Allegany County MD Archives Obituaries.....Joseph MILLS, 1941
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Shawn McGreevy shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com 

"Cumberland Times" Cumberland, Maryland 31 Mar 1941: "
Joseph Mills, 47, Dead When Found By Rescue Crew-John Murphy, Trapped for Hour, Escapes with 
Minor Injuries-Lonaconing, March 31-One man was killed and another injured this afternoon in 
a cave at Lonaconing Mine No, 2 of the Georges Creek Coal Company. Joseph Mills, 47, of 
Gilmore, was dead when a rescue crew extricated his body at 7:10 p.m., approximately five 
hours after the fall. John Murphy, 50, of Lonaconing, escaped with minor injuries, although 
trapped for more than an hour. Ironically, the men had finished their last car for the day, 
and the mine was scheduled to be shut down tomorrow for the annual Mitchell day celebration, 
with the prospect of an indefinite shutdown because of failure of operators and the United 
Mine Workers to reach a contract agreement in New York by midnight tonight. Accident a Mystery 
Murphy was unable to explain how the accident occurred. Interviewed at the home of relatives, 
where he was sipping black coffee, he appeared shaken by his experience and somewhat hesitant 
to talk about it. He suffered a bruised left leg and apparently minor injuries to his side. 
He had not yet been examined by a physician. "I don't know what happened," Murphy said. "There 
was no warning. All I remember was a deafening sound and a crashing of timber and crashing. I 
was knocked back into the heading near the breast. My light was extinguished." Bewildered at 
First "For a minute I was bewildered. Then, I attempted to crawl toward what I believed was 
the front of the fall. I had no light, but I did have three matches, which I lighted, hoping 
to see some hole where I might escape. I dug for awhile, then I saw the reflection of a light 
dimly shining through a small opening in the fall. I had previously called for help until I 
was hoarse. When I saw the light, I hollered as loud as I could." This time, Murphy said, his 
shout was answered, and a voice which later proved to be that of David Brown, said he was 
going for help. It was an hour then until the frantically digging rescue crew removed enough 
of the fall to pull Murphy out. Volunteers To Help Murphy, learning that Mills was still 
trapped, volunteered to stay and assist in freeing him, but was ordered to go home. Then, the 
rescue crew, headed by District Mine Inspector Frank T. Powers, Frostburg, Mine Superintendant 
John P. Stevenson, and Foreman William C. Abbott and Joseph Todd began the five-hour attempt 
to free Mills. Shortly after 7 p.m., they reached his body, which had been pinned by the heavy 
rock fall and timber. The body was taken to the Eichhorn funeral home, where it was examined 
by Dr. Henry M. Hodgson. Dr. Hodgson said Mills had died of suffocation. There were no other 
injuries, he reported. Body Doubled Up  Abbott, the foreman, who was one of the first on the 
scene, said Mills body was near the front of the car they had loaded. It was doubled up with 
the face downward. An hour before the body was recovered, the Rev. E. T. Fisher, pastor of 
St. Joseph's Catholic church, Midland, went to the scene to administer the conditional rites 
of absolution. Later, he went to the Mills home to comfort the sorrowing family. Abbott said 
the men had been engaged in tunneling work and had set a set of timber as ordered. Both were 
experienced miners and were regarded as very capable, he said. Asked as to his opinion of the 
cause of the fall, Abbott replied, "It was one of those unforeseen things." He declined to 
comment further. Occurred at 2 p.m. Murphy placed the time of the cave-in at 2 p.m. Their 
plight was discovered less than an hour later when Abbott sent David Brown to check on them 
when they failed to appear at the change of shifts. Then rescue workers swung into speedy 
action. The pair had just finished loading a car, according to Murphy, who said that just 
before the crash, he had commented, "That's a load." To which he said Mills replied, "Yes, 
there's over two tons on that one." Those were Mill's last words. That last car they loaded 
was the fourth one out of that "place" today, Murphy said, although they had loaded several 
others out of the heading nearby. Hundreds of persons crowded the scene of the tragedy, 
including miners from nearby operations, who stood by, as is the custom, in case they should 
be needed for the rescue work. First Fatality Since 1938 The mishap into which District Mine 
Inspector Powers was to launch an immediate probe, was the first mine fatality in this area 
since January 1938, when John Cosgrove was killed in a similar manner here. Murphy (sic-
should be Mills) served overseas during the World war and was wounded in action. He was a 
member of the Holy Name Society of Midland, the Knights of Columbus of Frostburg, and the 
Midland Volunteer Fire Company. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Joseph Mills, Sr., 
Westernport; his wife, Mrs. Nellie McGowan Mills, seven children ranging in age from 7 to 
13, Regis, Joseph, Jr., Maryjohn, Bernadette, Brennan, William and Paul; and four brothers 
and six sisters."


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