One year ago today -- Jan. 26, 1903 -- at 7:30 a.m., a fire erupted at the Lankford-Harris mine in Sugar Creek Township, on the north side of the National Road about 1.5 miles west of West Terre Haute.

Twenty men, including 18 coal miners, were trapped in a smoke-filled shaft 60 feet below the ground for nearly four hours.

The Lankford-Harris mine furnished all the coal for the Terre Haute public schools.

Only one miner, James Wesmer, died by suffocation, but four others were removed in critical condition. The fire also claimed the life of two mine mules.

Upon being notified of the calamity, Terre Haute Mayor Henry C. Steeg accompanied Fire Chief James J. Daugherty and chemical engine No. 1 from the station located at 23 N. Third St. to the scene.

After extinguishing the flames that destroyed the tipple, Daugherty -- lauded for the manner in which he guided rescue operations -- and his men poured heavy streams of water down the shaft.

It was 10 a.m. before the shaft was considered cool enough to attempt rescue operations. Two large ropes were suspended over the shaft and five men descended into the underground cavern.

As a large crowd of the miners' loved ones frantically watched, William Broadhurst, manager of Home Coal Co., was the first to plummet into the shaft, followed by Charles Graves, Bert Westfall and Harry Westfall.

Upon reaching the surface of the shaft, they were greeted by hot, burning timber. It was 10:45 a.m. before the first miner, Virgil Conklin, reached the surface and was transported to an improvised hospital established by Drs. James V. Cooper, James Donnelly, John S. Hunt and William E. Bell.

Charles Conklin, Virgil's brother, was the second man raised. Both were delirious and in critical condition. Wesmer's lifeless body soon followed. After efforts to resuscitate him were fruitless, he was taken to Peter J. Ryan's funeral home at 117 S. Sixth St.

James Blackburn, who resided with the Wesmer family on South Second Street and was at the mine to apply for a job, also was critically injured. After each man received first aid at the scene, he was removed to St. Anthony's Hospital for intensive care.

Though his tongue was burned, in a hospital interview Charles Conklin described how, at 8:30 a.m., the entombed miners gasped relatively clean air by placing their faces into wet holes dug in clay, created by the water pouring into the shaft. Eventually, most of them, including Conklin, were rendered unconscious due to smoke inhalation.

Soon after the tragedy, the Lankford-Harris mine was criticized for not having an escape shaft. Under Indiana law, each mine was required to have an escape shaft after 500 square yards of coal had been removed.

It was the fourth fatality at the Lankford-Harris mine in 24 months. On Jan. 22, 1901, 21-year old James Harris -- the son of one of the owners -- was killed instantly when he fell into the shaft. And, on Dec. 16, 1901, Edward Blue and Charles Schroer were killed during a blasting powder explosion.

A coroner's investigation by Dr. Frank Tabor placed fault on the owners for not having an escape shaft. The fire apparently started when a small firewood blaze spread to the tipple. The mine was not reopened for many months.

Less than two weeks after the Lankford-Harris mine fire, Sugar Creek Township residents were forced to deal with another tragedy.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, 1903, at 6:50 p.m. during a heavy storm, the westbound daily passenger train to Effingham, Ill. collided head-on with a 26-car freight train about 800 yards east of the Liggett station, resulting in the death of three Vandalia Railroad employees.

The crash was heard more than a mile away.

The bodies of engineer Charles Kellem and fireman John Althoff, both of Effingham, were buried in the wreckage and were not extracted until the following morning. Express messenger Frank Kelley, the third victim, died in the hospital the next day. All were crewmen on the passenger train. Kelley was in the mail and baggage car of the four-car express.

Surviving members of the passenger crew accepted blame for the collision. Knowing Freight No. 169 was scheduled to be coming eastbound, Kellum expected to park on a siding at the Macksville station in West Terre Haute to await its arrival.

In snowy conditions, Kellum and Althoff misread the number on the side of Freight No. 168, already parked at the station, and proceeded.

Upon seeing the passenger train approaching, freight engineer William H. Crise and fireman Herbert Cleveland reversed the engine and jumped from the locomotive. Head brakeman John M. Manwaring of Terre Haute was the only member of the freight crew who needed medical attention.

Kellum tried to reverse his engine, but it was too late. Charles McKee, an employee of Modes-Turner Glass Co., was the only Terre Haute passenger seriously hurt. However, 11 of 30 passengers seated in the day coach and smoking car were hospitalized.

Mike McCormick is the Vigo County historian. His column appears each Sunday.