Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast - The Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909 | Episode 83

The Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909 | Episode 83

02/06/25 • 52 min

5 Listeners

Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast

We’re going to hell! Well, not hell exactly. We’re going to rural Illinois, but for the purposes of this introduction, we are going to be spending time today in hell.
On today’s episode: you’re going to learn why fourth graders make such poor employees; you’ll learn how to properly panic like a professional; and you will learn how to tell people to “get out” using nothing but a shotgun and morse code.
And if you were listening to this on Patreon... you would also learn the story of the Patron Saint who watches over people who explode; you'd learn why underground coal fires are the disaster you can tell your great, great, great, great, great grandchildren about; you would hear a quick anecdote about nicotine poisoning in the workplace and inappropriate banana usage; and you would find out who gets coal for Christmas.
This was another bad-day-at-work episodes, but it was a good one, because it happened in such a small, unassuming place, but had safety ramifications that spread around the world. This is dedicated to everyone who loves mining and mining disasters. And on that note, most people don't think about mining very often - so this is my love letter to the industry. You love mining, you ask? No, not overly, but in my opinion, our entire evolution as a society and as a species would have been impossible without men willing to climb into the earth to do the work too frightening or dangerous for the masses. On the upside, at least it pays well, and we do get the occasional story out of it.

Previous Episode

The Dusseldorf Airport Disaster of 1996 | Episode 82

2 Recommendations

Do you like fire but hate airports? Have we got the episode for you.
On today’s episode: we’ll be pulling off the front of our skulls and spending some time fingering our limbic systems; we’ll learn why not all fire rescue services are created equal; and we’ll find out how hot it needs to be for your skin to melt off.
And if you had beenlistening to this as a Patreon supporter, you get to enjoy an additional 8 minutes where we discuss: why calling Germans stoic clock-watching robots is considered so flattering; you’d find out if you’d be considered an idiot, moron or imbecile back in the day; and you’d learn how Dusseldorf compares to Hiroshima.
I will also point out that at the end of the episode, there is a very special Book Giveaway contest! That’s right. I’m giving away the very first book/piece of research I ever used in the creation of the show. William McKeown’s "Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of America's First Nuclear Accident" using a once-in-a-lifetime Name That Tune style contest. You’ll just have to see for yourselves.
I'll be doing a few listener shout-outs at the end of the episode, and also thanking you all for your kind encouragement during a time when I wanted to punch my own face off. I don't have a safety segment against that kind of thing, so your gentle intervention was appreciated. We ended last year with a bang and start the new year with a whoosh! I hope you all at least began 2025 in a better space, but even if you didn’t, we’re burning down an airport together, so forget about your worries for an hour or so.