory's cemetery and the Olive Branch Cemetery, can be preserved, then the story of our ancestors' sacrifice will remain alive, Each generation will be able to pass that story on to the next, remembering those who made the way for us. M THAT’S A QUESTION YOU MAY not have asked yourself very often, if ever. But, it’s one you should ask yourself at least once a year. We can’t stress enough the importance of regularly checking the beneficiaries listed on your life insurance policies. It is the only way to ensure that the people you want to receive the benefits of your life insurance are the ones who will receive it Think about the changes that have occurred in your life since you purchased your life insurance. Getting married, having children, losing a loved one, getting divorced, getting remarried-all these life changes affect your responsibilities. Do the beneficiaries currently listed on your life insurance policies reflect such changes? If you think you need to update the beneficiaries listed on your policies—either primary or secondary beneficiaries-contact your WPA representative. Or, call our Home Office toll-free at 1-800-848-7366. Willi» Pen Life, December 2003 3
