Terrence A Welty (1894 - 1935)

Ancestors

Biography

Terrence was born in 1894. He was killed in a mine fire in 1935. Son of Charles Frederick Welty and Elizabeth Ann Murphy.

Fairmont, W. Va., May 12 (AP) -- Five men were burned to death by steam and six others injured, one of the critically, in a spectacular mine shaft fire that shot flames 500 feet into the air at the Bethlehem Mine corporation's No. 41 shaft at nearby Barracksville [sic] early today. The mine was idle today, but one pumper was operating in the 300-foot shaft to free it of water. The fire broke out about midnight, and a group of men were sent into the pit to battle the flames. An electric fan was shut off, and the air current in the shaft forced the flames almost 500 feet into the air, investigators said. The group of men, working with hose to extinguish the flames, were burned by hot steam from the streams of water forced back upon them as the walls of the shaft collapsed.

Died in Coal Mining Explosion

Obituary

MINE SHAFT FIRE KILLS FIVE MEN.

FLAMES SHOOT 500 FEET IN AIR IN WEST VIRGINIA CONFLAGRATION.

Fairmont, W. Va., May 12 (AP) -- Five men were burned to death by steam and six others injured, one of the critically, in a spectacular mine shaft fire that shot flames 500 feet into the air at the Bethlehem Mine corporation's No. 41 shaft at nearby Barracksville [sic] early today.

The mine was idle today, but one pumper was operating in the 300-foot shaft to free it of water.

The fire broke out about midnight, and a group of men were sent into the pit to battle the flames.

An electric fan was shut off, and the air current in the shaft forced the flames almost 500 feet into the air, investigators said. The group of men, working with hose to extinguish the flames, were burned by hot steam from the streams of water forced back upon them as the walls of the shaft collapsed.

The dead are:

Llewellyn A Howells, 50, a mine inspector

Terrence A Welty, 40, a section boss.

David W Jones, 28, assistant safety director.

Harry Lee West, 30, a timberman.

Jay B Wells , 50, pumper.

Hallie C Williams (1904-1935), 32, motorman

All leave families. They died shortly after reaching a hospital. HOWELL lived for several hours after he was taken to the hospital.

Salt Lake Tribune Utah 1935-05-13

Sources

• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M34B-6BL : 13 January 2022), Terrance Welty in entry for Charles Welty, 1900.
• "West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FY8P-B4N : 11 February 2018), Terrance A Welty and Bernice Dusch, 1917; citing Marion, West Virginia, United States, , county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 835,634.
• "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F11W-JMY : 10 March 2018), Terrance A. Welty, 12 May 1935; citing Marion, West Virginia, County Records, 7046, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 1,953,905.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28197247/terrence-a-welty : accessed 19 June 2022), memorial page for Terrence A. Welty (29 Dec 1894–12 May 1935), Find a Grave Memorial ID 28197247, citing Holy Cross Cemetery, Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Frank Pazdric (contributor 46917438) .