Almy, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Almy, Wyoming
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 Almy, Wyoming
Location in Wyoming
Almy, Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Uinta |
| Elevation | 6,588 ft (2,008 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1584802 |
Almy was a coal mining camp in Uinta County, Wyoming. It was located near the town of Evanston. Today, Almy is known as a ghost town because no one lives there anymore.
Almy was once a busy place where miners dug for coal. However, it became famous for several terrible mining accidents. The first major accident happened in 1881. An explosion killed 38 miners in the Central Pacific Mine. This was the first mine explosion west of the Mississippi River.
Another explosion in 1886 killed 13 people. A third explosion in 1895 killed 62 miners. This was the third worst mining disaster in Wyoming's history. After the second explosion, Wyoming created the office of the state mining inspector. This office eventually closed the Almy mines in the 1940s because they were too dangerous.
The 1881 Mine Explosion
On March 4, 1881, a big explosion happened in Central Pacific Mine number 3. This explosion killed 38 miners. A newspaper called the Cheyenne Weekly Leader reported on the disaster on March 10.
The newspaper said that the explosion happened between 9 and 10 at night. It killed 35 Chinese miners and 3 white miners. The mine had been open since 1869. It was almost completely dug out. About 200 men worked in the mine during the day. Around 75 men worked at night. Most of the workers were Chinese.
A fire had been burning in the mine for five years. Stone walls had been built to keep the fire contained. People thought that gas built up and somehow reached the fire. The explosion burned the buildings on the surface. The mine's entrance also caught fire. Rescue workers saved 15 men from one part of the mine. One person was badly hurt from another area.
The 1886 Mine Explosion
On the night of January 12, 1886, another gas explosion happened. This time it was at the Almy Number 4 mine. Eleven men and two boys died in this accident. The Deseret Evening News newspaper in Salt Lake City described the event.
The newspaper reported that around 11:35 PM, people nearby heard a loud sound like thunder. For a few seconds, the sky lit up with a bright yellow light. This noise and light came from Mine No. 4. The explosion was caused by gas. It was so powerful that it blew all the buildings above ground into tiny pieces. Large timbers and rocks were thrown almost a mile away.
Miners' homes were hit and damaged, but the people inside were not badly hurt. Two miners were riding down into the mine in empty carts. When the explosion happened, their carts broke into pieces. The force shot the pieces out of the mine like a cannon. The bodies of the two miners were blown apart. They were found far from the mine entrance.
Eleven men and two boys were believed to be in the mine. All of them were killed. Rescue teams worked to get into the mine. They set up temporary walls to help recover the bodies. The last body was brought out on January 15. People thought the explosion started deep inside the mine. A miner's open light might have set off the gas. Even though the mine had gas problems, the fire boss had said it was clear that morning.
The 1895 Mine Explosion
On March 20, 1895, another explosion happened. This one was at the Red Canyon #5 mine near Almy. This disaster killed 62 miners. It is the third worst mine disaster in Wyoming's history. Only disasters in Kemmerer and Hanna were worse.
Rescue teams tried to enter the mine all night long. But they could not get in. No one survived the first explosion.
You can find more information about this event, including news stories, a map of Almy, and a list of those who died, here.
