On March 1, 1977, miners labored in Kocher Coal Co.'s Porter Tunnel Mine, prying their daily livings from a rich vein of coal a few miles east of Tower City.

It was a day like any other until 11:50 a.m., when men drilling test holes breached a wall holding back tons of water in a long-abandoned and undocumented bootleg mine.The water and debris roared through the West Skidmore tunnel, killing nine miners: Timothy Grose and John Moyer, both of Ashland; Ronald Herb and Dennis Morgan, both of Valley View; Gary Klinger and Philip Sabatino, both of Hegins; Mark Kroh, Good Spring; Donald Shoffler, Gordon; and Ralph Renninger, Donaldson.Three others were injured, and one was trapped for six days before being rescued.This week, Schuylkill County commissioners marked the 40th anniversary of Porter Tunnel Mine Disaster.The tragedy hit home for Commissioners Gary J. Hess, Frank J. Staudenmeier, and Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr., all of whom count coal miners among their family members."We, the Board of Schuylkill County commissioners, take this opportunity to commemorate the lives lost, encourage the community to remember all of the men involved in the accident, and remember the historical importance of anthracite deep mining," Hess read from a proclamation.At 11:50 a.m., the courthouse bell tolled in the miners' memory, and many employees observed a moment of silence.