Today is the 61st anniversary of a bleak day in coal mining history.
March 8, 1960 a fire broke out during the early hours of day shift at the Holden 22 Mine. The fire trapped 20 men underground. Two of those men managed to escape through a ventilation shaft. The remaining eighteen men died underground from carbon monoxide asphyxiation.
The tragedy resulted in 16 widows and 72 children without fathers.
A memorial to the 18 men killed that day sets at the top 22 Mountain at the Logan-Mingo County border. A monument with the names of the men killed, a picnic shelter and a story board detailing the history of the mine and disaster are included with the 22 Mountain memorial.