Describes several significant mining disasters which eventually led to mining reforms: December 6, 1907, Monongah, West Virginia (at least 362 dead: 1907 was the most deadly year in mining with over 3,000 deaths; as a result, the United States Bureau of Mines was created to investigate accidents, but it had no power of enforcement) -- December 21, 1851, Orient No. 2 Mine, West Frankfort, Illinois (underground explosion from accumulated methane gas and volatile coal dust was ignited by a spark; 119 dead: resulted in the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act of July 1952 which better regulated how companies ran mines but not how miners were treated) -- A series of mine explosions in 1968 killed 78 miners and the public becme more aware due to TV coverage; resulted in 1969 law for Mine Health and Safety Standards) -- Septemer 16, 1986, Kinross Gold Mine near Johannesburg, South Africa (spark of a torch ignited polyurethane cladding; fire burned for hours, producing toxic smoke; 177 died; 2,200 evacuated safely; mining protests in apartheid South Africa erupted after it was revealed that polyurethane sealant had been banned in U. S. mines and elswhere six years earlier; in 1996 significant mining regulations were passed in South Africa, including the right of inspectors to shout down unsafe mines) -- Concludes that mining remains the most dangerous occupation in the U. S. and in many other countries.