Sheppton Mine Disaster and Rescue

Sheppton Mine Disaster and Rescue is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Schuylkill County, dedicated 2015.

Schoolhouse Rd.

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On August 27, 1963, rescuers used a new technique to drill a borehole that successfully freed two coal miners trapped for nearly 2 weeks by a shaft cave-in 320 feet below ground. One miner was lost, and the incident gained national attention and prompted more stringent safety regulations for small independent mines. The borehole technique has been widely used for mine rescues worldwide, notably at Quecreek (2002) and Chile (2010).

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1823 · Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1836 · Anthracite Coal Field, Pottsville, Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1871 · Plate F. East Central Pennsylvania. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1872 · Schuylkill County. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1949 · Conyngham, Pennsylvania (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

Plate F. East Central Pennsylvania, 1871, covering the location of Sheppton Mine Disaster and Rescue, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Plate F. East Central Pennsylvania, 1871, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

Sheppton Mine Disaster and Rescue

Historical maps covering this location

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