Amid a torrent of rock and coal, Donald Tarr lost his life in a mining accident at the Burnside Colliery near Shamokin, Pennsylvania on the afternoon of December 9, 1922.
Tarr, along with his older brother Ramsey who was also injured in the accident, were among only a handful of African American mineworkers who found employment in the collieries around Shamokin, Pennsylvania.
The Tarr family had deep roots in the industrial villages around southeastern Northumberland. Donald and Ramsey’s grandfather, Andrew Tarr, operated worked as a forgeman at an iron furnace in Shamokin Township as early as 1860.
Their father, Rheobaum Tarr, served in the 45th United States Colored Troops during the Civil War and established himself as a mineworker in Northumberland County shortly after he returned from the conflict.
By 1922, members of the Tarr family had gained a reputation as among the most skilled workers at the Burnside Colliery.
The Mount Carmel Item newspaper carried the story of the mining accident that claimed the life of Donald Tarr and seriously injured his brother:
Caught beneath an unusually heavy fall of coal while engaged in robbing pillars at Burnside Colliery shortly after noon last Saturday, Donald C. Tarr, aged 31 years, was instantly killed, and his brother Ramsey R. Tarr, aged 42 years, was seriously injured. Both were negroes.
The Tarr brothers, known as among the best contract miners in the community, were employed in the Burnside water level, West No. 4 vein, breast No. 17. Pillars were being removed and the brothers had fired a shot preparatory to concluding their work for the day.
It was while dressing down loose coal at the face of the working place that the top suddenly fell and both were caught beneath. Donald Tarr was caught directly beneath the fall while Ramsey Tarr was a little more fortunate in that he was not completely covered.
Miners in nearby working places heard the fall and hastened to the scene. Ramsey Tarr was quickly extricated, hurried to the gangway, given first aid treatment was rushed to the Shamokin State Hospital.
In the meantime considerable difficulty was experienced in removing vast quantities of coal and rock which covered Donald Tarr.
When these had been removed, the young miner was found to have been horribly crushed and to have met instantaneous death.
Donald Tarr was interred at Shamokin Cemetery in Shamokin, Pennsylvania.
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