The Franklin colliery was located near the southeastern boundary of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It was started by the Lehigh Valley Coal Company of Wilkes-Barre. The colliery was opened about 1850 by the Franklin Mining Company. The Lehigh Valley Coal Company acquired the property in 1891 and it continued active operations until 1931. The Franklin Coal Mining Company, a subsidiary of the Pagnotti Coal Interests, Incorporated, secured a lease on the property in 1941 and operated the mine until the lease Was canceled on February 16, 1945, at which time operation was and later taken over by Pagnotti Enterprises of West Pittston, Pennsylvania and operated until 1964. Towards the end of operation, Coal was not processed on site. Run-of-mine coal was loaded into railroad cars and hauled by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to another colliery for processing.
A double explosion of methane occurred in the Ross vein workings in the No. 9 slope section of the Franklin colliery at approximately 11:10 a.m. Thursday, December 11, 1947. An interval of about a minute elapsed between the two ignitions. Of the nine men in the immediate explosion area, five were killed instantly, three died later in the hospital, and. One escaped uninjured. Eleven workers in nearby Ross vein workings, where the explosions were felt, escaped uninjured. Evidence indicates that the explosion was caused by the liberation of a large quantity of methane from the face of a chamber following a rush of coal. It is believed that the methane was ignited by open-type electrical equipment. The mine is accessed by three slopes and an air shaft. The slopes follow the pitches of the veins, and the shaft is 390 feet deep. Although the openings are outside the city limits, the No 9 slope has been extended, and the underground workings in the affected area are under the city.
Photos of the colliery and main slope remains in the 1990s, thanks to Mike Sable.
The following is a short story, accompanied by amazing photos, from our friend Jerry Mikielski Sr, recounting his youth adventures in coal country.
“As our interests grew to explore local coal mines we ventured out of the Mayflower area. We walked for miles looking for other abandoned mines. One place was across route 309 at the end of Blackman Street. This was Franklin Colliery. What we found was an active operating drift called No.-4 Tunnel. It was Sunday and the mine was not working. The portal had a wooden door to lock but it was wide open. We returned with our mine lamps and walked right in. It was amazing to explore without seeing any caved tunnels. One tunnel had several mine cars with explosives. A short distance behind these cars the area looked abandoned especially since it appeared and smelled like the miners men’s room. Exploring other tunnels we came across two inside slopes heading into the valley away from the mountain where the coal veins outcropped. These slopes were very steep. We went down the one a couple hundred feet when we saw a sign for a second opening. Always looking for another way out we followed it up until it opened into an old stripping pit. Over time we would come back on Sundays to explore more until one time we found the portal wooden door locked. That is when we started using the second opening to access the mine. The attached pictures are from outside and inside the Franklin mine.”
Picture #41 is the No.- 4 tunnel portal.
Picture #42 is more to the right of the portal, #41 and #42 overlap.
Picture #43 is of Jack, me and another explorer named Leon exiting the mine with some loot. Leon was another classmate who lived in Ashley near the Huber Colliery. He showed us some other mines to explore in his area.
Picture #44 is me and Jack outside looking toward the portal.
Picture #45 is of a flat car loaded with timber a short distance from the entrance. Also in the background is a white colored office room.
Picture #46 is me pretending to operate a mine motor. The white structure to the left is the office.
Picture #47 is Jack and me inside the office. Notice the paper on the desk. After the picture was taken we read the note. It was probably written by a watchman stating he was there. It was dated that day we were in the mine and the time was about an hour earlier. We exited the mine right after we read it.
Picture #48 is Jack with his hand on a conveyor ready to load an empty car.
Picture #49 is Jack and me pretending we know how to handle blasting caps and dynamite.
Picture #50 is me in the driver’s seat of a mine motor and Jack hooking the power from the overhead bare solid copper wire.
Picture #51 is Leon on a different mine motor.
Picture #52 is Jack at the controls of an inside slope hoist.
Picture #53 is me supervising Leon who is working on an inside slope hoist.
Picture #54 is me at the controls of another inside slope hoist.
Picture #55 is of a conveyor belt.
Picture #56 is Jack and I at the top of an inside slope. Notice the pulley at the bottom of the picture to be used to haul cars up and down the slope.