NEW RIVER GORGE Historic Resource Study Kay Moor

June 2, 1904 — Frank Decatur, a young white miner employed in the Kay Moor mines was killed by a fall of slate last Thursday.

August 25, 1904 — The first [?] miner to be killed by a fall of slate in the Kay Moor mines met his death Wednesday Aug. 17. Sam Cheese one of the oldest and most experienced miners along the river was the victim. It was his first day in the mine and he had not worked more than half an hour before he was caught by the slate.

January 24, 1907 — Tonney Harris, colored, a miner employed at Kaymoor no. 1 mine was run over by a train Monday and both legs crushed off. He died enroute to the Mckendree hospital.

April 6, 1911 — Tuesday afternoon about four o'clock in the afternoon a Russian miner, working at Kaymoor No. 1, was instantly killed by coming in contact with a live wire as he was passing a parting on his way out of the mine, after having completed his day's work. . . . The name of the Russian could not be ascertained at the office of the company, since he has been working on another's check, and for that reason no record of his employment had been kept.

January 12, 1911 — James Ash, American, 24, 10 years experience, killed by fall of slate, left wife and two children.

January 18, 1912 — Pat Ash, a miner working at Kaymoor No. 1, was crushed to death last Thursday, by the fall of slate. He was loading coal when caught.

October 24, 1913 — Amos Howell, Miner, 18, American, Kaymoor No. 1 Mine, . . . riding down the hill on a car; the rope parted allowing the car to descend and run over a cliff, the above person receiving such injuries that caused death in two hours.

October 24, 1913 — Elmer Butler, Miner, 25, American, Kaymoor Mine No. 1, . . . riding down the hill with Amos Howell; the rope parted allowing the car to descend and run over a cliff causing instant death.

July 1, 1915 — H.M. Tabor, a young carpenter . . . at work on the Kaymoor incline, was killed Tuesday morning when a heavy iron wheel rolled down the hillside and struck him in the head.

December 5, 1918 — The death of Charles Raines, 35, . . . was reported to the office of the workmen's compensation department. He was killed in an accident at the tipple at the mines.

June 9, 1920 — Chas. Gibson, Negro, 26, 8 years experience, killed by fall of slate leaving a wife and child.

March 23, 1922 — Louis Rombaut, aged 22, son of S. Rombaut, of Gatewood, was killed at Kaymoor No. 1 mine Friday night. He was running a coal cutting machine into a room preparatory to making a cut when in some unknown manner the machine jammed him against the roof crushing his skull and killing him instantly. [The West Virginia annual report stated the married Rombaut was a motorman, had 10 years experience, and was killed by a fall of slate.]

November 30, 1923 — William Wood, Negro, 50, several years experience, laborer, was caught by a coal cutting machine, leaving a child.

September 11, 1929 — Glenn Twyman, aged 18, was electrocuted Tuesday at the electric power sub-station of the Kaymoor mine at Garten.

June 4, 1930 — Tom Ohlinger, single, about 25 years, and popular employee of the N.R. & P. Coal company, met tragic death in Kaymoor mine Saturday morning when he was caught under a fall of slate. It was estimated that there was about three tons fell on him killing him instantly.

February 11, 1931 — Henry Price, colored brakeman in Kaymoor mine, was electrocuted Tuesday when he accidently came in contact with a live wire.

June 6, 1934 — Lewis C. Pennington, 23, of Kaymoor, met almost instant death on Monday morning at 9:30 when his head was crushed between a mine car and the rib.

July 11, 1935 — Returning to work a few minutes before, after a week's absence because of illness, A.L. (Uncle Andy) Davis, aged 69 years, employed at Kaymoor for the past 35 years, and known to practically everyone throughout this section, met almost instant death Tuesday afternoon about 3:30, when he fell from a railroad car at the Kaymoor tipple.

January 23, 1936 — Odie Godfrey, 23, colored, brakeman in the Kaymoor mine, was fatally injured Tuesday night when he was caught and rolled between a car and the rib. He died before reaching a hospital.

January 14, 1938 — Mason Sexton, 45, well known local man employed in the mine at Kaymoor, was killed there about noontime on Wednesday when caught between a mine car and the coal rib, and apparently suffocated.

July 19, 1940 — Herbert Mimms, 33, Negro, was electrocuted at the Kaymoor mine this morning about 10:30, when a trolley pole slipped off the line, and in replacing it his shoulder touched the wire. Death was instantaneous.

Sources: Various articles in Fayette Journal, Fayette Tribune, and West Virginia annual reports of the Department of Mines. This list should not be considered as complete.