Diorama: "Coal Mine Explosion"

The tragic occurrence of more than 80 mine explosions in five years led to the creation of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines in 1910. Originally charged with ensuring safer mining practices and equipment, the Bureau's mission soon expanded to promoting the safer and more efficient use of minerals. Therefore, when the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum opened to the public in 1938, an alcove dedicated to the Bureau's history included this diorama.

The diorama depicts a real-life incident that took place on March 21, 1929, at the Kinloch Mine in Parnassus, Pennsylvania. A piece of machinery sparked and caused an explosion, killing 52 coal miners and entombing more than 200. The miners were eventually rescued via an unused entry five miles from the main shaft. Striving for detail and authenticity in re-creating the scene for the diorama, the model makers secured press photographs of the accident site, researched the equipment that would have been used, and even obtained a fabric sample from one of the actual police officer’s uniforms.

In the foreground of the diorama, workers attempt to move debris and locate survivors. The twisted structural wreckage of the tipple is visible at the left. Overlooking the scene from a railing are a grouping of 11 men, women and children, some obviously distraught. A uniformed official keeps the crowd from descending into the disaster area, while in the background, passengers disembark from a train marked "BUREAU OF MINES" to help with the recovery effort.