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Continued: World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name: Dewey Jackson Baker
County: Franklin
State: Illinois
Birth Date: 17 May 1898
Race: White
FHL Roll Number: 1613400
2. Dewey2 Baker was born 17.May.1898, and died 01.Dec.1929. He
married M. Pearl Willis Abt. 1926, daughter of Marshal Willis and EvaGunter. She was
born 16.Sep.1906, and died 05.May.1985 in Denning cem..
Notes for Dewey Baker:
obit says he had a son Carl 7 and Charles 2. another marriage.
More About Dewey Baker:
Burial: Denning cem.
More About Dewey Baker and M. Willis:
Marriage: Abt. 1926
Children of Dewey Baker and M. Willis are:
9 i. Wanda3 Baker, born 1925; died 1925 in Denning cem..
10 ii. Louise Baker.
11 iii. Eva Ruth Baker, born 1924; died 1924.
More About Eva Ruth Baker:
Burial: Denning cem.
12 iv. Harold Baker,Jr, born 1923; died 1923 in Denning cem..
2 Dec 1929
Seven Coal Miners Die In Explosion; Fifteen Others Escape Injury RescueWorkers Encounter Smoke, Gas Fumes; Recover Five Bodies. Safety DevicesLocalize Blast to One Drift, Reducing Casualty List.
WEST FRANKFORT, Ill., Dec. 1(AP).-Seven coal miners were killed and 15others escaped injury in a localized explosion in a drift at Old Ben mineNo. 8 near here at 2:30 a.m., today. The bodies of five of the dead werebrought to the surface late today while rescue parties still sought theother two bodies. Rescue work was delayed because of smoke and gas fumes.The death list announced by officials of the mine follows: James TABOR,Thomas MCDERMOTT, Veo GERIDINO, Jewell and Dewey BAKER, brothers; EarlBEARDON and Henry ISAACS. All resided at West Frankfort except ISAACS,who was said to have lived at Johnston City, Ill. ISAACS was about 50 andMCDERMOTT about 60. The other victims were young men. Bodies of TwoVictims Still In Drift. The bodies of TABOR and MCDERMOTT had not beenrecovered tonight, but mine officials said it was certain the men hadbeen killed, as they were at work in the drift when, the blast came. Theother 15 miners were saved by safety devices which automatically releasedshale dust to localize the explosion, in the one drift, about one andone-fourth miles back from the bottom of the shaft. None were injured andall were brought to the surface soon after the explosion. Rescue TeamsWork All Day To Recover Bodies. Two rescue teams worked all day torecover the bodies. They brought out the five bodies at 5:10 p.m. Becausethe blast was localized, little damage was done to the mine. A. DennyLEWIS of Springfield, director of mines, arrived late today to begin anofficial investigation. The cause of the blast was not determined, butthe general opinion was that It was due to an accumulation of coal dustgas.
[The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah, Monday morning, 2 December1929, Page 1]
"A compilation of the reports of the mining industry of Illinois fromthe earliest records to 1954"
EXPLOSION IN OLD BEN MINE NO. 8
West Frankfort, Franklin County
An explosion occurred in Old Ben Coal Corporation Mine No. 8
on the night shift at 2:30 a. m., Sunday, December the first, 1929.
Seven men lost their lives instantly. A total of 24 men were in the mine,
but none of the others were affected, many remaining to assist in pos-
sible rescue.
The explosion occurred in the 20 north panel approximately 10,000
159
feet from the main shaft bottom, in territory that is being worked on
the long-face retreating system, locally called slab-work. The flame and
nearly all the force were confined to the 20 north panel. The explosion
was localized to that panel because of the large room for expansion of
explosion force and because of rock dust. Coal dust entered into the
explosion, but only in the large areas of the long faces, and not on the
entries, where rock dust had been applied.
In the development for the long face method of mining, the inby
600 feet of the 20 north panel, 700 feet in length, was equally divided
so that three pairs of wide entries were driven through to the next inby
panel, making a solid block of coal 600 feet square, penetrated by three
pairs of equidistant entries. These three pairs were the 1 and 2 slab,
3 and 4 slab, and the 5 and 6 slab. Work of retreating was begun in
the farthest away corner from the 20th panel entrance, this being the
inby end of the 5 and 6 slab entry. The retreating faces were V-shaped
and the roof falls were partially controlled by timber and by occasional
small pillars of coal. The coal taken is 8 feet in thickness, leaving
approximately 20 inches of top coal for roof support against local shale
falls. The overlying shale, some 60 to 100 feet in thickness, is a grey
compact shale, but quite soft and weak, conforming with the general
conditions of this coal field.
Methane gas, in the Franklin County coal field, comes from two
general sources. One is from the coal seam itself and found during
development and extraction of the coal; the other is from the adjoining
strata and remaining coal pillars when the overlying strata break, crush-
ing the timbers and pillars. In the first, adequate ventilation can take
care of the most unusual conditions. In the second, adequate ventilation
can take care of the normal emission of gas, but when large areas cave
quickly, whether in worked-out panels or slabs, such large quantities of
methane gas may come with or following the falls, so that the gas may
back up against an air current. Sufficient warning of such approaching
conditions, locally called squeezes, is given by the cracking sound of
crashing pillars. A general practice of getting material out of suchlocali-
ties with minimum loss of time has been developed, care being taken
that all men be in a safe location when the crash comes; safe as to the
falling of the roof and ribs, and safe as to possible gas ignition.
Retreating work in slab No. 6 was nearly finished to the 20 north
entry and roof falls had occurred at somewhat regular intervals. Retreat-
ing in No. 3 and 4 slabs was in progress and one fall of roof had oc-
curred. No. 1 and 2 slabs were almost developed, being in readiness
for retreat work in the near future.
The last open space in slab No. 6, about 65 feet in length, was being
watched at frequent intervals for signs of weight. The night examiner
had examined the section four hours prior to the explosion, finding it
clear of gas and the roof not working. The assistant night boss exam-
ined it two hours later, presumably finding it clear of gas, but finding
160
the roof working. As was the practice, he took men to save the track
material and began this work at once, having with him three men.
These men were James Tabor, the assistant night boss, Dewey Baker,
Jewel Baker and Veto Gardini. There were also two other men, E. E.
Beardon and Henry Isaacs, on the 20 N. entry in the vicinity of the
fifth slab entrance, whose duty it was to deliver water into barrels for
the day operation of the power shovels. One of the regular examiners
for the day shift, Thos. McDermott, had come from the west side of
the mine, and was in about the center of slab No. 3. Such was the
location of the seven men at the time of the explosion.
All of the bodies were badly burned and death must have been
almost instantaneous. Violence was not evident on any of the bodies
except that of the mine examiner. Six of the bodies were recovered on
the same day that the explosion occurred, but the body of the assistant
night boss was not recovered until 47 hours after the explosion. This
body was found 12 feet from the fall edge in slab No. 6, and under
about 20 feet of shale. This part of the fall, and probably all of thefall,
occurred after the explosion, for the body was burned; and much falling
was heard during the advancement for the recovery of the bodies.
There were also three electric locomotives in the section, one on the
20 N. at No. 5 slab entrance, and one in No. 2 slab entrance. Electric
power was on the trolley wires, such wires extending along the 20 N.
entry, less than 20 feet into slabs No. 5 and 6, 400 feet into slab No.3,
and about the same distance in slabs No. 1 and 2. The wire in slab
No. 2 was connected to the wire in slab No. 1 at a point 200 feet inby
the slab entrance.
The sequence of events leading to the explosion may never be deter-
mined. It has not been established to the satisfaction of all concerned
whether the explosion was started from gas or from a box of permissible
explosives. This much is certain, that coal dust entered into the explo-
sion, propagating it to include all the long face section, some 500 feet
in extent in all directions. The large expansive area and the rock dust
localized the explosion to that area.
The explosion-affected territory was not badly wrecked. The mine
resumed operation on Thursday morning, December 5, 1929. — J E J
Explosion in Old Ben No. 8
West Frankfort, Franklin County
An explosion occurred in Old Ben Coal Corporation Mine No. 8 on thenight shift at 2:30 a. m., Sunday, December the first, 1929. Seven menlost their lives instantly. A total of 24 men were in the mine, but noneof the others were affected, many remaining to assist in possible rescue.
The explosion occurred in the 20 north panel approximately 10,000feet from the main shaft bottom, in territory that is being worked on thelong-face retreating system, locally called slab-work. The flame andnearly all the force were confined to the 20 north panel. The explosionwas localized to that panel because of the large room for expansion ofexplosion force and because of rock dust. Coal dust entered into theexplosion, but only in the large areas of the long faces, and not on theentries, where rock dust had been applied.
In the development for the long face method of mining, the inby 600feet of the 20 north panel, 700 feet in length, was equally divided sothat three pairs of wide entries were driven through to the next inbypanel, making a solid block of coal 600 feet square, penetrated by threepairs of equidistant entries. These three pairs were the 1 and 2 slab, 3and 4 slab, and the 5 and 6 slab. Work of retreating was begun in thefarthest away corner from the 20th panel entrance, this being the inbyend of the 5 and 6 slab entry. The retreating faces were V-shaped and theroof falls were partially controlled by timber and by occasional smallpillars of coal. The coal taken is 8 feet in thickness, leavingapproximately 20 inches of top coal for roof support against local shalefalls. The overlying shale, some 60 to 100 feet in thickness, is a greycompact shale, but quite soft and weak, conforming with the generalconditions of this coal field.
Methane gas, in the Franklin County coal field, comes from twogeneral sources. One is from the coal seam itself and found duringdevelopment and extraction of the coal; the other is from the adjoiningstrata and remaining coal pillars when the overlying strata break,crushing the timbers and pillars. In the first, adequate ventilation cantake care of the most unusual conditions. In the second, adequateventilation can take care of the normal emission of gas, but when largeareas cave quickly, whether in worked-out panels or slabs, such largequantities of methane gas may come with or following the falls, so thatthe gas may back up against an air current. Sufficient warning of suchapproaching conditions, locally called squeezes, is given by the crackingsound of crashing pillars. A general practice of getting material out ofsuch localities with minimum loss of time has been developed, care beingtaken that all men be in a safe location when the crash comes; safe as tothe falling of the roof and ribs, and safe as to possible gas ignition.
Retreating work in slab No. 6 was nearly finished to the 20 northentry and roof falls had occurred at somewhat regular intervals.Retreating in No. 3 and 4 slabs was in progress and one fall of roof hadoccurred. No. 1 and 2 slabs were almost developed, being in readiness forretreat work in the near future.
The last open space in slab No. 6, about 65 feet in length, wasbeing watched at frequent intervals for signs of weight. The nightexaminer had examined the section four hours prior to the explosion,finding it clear of gas and the roof not working. The assistant nightboss examined it two hours later, presumably finding it clear of gas, butfinding the roof working. As was the practice, he took men to save thetrack material and began this work at once, having with him three men.These men were James Tabor, the assistant night boss, Dewey Baker, JewelBaker and Veto Gardini. There were also two other men, E. E. Beardon andHenry Isaacs, on the 20 N. entry in the vicinity of the fifth slabentrance, whose duty it was to deliver water into barrels for the dayoperation of the power shovels. One of the regular examiners for the dayshift, Thos. McDermott, had come from the west side of the mine, and wasin about the center of slab No. 3. Such was the location of the seven menat the time of the explosion.
All of the bodies were badly burned and death must have been almostinstantaneous. Violence was not evident on any of the bodies except thatof the mine examiner. Six of the bodies were recovered on the same daythat the explosion occurred, but the body of the assistant night boss wasnot recovered until 47 hours after the explosion. This body was found 12feet from the fall edge in slab No. 6, and under about 20 feet of shale.This part of the fall, and probably all of the fall, occurred after theexplosion, for the body was burned; and much falling was heard during theadvancement for the recovery of the bodies.
There were also three electric locomotives in the section, one onthe 20 N. at No. 5 slab entrance, and one in No. 2 slab entrance.Electric power was on the trolley wires, such wires extending along the20 N. entry, less than 20 feet into slabs No. 5 and 6, 400 feet into slabNo. 3, and about the same distance in slabs No. 1 and 2. The wire in slabNo. 2 was connected to the wire in slab No. 1 at a point 200 feet inbythe slab entrance.
The sequence of events leading to the explosion may never bedetermined. It has not been established to the satisfaction of allconcerned whether the explosion was started from gas or from a box ofpermissible explosives. This much is certain, that coal dust entered intothe explosion, propagating it to include all the long face section, some500 feet in extent in all directions. The large expansive area and therock dust localized the explosion to that area.
The explosion-affected territory was not badly wrecked. The mineresumed operation on Thursday morning, December 5, 1929.
1929 Annual Coal Report25 - Fatal Accidents
December 1, at 2:30 a. m., an explosion of gas occurred in No. 8mine, Old Ben Coal Corporation, causing the death of seven men. The usualdata concerning these men is given below:
Dewey Baker, motorman, aged 31 years. He leaves three dependents.
Jewel Baker, triprider, aged 29 years. He leaves three dependents.
E. E. Berdon, motorman, aged 34 years. He leaves three dependents.
Vito Garidini, laborer, aged 32 years. He leaves two dependents.
Henry Isaacs, triprider, aged 25 years. He leaves two dependents.
Thomas McDermott, examiner, age 60 years. No dependents.
James Tabor, assistant night boss, aged 36 years. He leaves threedependents.
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