"How I Wish To Be With You": Trapped Miner's Letter To Wife In 1902 Goes Viral
NDTV
The Fraterville tragedy, which killed 216 men, raised significant concerns about mining safety practices, prompting calls for regulatory reforms to protect miners.
A farewell letter written by a miner trapped in one of the worst mining disasters in US history in 1902 went viral on the internet recently. The letter is signed by a man named Jacob Vowell, who wrote his final words to his wife, Ellen in the face of imminent death.
On May 19, 1902, a coal dust explosion in Fraterville in the state of Tennessee killed 190 miners instantly. The remaining 26 tried to seek shelter in a deeper passage but they died of asphyxiation later. Mr Vowell was one of the trapped miners who wrote a final message to their loved ones before his death, either in letters or on the passage walls.
The letter begins with him bidding a poignant goodbye to his wife and children. He urges her to take care of their children in the best way possible and to remember him till the very end.
