A closer look

• The catastrophe: On Dec. 21, 1951, a methane explosion ripped through the below-ground mine, killing 119 miners.

THE AFTERMATH: The summer after the disaster, President Truman signed the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act, giving inspectors the power to close unsafe mines. The Illinois Mining Act of 1953 mandated better mine ventilation and testing for methane.

* THE SITE NOW: Several cinderblock buildings remain intact. The portal is sealed off, and the property is littered with wrecked vehicles and other debris.

* THE HOPE: Franklin County historian Bob Rea is pressing for the property to be cleaned up and preserved.