Historian to speak at COD about deadly fires

Local historian Jim Gibbons will discuss the 1909 Cherry Mine disaster and the Our Lady of the Angels School fire at College of DuPage in November.

The Cherry Mine Disaster lecture will be Thursday, Nov. 10, and the Our Lady of the Angels School fire lecture Wednesday, Nov. 30. Both talks begin at 7 p.m. in the Health and Science Center, Room 1234, on campus, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn.

Of the estimated 481 men and boys who went into the mine on Nov. 13, 1909, in Cherry, Illinois, 259 died after a fire ignited. It is the third-deadliest mining disaster in U.S. history and led to the Illinois legislature passing stronger regulations governing mines. The state also adopted the Liability Act, which became the Illinois Workmen's Compensation Act.

The fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago on Dec. 1, 1958, killing 92 students and three nuns. Multiple books and documentaries have been made about the tragedy, including the 2003 Emmy-winning documentary "Angels Too Soon" created by WTTW-Chicago.

Gibbons has presented a variety of programs in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin about historical events. His slogan is "Life is no mystery when you know your history," and he believes it's important to heed the warnings from the past.

"Both the 1909 Cherry Mine disaster and the 1958 Our Lady of the Angels School fire are tragedies that happened right here in the Chicago area," he said.

"These were neighbors and friends who suddenly had their lives changed forever due to carelessness and fire, causing a tremendous loss of life. Both did not have to happen had the proper safety measures been taken."

Admission to the lectures is free. For information about the programs, email yearman@cod.edu or call (630) 942-2765.