March 25, 1947 is the date that marks a very significant incident in testate of Illinois. It was a devastating day for Centralia. (Stillman, 2010)111 Coal miners woke up to attend their job at the coal mine just as any usual day. (Stillman, 2010) They had no idea they would never return home to their families. March 25, 1947 is the day 111 coal miners were killed during their routine daily duties at the Centralia Coal Mine.(Stillman, 2010) A massive explosion changed the city of Centralia forever. The cause of the massive explosion is due to a buildup of coal dust. (Stillman, 2010) The explosion was 100% preventable if necessary actions were taken into affect. The conditions of the coal mine was deadly. There were reports of miners coughing up clumps of coal dust. There were also reports that cakes of coal dust were plastered to the walls of the mines. (Stillman, 2010).

Governor Dwight Green appointed both Robert Medill and DriscollScanlan in the same year. Scanlan was recommended to Green by his state representative. There were several reports from Scanlan that the Centralia Mine No. 5 as highly explosive. (US. Mine Rescue Association, 2012). The reason the mine was highly explosive is because of the coal dust buildup. Two year before the occurrence of the explosion, Frank Perez who was a mine inspector from the U.S. Bureauof Mines, conducted a federal inspection of Centralia Mine. (U.S. Mine Rescue Association, 2012) Perez and Scalan reports of the Centralia mine were very