Today in Labor History December 15, 1914: A gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hōjō coal mine, in Kyushu, Japan, killed 687. It was the worst mining disaster in Japanese history. The explosion was caused by a spark igniting methane and coal dust. The blast was so powerful, it sent the cage (shaft elevator) shooting out of the shaft. In Japan, miners’ wives worked with them in the mines. Consequently, 20% of those who died were women.

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