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Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster
A gripping account of the worst coal mine fire in US history—the 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster that claimed the lives of 259 men. "Drawing on diaries, letters, written accounts of survivors and testimony from the coroner's inquest...Tintori's engaging prose keeps readers on the edge" ( Publishers Weekly ).
Inspired by a refrain of her girlhood—"Your grandfather survived the Cherry Mine disaster"—Karen Tintori began a search for her family's role in the harrowing tragedy of 1909. She uncovered the stories of victims, survivors, widows, orphans, townspeople, firefighters, reporters, and mine owners, and wove them together to pen Trapped, a riveting account of the tragic day that would inspire America's first worker's compensation laws and hasten much-needed child labor reform.
On a Saturday morning in November of 1909, four hundred and eighty men went down into the mines as they had countless times before. But a fire erupted in the mineshaft that day and soon burned out of control. By nightfall, more than half the men would either be dead or trapped as officials sealed the mine in an attempt to contain the blaze. Miraculously, twenty men would emerge one week later, but not before the Cherry Mine disaster went down in history as the worst ever coal mine fire in the US—and not before all the treachery and heroism of mankind were revealed.
Inspired by a refrain of her girlhood—"Your grandfather survived the Cherry Mine disaster"—Karen Tintori began a search for her family's role in the harrowing tragedy of 1909. She uncovered the stories of victims, survivors, widows, orphans, townspeople, firefighters, reporters, and mine owners, and wove them together to pen Trapped, a riveting account of the tragic day that would inspire America's first worker's compensation laws and hasten much-needed child labor reform.
On a Saturday morning in November of 1909, four hundred and eighty men went down into the mines as they had countless times before. But a fire erupted in the mineshaft that day and soon burned out of control. By nightfall, more than half the men would either be dead or trapped as officials sealed the mine in an attempt to contain the blaze. Miraculously, twenty men would emerge one week later, but not before the Cherry Mine disaster went down in history as the worst ever coal mine fire in the US—and not before all the treachery and heroism of mankind were revealed.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 17, 2024
This was a riveting story of the catastrophic fire in the Cherry Mine in Illinois in late 1909. In the end, I was unclear how many miners had died, but there were 160 widows with 470 children, and many single miners who also died during the disaster. We should never forget how terribly dangerous coal mining is!
March 18, 2014
Maybe it's that I played many years of t-ball and baseball in the shadow of Cherry's slag pile. Maybe it's that I had grown up hearing about the Cherry Mine Disaster without actually listening. Maybe it's that the modern day Illinois Valley is so familiar, so mundane, that it tends to breed contempt for anything local. But whatever the reason, I was skeptical, only picking up the book because I didn't have much else to read.
But what the author did in this book was incredible. I found myself being more horrified, more disturbed, and more absorbed by a book than I have in awhile. Constrained by historical fact as she was, Tintori makes you feel the chaotic desperation of miners fleeing the swelling inferno, the abiding courage of the rescuers, the horror of often visceral deaths, the disbelief and terror of wives and mothers hysterically seeking loved ones. And she makes you feel the battle fought by those entombed, which was as much against despair as it was against death.
Perhaps it's my relatively new fatherhood, but what hit me the hardest was the torture endured by family. Fathers lost sons and sons stayed behind to die in the arms of their fathers. Wives watched in horror as their husbands descended into hell in the hope of rescuing at least one man. Some families found the kind of jubilation that few will ever experience in life while others, many others, found nightmare.
But what the author did in this book was incredible. I found myself being more horrified, more disturbed, and more absorbed by a book than I have in awhile. Constrained by historical fact as she was, Tintori makes you feel the chaotic desperation of miners fleeing the swelling inferno, the abiding courage of the rescuers, the horror of often visceral deaths, the disbelief and terror of wives and mothers hysterically seeking loved ones. And she makes you feel the battle fought by those entombed, which was as much against despair as it was against death.
Perhaps it's my relatively new fatherhood, but what hit me the hardest was the torture endured by family. Fathers lost sons and sons stayed behind to die in the arms of their fathers. Wives watched in horror as their husbands descended into hell in the hope of rescuing at least one man. Some families found the kind of jubilation that few will ever experience in life while others, many others, found nightmare.
August 23, 2010
Upon spending a weekend at my partner's house and going through the routine of meeting her family, she showed me a display board that she had created during high school about the 1909 Cherry Mine disaster. While showing me the display board, she mentioned various references she had used and mentioned that she had two copies of Trapped Illinois, one signed by Karen Tintori and one that was unsigned. Being the history and disaster geek that I am (Chernobyl and Military History being major points of interest), I asked if I could borrow the unsigned copy.
About two weeks ago, when my car was in the shop to have its radiator fixed, I took the train to and from work. The 2.5 hour commute across two train lines afforded me the perfect opportunity to read it. So,I took it with me. Since it was a new book and I'm a stickler for detail, I took my time with it and enjoyed it.
Since the book is based upon interviews and journals written both by survivors and those who perished during the coal mine fire, it offers incredible detail into the minds and feelings of the men who were trapped in the mine, men who attempted rescues, and the women and children who lost male relatives. Perhaps it's my ability to involve myself completely and "get lost" in a book that I'm reading, but in parts of the book, I felt as if I was in the coal mine with the survivors, experiencing the hyperfocus of senses dulled by restriction.
For anyone who enjoys reading about the little-known parts of history, this is a fantastic read. I enjoyed it and will likely pick up my own copy for my personal library. Otherwise, my partner may never see her copy again!
About two weeks ago, when my car was in the shop to have its radiator fixed, I took the train to and from work. The 2.5 hour commute across two train lines afforded me the perfect opportunity to read it. So,I took it with me. Since it was a new book and I'm a stickler for detail, I took my time with it and enjoyed it.
Since the book is based upon interviews and journals written both by survivors and those who perished during the coal mine fire, it offers incredible detail into the minds and feelings of the men who were trapped in the mine, men who attempted rescues, and the women and children who lost male relatives. Perhaps it's my ability to involve myself completely and "get lost" in a book that I'm reading, but in parts of the book, I felt as if I was in the coal mine with the survivors, experiencing the hyperfocus of senses dulled by restriction.
For anyone who enjoys reading about the little-known parts of history, this is a fantastic read. I enjoyed it and will likely pick up my own copy for my personal library. Otherwise, my partner may never see her copy again!
August 6, 2021
Gripping. A page turner. As a child and grandchild of Illinois coal miners, this was an emotional book for me. Well researched and well written, a heartbreaking and heroic story.
December 30, 2018
I give this book 5 stars because I had NO interest in mining history or stories about mines. But I read this book to try something new and am SO glad I did. Great book. Very well researched and written. This book brings life in a 1909 mining town to life. Gives you a clear perspective of the way these people and places functioned. A truly tragic event.. but one that deserves to not be forgotten. I'm truly happy that someone took the time to research and write about this event and the people involved. I think anyone that likes a well told story about true historical events would be very pleased.
June 22, 2012
I'm an absolute sucker for historical tragedies. Tintori's writing style and investigative summaries continued to draw me in to the mine. I couldn't resist putting the book down while during the 'trapped' time frame in hopes of survival for all those in the 3rd vein. The story is a scary reminder of how destructive mining is and was for the people employed, their families, and the environment.
June 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this and couldn't put it down for the first 3/4 ths of it. However, because the writer pieced together the actual written history (letters, inquests, etc.) nearly word for word into a narration of the events, it was choppy and redundant at times. I am from Princeton Illinois and know that area quite well, so it was very interesting to me to read. The details of the mine incident and what the miners went through was very real and detailed and I learned a lot from it. So, 5 stars for content, but 3 stars for writing, hence 4 stars.
April 12, 2010
I loved it because my Great-Nono (G-pa) was one of the survivors.
December 31, 2011
In the story titled “Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster” I feel the author’s purpose was to tell the story of a mining disaster that her grandfather survived. She gave the most accurate account of the mining story that she could by using newspapers, stories passed down from families, diaries, and official documents like legal correspondence and court transcripts. This is a historical non-fiction book that I really enjoyed.
The theme of the story made me feel the great tragedy that this town went through; the loss of life, not knowing how they died or if they were still alive, women scared about their future and how they would feed their family, all made me feel how they suffered.
This story was written with a great deal of description and I really love stories that are written like this. It just makes them a whole lot more interesting. A great example is on page 67 where the author describes “volunteers cringing at the smell of burnt flesh as they were getting the miners to the makeshift hospital”. I could really imagine myself being at the mine as the author describes the miners going back down the shaft on page 45 when she wrote “all the way down the dark, smoky passageway to the hoisting shaft”.
Even though this was a very sad book I thought that it was very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history or has an interest in mining.
The theme of the story made me feel the great tragedy that this town went through; the loss of life, not knowing how they died or if they were still alive, women scared about their future and how they would feed their family, all made me feel how they suffered.
This story was written with a great deal of description and I really love stories that are written like this. It just makes them a whole lot more interesting. A great example is on page 67 where the author describes “volunteers cringing at the smell of burnt flesh as they were getting the miners to the makeshift hospital”. I could really imagine myself being at the mine as the author describes the miners going back down the shaft on page 45 when she wrote “all the way down the dark, smoky passageway to the hoisting shaft”.
Even though this was a very sad book I thought that it was very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history or has an interest in mining.
November 1, 2011
This is a rather interesting book that recounts a mine disaster in the early years of the 20th century when unions were still trying to get legislatures to pass laws protecting workers, women and children. "Trapped" is specifically about the mine disaster and only touches upon its effect on the country's laws. One must bear in mind that numerous industrial accidents took place in a short time span. The Triangle shirtwaist factory disaster in 1911; the Big Burn, a large forest fire in the west in 1910;The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917; the Ludlow Massacre of 1914; to name but a few. No single one can be said to have caused laws and regulations to be passed. Trapped is a book about one of those disasters, but it also enhances the arguments against de-regulation. One interesting passage notes that the mine was wholly owned by the railroad but was a separate company so the railroad could not be touched for damages. A lot of companies are doing that to this day especially among shipping companies. There are lessons to be learned from this book and labor history in general.
August 27, 2011
This was one of the most interesting and compelling books I have ever read. I am a history buff, so this fit right in my likes; however, I was unsure if a book about a mine disaster that happened so long ago could be interesting. this book enthralled me and I could not stop reading it! An ancestor of the author was involved in this disaster and she made the conversations and the drama almost come alive out of the pages! Very descriptive, I felt like I was there. MUST READ.
January 2, 2022
I literally read this in one sitting. Beautifully written and painstakingly researched.
April 21, 2024
Illinois history. Sad for so many miners and their families. Amazing that one group could keep each other hopeful even when it looked so hopeless.
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September 29, 2016Karen Tintori is the author of the book: Trapped The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster. I believe that Karen Tintori created this book to let readers understand the hardships that miners had to go through and how difficult it can be when working in a mine. I believe she also wrote this book to let people know the struggles of a mining family and what these specific miners went through with a fire that killed many. The conflict of the story begins when a fire breaks out in the mine and many miners are left trapped or dead due to the smoke and fire.
The theme of this book is that you should always use your history to make todays world a better and safer place, and that you should never take things for granted. A great quote to help understand this theme is: "Like he did every morning, Italian native Antenore Quartaroli had kissed his wife, Erminia, and their six-month-old son and headed out with a smile on his face to meet his friend and partner, Francesco Zanarini, for the short walk to work" (68). This quote helps show that things might seem normal but you never know what might happen over the course of a couple hours.
The style of this book is narrative. The author is writing about something that affected her family and her life. An example that demonstrates this style is: "I never knew my grandpa Tintori, but I grew up in Detroit in his home, a two-flat house heated by radiators that were steamed by coal" (x). Karen is sharing a little bit about herself and her family in this quote. Another quote that is an example of this is: ""Your grandpa survived the Cherry mine disaster"" (XI). The author is telling us that she was informed by one of her family members that her grandpa was one of the few people to survive the disaster.
I enjoyed reading the book: Trapped The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster. This book is more challenging than other books, but I like the challenge. I usually do not enjoy non-fiction books, but this one interested me. I enjoyed reading about something that happen not very far from me and how it affected the lives of so many people around them. This book is a good read, but I would only suggest it to people who enjoy history or who like to read more challenging books.
The theme of this book is that you should always use your history to make todays world a better and safer place, and that you should never take things for granted. A great quote to help understand this theme is: "Like he did every morning, Italian native Antenore Quartaroli had kissed his wife, Erminia, and their six-month-old son and headed out with a smile on his face to meet his friend and partner, Francesco Zanarini, for the short walk to work" (68). This quote helps show that things might seem normal but you never know what might happen over the course of a couple hours.
The style of this book is narrative. The author is writing about something that affected her family and her life. An example that demonstrates this style is: "I never knew my grandpa Tintori, but I grew up in Detroit in his home, a two-flat house heated by radiators that were steamed by coal" (x). Karen is sharing a little bit about herself and her family in this quote. Another quote that is an example of this is: ""Your grandpa survived the Cherry mine disaster"" (XI). The author is telling us that she was informed by one of her family members that her grandpa was one of the few people to survive the disaster.
I enjoyed reading the book: Trapped The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster. This book is more challenging than other books, but I like the challenge. I usually do not enjoy non-fiction books, but this one interested me. I enjoyed reading about something that happen not very far from me and how it affected the lives of so many people around them. This book is a good read, but I would only suggest it to people who enjoy history or who like to read more challenging books.
May 30, 2012
A captivating story, but the way it's written is confusing at times, and some ends left untied. The author stated she wanted to present the story as a matter of fact, but I found there were many times where one person and their ordeal was favored over others. Also I felt that biased opinions sometimes over shadowed some of the facts previously mentioned in the story. A map of the mines would have helped, as would a key to the sketch included in the back of the book. Keeping the various names and titles straight was tricky, and trying to visualize the tunnels of the mine gave me a headache. Some aspects were detailed, and others not enough. Overall, I became intrigued by the story and visited the website of the Cherry Mine to learn more.
This is a good book, but I feel it could have been written in a more clear and concise manner.
This is a good book, but I feel it could have been written in a more clear and concise manner.
September 16, 2016
I have read two books by this author this week. She has done an excellent job taking an obscure statement from her elderly relatives referencing events in the early 1900s and researching them to the fullest extent.
The mining industry in the early 20th century did not have the protections that were in place in European mines, and Tintori shows not only what happened in the fire and ensuing disaster, but the results of the disaster in terms of new regulations and labor laws.
She treats a difficult subject with class, and keeps vulgarities out of her dialogue. I would happily share this book with even a middle schooler, if I was sure they could handle the difficulty of dealing with burned corpses and the death of so many animals down in the mine. Excellent book!
The mining industry in the early 20th century did not have the protections that were in place in European mines, and Tintori shows not only what happened in the fire and ensuing disaster, but the results of the disaster in terms of new regulations and labor laws.
She treats a difficult subject with class, and keeps vulgarities out of her dialogue. I would happily share this book with even a middle schooler, if I was sure they could handle the difficulty of dealing with burned corpses and the death of so many animals down in the mine. Excellent book!
April 9, 2010
Very interesting story, though not particularly well-written. I learned a lot about mine disasters, which seems relevant given the news of the week from West Virginia. Good slice of Illinois history.
July 11, 2008
Read this one to my father in law. Claustrophic for the first 200 chapters then a little dull near the end.
December 12, 2012
I wondered how and why our great uncle, Elizio Casolari, died in the Cherry mine disaster and now I know! Terrifying!
February 10, 2024
Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster by Karen Tinori
An emotioannly charged thought provoking, tragic story of one of the worst Coal Mine Disasters in the United States.
Well researched, with indepth details from the few surviors, families of those lost, public records and acrchives. Photos and testimonies from (those) involved added to this compelling story.
Overall I found Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster informative and heartbreaking. I feel this books should be read by those in the (Illinois) area as well as nation wide.
This is a story that should not be forgotten, in honor of those who lost their lives and the families it affected. It left an imprint in my heart and one that will last forever.
An emotioannly charged thought provoking, tragic story of one of the worst Coal Mine Disasters in the United States.
Well researched, with indepth details from the few surviors, families of those lost, public records and acrchives. Photos and testimonies from (those) involved added to this compelling story.
Overall I found Trapped: The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster informative and heartbreaking. I feel this books should be read by those in the (Illinois) area as well as nation wide.
This is a story that should not be forgotten, in honor of those who lost their lives and the families it affected. It left an imprint in my heart and one that will last forever.
April 22, 2023
I grew up 13 miles from from where the Cherry Mine Disaster occurred. I’d learned some information from classmates who presented projects on the topic for school history fairs but hadn’t head the whole story until I read this book. This story of heartbreak and heroism of a community (and the nation’s) quest to save hundreds of miners trapped underground in the pre OSHA industrial age was eye-opening. This story reads like a novel and take the reader though the horrors of the ordeal with no holds barred. It depicted the very best and the very worst of humanity - the selfless heroes that lost their lives trying to save friends and neighbors and the thousands of gawkers that came to watch like it was a spectator sport and capitalize on the tragedy of others.
January 26, 2020
Such a heart-stopping story and it is all true. It was truly a tradegy in so many ways. Miners that were trapped in the earth and no way to reach them. Reading the account makes you realize that no one should have died in that mine but so many mistakes were made it was inevitable that some miners would not get out. It is was hard for me to put the book down, I read it in three days satying up late into the night to finish it.
December 25, 2020
This author did a very good job telling about this mine disaster. She had a relative who worked at the mine at the time of the disaster. I was interested as we used to live in Illinois and have visited Cherry. My husband had a relative who worked at the Cherry Mine when it reopened after the disaster. I found this interesting and appalling. It was not handled well during and after the disaster.
December 17, 2017
Karen Tintori did a wonderful job synthesizing a complicated event into a readable narrative. Kudos!
January 14, 2022
Excellent history recap of what happened in the Cherry, Illinois mine disaster. Vivid descriptions of the life of a coal miner and their families.
January 26, 2023
Local interest.
July 28, 2017
The Cherry Mine disaster happened only about 65 miles from where I live, and I had never heard of it. It occurred many decades before I was born, but I am still surprised that I grew up being unaware of this tragedy.
Karen Tintori did an excellent job of digging up the details of this event. A very readable and accurate book.
Later, I drove through Cherry, saw the tailing pile where the mine had operated, and visited the cemetery where many of the victims were buried. It was a sobering experience.
Karen Tintori did an excellent job of digging up the details of this event. A very readable and accurate book.
Later, I drove through Cherry, saw the tailing pile where the mine had operated, and visited the cemetery where many of the victims were buried. It was a sobering experience.
March 4, 2020
Mine disaster.
History of the Cherry Illinois mine disaster in 1909. My great grandmothers brother was killed in this disaster. A good read to learn about my family and what they went through.
History of the Cherry Illinois mine disaster in 1909. My great grandmothers brother was killed in this disaster. A good read to learn about my family and what they went through.
July 24, 2011
Very interesting book on the disaster at Cherry Mine. Sorry I'm not more descriptive. :)
May 14, 2013
Simply written. A glimpse back in time to that terrible fire!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews