The Phillips-West Mine Disaster
The Phillips-West Mine Disaster was an explosion that occurred at a mine owned by the Phillips & West Coal Company on Brimstone Creek near Robbins on March 23, 1959. Nine men died in the explosion, making it the deadliest mine disaster in Scott County’s history.
The Phillips-West Mine
Phillips Coal Company was owned by the father-and-son team of Burl Phillips and Hubert D. Phillips. It was renamed the Phillips & West Coal Company, with brothers Oscar West and W.O. (William Osborne) West also owning part of the company. Three of the four men were killed in the explosion.
The company’s mine, called the No. 1 Mine, was located off Brimstone Road. A total of 10 men were employed at the mine, with nine of them working underground on one shift. They produced an average of 50 tons of coal each day.
Production at the mine began in 1958 and had produced 9,478 tons of coal that year alone.
Precursor to the tragedy
According to an analysis by the federal Bureau of Mines, the Glenmary coal bed — which the mines on Brimstone Creek extracted coal from had a “volatile ratio” of 0.39 — based on a composition of 2.1% moisture, 36.9% volatile matter, 57.4% fixed carbon and 3.6% ash. The Bureau of Mines classified coal dust with a volatile ratio of 0.12 or greater to be explosive.
At a nearby mine owned by Terry Coal Company, gas ignitions had occurred in February 1956, Jan. 31, 1958, and October. 17, 1958, caused by open-flame carbide lamps. No injuries were recorded in those incidents.
The explosion
An explosion occurred at the mine at 8:30 a.m. on the morning of March 23, 1959. At the time, nine of the 10 men employed by the Phillips-West company were inside, and all nine were killed instantly by burns or gasses from the explosion. The only man not inside the mine was W.O. “Oz” West, who was outside when the explosion occurred.
Workers had started into the mine that morning at 8:10 a.m. At 8:30 a.m., Oz West heard a noise and saw dust coming from a mine portal. He initially thought the dust had been caused by a roof fall, but determined an explosion had occurred. He shut off the electric power to the mine and phoned the nearby Laddie Coal & Mining Company for help.
Bureau of Mines investigators determined that the explosion originated in the haulage way entry, when an explosive mixture of methane gas and air was ignited by an electrical arc or spark from the trolley wheel of the locomotive used to transport coal out of the mine, or from the lighting of matches or cigarettes. Smoking was permitted inside the mine. Inspectors recovered part of a cigarette and a burned match from near where the explosion originated.
Rescue operations
Recovery work began immediately after the explosion, with miners from nearby mines taking part. The C.L. Kline Mine two miles away, where a similar tragedy would occur six years later, lended its help, with mine foreman Audie Acres arriving on scene. Assisting Acres were George Lewis and Jack King, the general manager and electrician from the Laddie Coal & Mining Company, which was located three miles away. Once Bureau of Mines personnel arrived on scene, the rescue operation was directed by Eric H. Brown, the bureau’s subdistrict supervisor.
According to an investigation by the Bureau of Mines, L.E. Gazay, superintendent of the Scott Coal Company, notified the Jellico office of the Bureau of Mines at 9:10 a.m. When Bureau of Mines personnel arrived, one body had already been removed from the mine, three others were being transported out of the mine, and two more had been located. Three men were still unaccounted for at that time.
Four of the bodies were found in the conveyor room. One was discovered face down in the middle of the track, headed towards the entrance to the mine. Inspectors noted that it appeared that he was running from the source of the ignition, shielding his face with his arms. Several of the other miners appeared to have been shielding their face, as well. Many of the bodies were badly burned.
Mine inspectors credited Acres, Lewis and King with performing “the tedious and arduous work of recovering the bodies, which was accomplished with forethought relative to safety and with little disturbance of evidence.”
Coroner’s Verdict
An inquisition was held at Huntsville on March 28, 1959, with Norman C. Acres, county coroner, leading the investigation. Jurors included Eugene McDonald, Clendon Blakley, Walford Jeffers, Vernon Jeffers, R.G. Yancey, M.H. Phillips, Boyd Reed, Elmer Sexton, Clyde Phillips, Maynard Adkins, Bedford Hatfield and Kelly Newport.
The jurors concluded that the victims died due to an accidental gas explosion after gas accumulated while the mine was down, and that there was no evidence of foul play.
The victims
• Oscar West, 45 (mine foreman)
• Hubert D. Phillips, 29 (motorman and electrician)
• Burl Phillips, 53 (cutter and loader)
• Elmer Phillips, 38 (loader)
• Arzo Phillips, 17 (loader)
• Edward Chitwood, 44 (loader)
• John L. Pike, 40 (loader)
• Lemuel Willard Yancey, 36 (loader)
• Bernard Yancey, 34 (cutter and loader)
Oscar West’s body was the first to be brought to the surface. He was a brother to W.O. “Oz” West, the only survivor of the tragedy. Burl Phillips was the father of Hubert D. Phillips and Arzo Phillips. Bernard Yancey and Willard Yancey were brothers.
Oscar West was the son of Alfred West (1874-1948) and Nancy Lucinda Phillips (1878-1976). He married Alta Allen Gibson (1913-1995) in 1934. His children included Nancy W. Holladay (1938-1984), James Oscar West (1940-2020), William Carl West (1942-2018) and Robert West. He was buried at Hazel Valley Memorial Cemetery in Oneida.
Burl Phillips was the son of General S. Phillips (1850-1912) and Alice Cross (1868-1921). He married Julia Mae Yancey (1913-1992) in 1929. In addition to Hubert and Arzo, his children included Irene Carson (1931-1973), Goldie Louise Carson (1933-1999), Segal Roy Phillips (1935-2015), and Velma Jean Jeffers (1939-2010). He was buried at Sexton Memorial Cemetery in the Paint Rock community.
Hubert Dexter Phillips first married Rosalee Carson (1928-1977) and later married Flonnie Fay Blevins (1939-2010). His children included Linda Lou Payne (1949-2014), James Hubert Phillips (1957-2022), Robin Vandivor, and Melissa Woods. He was buried at Sexton Memorial Cemetery.
Arzo Phillips was not married. He was buried at Sexton Memorial Cemetery.
Elmer Phillips was the son of John Marion Phillips (1897-1958) and Disie Pike (1900-1932). He married Charlene Pike (1926-1977). They had five children: Geraldine Phillips (1942-2012), Billy Gene Phillips (1947-2009), Delmer Lee Phillips (1950-1968), Elmer Dewayne Phillips (1955-2021), and Hollis Phillips. His wife, Charlene, was a sister to John L. Pike. He was not closely related to Burl Phillips or Burl’s sons. He was buried at the Pike Cemetery in the Tunnel Hill community east of Oneida.
John L. Pike was the son of George Melvin Pike (1884-1948) and Winnie Jane West (1883-1948). He married Eva Mae Phillips (1921-2013). They had two children, Willis Pike (1945-2009) and Janice Pike. His sister was married to Elmer Phillips. He was buried at Pike Cemetery in the Tunnel Hill community east of Oneida.
Edward Chitwood was the son of Robert Chitwood (1884-1952) and Janie Odum (1897-1977). He married Laura Bell West (1915-1993) in 1936. Their children included Gurstle Chitwood (1938-1995), Gerty Lou Bowling (1939-2013), Herstle Chitwood (1941-2008), Bobby Lee Chitwood (1943-2012), Milford K. Chitwood (1945-2007), Leamon Chitwood (1947-2001), Donnie Harold Chitwood (1949-2005) and Johnny Berlin Chitwood (1956-2011). His wife was a nephew of Burl Phillips, and first cousin to Hubert Phillips and Arzo Phillips. He was buried at Pine Hill Cemetery.
Lemuel Willard Yancey and Bernard Yancey were the sons of Lemuel Godby Yancey (1902-1961) and Ethel Erie Elam (1905-1987). Lemuel married Nesba Lee Sexton (1927-2018) and they had four daughters, Wanda Lee Fetterman (1946-1994), Betty McCleery, Violet Burchfield and Linda Goad. Bernard married Bessie Hughes in 1947. They had three children, Bernard Douglas Yancey (1948-2015), Jimmy Yancey (1958-2020) and Karen Sue Yancey. The brothers share a stone at Sexton Memorial Cemetery.