President of Liberty Hose Company No. 2 Killed
Lykens, PA
December 26, 1907
On December 26, 1907, Liberty Hose Company No. 2 lost its President, Richard Noble, when he was killed in a mine accident. Richard was a loader and driver in the mines of the Short Mountain Coal Company. He was found smothered to death shortly after 3 p.m. Earlier, he had gone in to load his last trip. The outside loader and driver, having finished his cars, returned and waited for Richard for about 15 minutes. When Richard failed to appear, he thought something was wrong. He went inside, and along with Thomas Pell, found Richard's car seven-eighths loaded. Then with the help of David Kolva, they searched for Richard and found him wedged in the battery. They found the trap door in the manway open, showing that Noble went through it in order to start enough coal to finish loading his car. He was smothered to death at the age of 24. He was survived by a wife, a three-year-old son, his mother, three brothers, and a sister. |
