Need Coal but need not people

-- Analysis of Great Gas and Grime Explosion of the Japanese Benxihu Coal Mine Company during Japanese occupation

The greatest disaster in the coal mining history of the world took place in Benxihu (Benxi city, Liaoning province, China) of the puppet Manchuria on April 26th 1942. This is the world-shaking Benxihu Coal Mine great gas and grime explosion of Japanese Benxi Coal and Steel Limited Company. According to the epigraph in so-called ‘the Stele for Industrial Fighters Who Died at His Post’, this great disaster licked up one thousand three hundred twenty seven Chinese miners’ lives. In fact, the death toll is more than the publicized number. And the chief criminal of this great disaster is Japanese aggregation authority who forcibly occupied the coalmine. 

1. The World-shaking Great Explosion

The great explosion of Benxihu coalmine broke out at 14:05 on 26 April 1942. Mr. Zhanghongkun was the security faculty guard of Coal Department of Benxihu Coal and Steel Company. He was the second sort employee. He described the great explosion scene at that time in this way. “ Just at this time, a blare come from the mouth of a well. At once, the billow black smoke bursts forth from five inclined wells including Cirgou, Shirengou and Liutang etc. The smoke flings up to the sky. Every well seems like the boilers that just begin to burn. Instantaneously, the whole mine merges a vast sea of fog.” (Zhanhongkun’s witness is digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave” whose editor in chief is Libinggang and sub editor is Zhao Xiaoguang.)  Mr. Shang Baode, the survivor of the great explosion, told of his near escape experience. He said: “Five miners and I were working at the Zhangzimian which was not far away from the mouth of a well. Suddenly, the gas explores with a blare, and the huge airflow makes me dash out of the mouth of a well. I fly out quite high, and then fell down after hanging on the wire tens meters far away from the mouth of a well. One of my ears was scraped off half by the wire…but the fellow workers working with me died. It was said that Ma was thrown on the cement pillar of the winch rack and became a cutlet. Xiao was thrown on the tram road. Zhang and Ding died at the place near and 50 meters far away from the mouth of a well. (Shang Baode’s witness, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”)  Mr. Zhang Hongkun has also witnessed the misery scene. He said: “Two workers repairing the rails near the mouth of a well were thrown on the cement rack which upheld the winch steel wire more than one hundred meters far away by the explosion bow wave… the Liutang under layer tunnel and two one hundred horsepower ventilators, anti-explosion door of tunnel 1 are destroyed…The ventilation system of the mine is destroyed. The communication of the well breaks off either.” More than half hour after explosion, the effective Japanese came to the mine in succession. Zhang Hongkun, the employee of the company coal department security faculty, participated in concrete task such as exploration of the explosion scene etc. according to Japanese order. So he has witnessed the whole course. He said: “Because they (Japanese) see the central big inclined tunnel is still smoking, they think it may be on fire under the well. Tengjing Du is the temporal company mining charcoal superintendent. Shanxia Shouyi is the temporal head of security faculty. After consulting each other, they decide to stop the two still working main fans lest the fire influence enlarge continually. (Idem) Jinquan Gengji, the head of Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Charcoal Department, is the tiptop principal of the coalmine at that time. He arrives at almost 3:30 in the afternoon. He immediately orders Japanese mine ambulance corps members to search Shangye Jianer when he knows Shangye Jian, the manager of tunnel 2, is still under the well. In this way, the first ambulance corps just goes down the well. Since 4:30 in the afternoon, the ambulance unit which goes down well from Liutang big inclined tunnel has been exploring along the Liutang under layer tunnel, and arrive at the tunnel 2 office of the bottom of the well. What the unit saw all the way were bodies in length and breadth. It is too horrible to look at. The situation of the Liutang big inclined tunnel is more tragic. Bodies all divided into a few parts. No a entire body exists.” (Idem) The first unit did not find Shangye. Therewith, the second unit got down the well from the circle wind tunnel of Liutang under layer. They found workers all fell on several working face in west wind tunnel and west tunnel 1, and some were still groaning. But the ambulance corps didn’t save them, and looked over their faces one by one. When they assured Shangye was not there, they continued to search him in spite of their fates. Finally, they found Shangye at the side of the winch road up tunnel 8. Shangye had stopped breathing. The ambulance corps got him out of the tunnel, made him relive. ‘This is the only survivor by salvage in the disaster. ’(Idem) At 6:00 in the evening, the soot cleared off under the well, the disaster instauration command post personnel of the company just started to go to the well. At the first scene of the explosion, people saw this scene. ‘ A fully loaded coal tramcar was destroyed entirely.’ Miners working there were smashed to pieces except for the driver. The driver was killed for grinding by the engine, and his body was fairly full. ……Eastwardly, most concrete frusta were destroyed. …… Near the former ventilator way out, more than two hundred bodies piled together in groveling. Most of people were covered with towel on their mouths. These people did not die at the explosion time. They were poisoned to death on the way to try for coming through because of air ceasing. In small house of west path 2 mouth of tunnel 1 picking area, there were about one hundred bodies, they all died for poisoning. …… Then and there, except for easternmost tunnel 5 and westernmost tunnel 4, the working workers of the other three picking areas almost met with disaster. There were quite several survivors. (Idem) On the second day, they began to dig the dead using winch. We couldn’t distinguish the appearance of fellow workers who died. It was full of miner bodies all round the head of pit 4. Liutang Mine was alike either. A big circle was built by laying stones at hillside of the head of pit 4. The body which broke in the explosion was not able to take. So it was put into the coffin directly until it was full. They piled five layer coffins to be a big circle. Among them, it came to an end that they put directly the broken bodies into the center without the coffin carrying with tramcar. After filling in, the bodies were covered with soil. The remainder buried at the Taipinggou. (The witness of Shang Baode and Li Yongpu etc., digested from “Liaoning Mass Graves”)  This is the great explosion and the basic course that Japanese disposed it. The place of burying dead miners of this explosion at the head of pit 4 is called “flesh grave”.

2. The great contractible death figure of miners

How many Chinese miner lives does this explosion divest on earth? It was not reported briefly by the puppet “Shengjing daily” published in Shengyang until May 3rd 1942. It said: “the disaster is quite light”. Obviously, the temporal Japanese and puppet government utmost concealed the great tragedy to Chinese miner lives for the great explosion. But the more Japanese tried to hide, the more it was exposed when facing the Benxihu Coal Mine miners and the death miners’ relations. Therewith, Japanese Benxihu Coal and Steel Company established a so-called Stele for the Industrial Fighter Died at His post at the Shirengou “flesh grave” in August Kant 10 year (Aug. 1943). The epigraph was: “the gas abruptly bursts out for raiding by wind at 2:08 in the afternoon on April 26th Kant 9 year. At that time, unluckily one thousand three hundred and twenty seven industrial fighters heroically die at their posts in the working for the rescue is difficult.” Is statement of the epigraph actual? We might as well look at some following historical data.

Historical data 1: On May 6th Kant 9 year (May 6 1942), Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited reported about casualty personnel in this way within “the chapter 6 described disaster instance” of the “process-verbal for Benxihu Coal Mine accident” which cover marked “utmost secret”.   

Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited：“the process-verbal for Benxihu Coal Mine accident”，“utmost secret”， “May 6th 1942”,Zhang Hongkun translated from “Taizihe?a century history of Benxihu” which edited and wrote by Japan Tokyo capital Benxihu association. It published by Xitian bookshop in 1992.）

Historical data 2: Guhaizhongzhi, the undersecretary of general affairs ministry of puppet Manchuria State Department, is No. 2 holding real power Japanese at that time. In his confession of the 3rd June 1954, he wrote: “in 1943(sic), it happened a great gas explosion at Benxihu Coal Mine. It divests more than one thousand laborers’ lives. (Yuan Qubai, Yang Huaizhen translate and edit: “the historic justice of new China contrapose to Japanese war criminal?criminal confess account” January 2001, LA Press.)

Historical data 3: Yu Jingyuan, the minister of the people’s livelihood ministry of puppet Manchuria, was concurrently commander in chief of puppet Manchuria national hardworking for official band and the commissary of central cadre committee of puppet Manchuria consonancy association, in his confession, he wrote: “the gas bursts out at Benxihu Coal Mine, about one thousand eight hundred laborers die.” (The central files archives edit “puppet Manchuria’s reign and dope?confession of puppet Manchuria official.” July 2000.)

Historical data 4: Li Yongpu participated in clearing and conveying the miner bodies himself at that time. He wrote in this way within his witness in July 1997: "Think it now, the scene under the well comes clearly into view, and it is too horrible to look at. The miner bodies are transported with the tramcar and carried with the basket. The work lasted seven or eight days. There were more than three thousand peoples according to initial statistic. I was a constant server that time. I had a chance to contact gangers. This was what I heard when gangers were making the Stat. Forms. (The witness of Li Yongpu, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”)  Bao Jingyang, a retired worker of Benxi Coal Mine, is the same as eyewitness of this great explosion. He said with memory: “we clear the mine well after the great gas explosion in April 1942. It lasted more than ten days. The bodies carried first are intact. They are carried to “Mass Grave” at the head of pit 4. Afterward, the bodies begin to rot and then are not intact. So we dig up with rake, and put them into tramcars. A tramcar carries three or four bodies. It is very dark in the cave. Sometimes, we break the arm and leg from the body carelessly. The dead and wound are innumerable. It must be more than three thousand. It is really tragic. ” (The witness of Bao Jingyang, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”)

Historical data 5: Remembering the situation that peoples came to send a telegram about the explosion in a hurry at 4:00 in the evening of April 27th 1942 in “Morning of Nightmare”, Xonggu Yingxong (Benxihu telegraph and telephone exchange) wrote: “I left at 1:30 in the afternoon. Chinese fellows said: ‘I heard that an accident had happened in the charcoal pit, and more than thirty Japanese died, more than three thousand Chinese died.’ People all said like this. (Quan Fangmin translated from “Taizihe?a century history of Benxihu” edited and written by Capital Benxihu Association. Japan Tokyo 1992 edition.)

We will find easily from the historical data mentioned above that the parlance of one thousand three hundred twenty seven industrial fighters died bravely at one’s post in the epigraph of the stale for industrial fighter died at his post is not true. It is a lie to conceal the great disaster to Chinese demos. The report of Benxihu Coal and steel Company limited seems well founded, but the discrepancy is 273 peoples between the report and the confession. Whereas they all conceal the fact in beguiling way in the proclaim enunciable by Japan and it’s puppet Manchuria government and the epigraph of so-called Stele for Industrial Fighter Died at His Post of Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited. We can make a conclusion with sake that: “to conceal the fact that the great explosion brought large tragedy to Chinese miners’ lives is general consciousness of the temporal Japanese government and puppet Manchuria under it’s control till Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited. About this, we can see it from the recollection of Xonggu Yingxong (Benxi telegraph and telephone exchange) in the “Morning of Nightmare”. He said:(April 27 1942) “About 6 o’clock, military policemen come and give a indication: ‘the news about explosion of the charcoal pit is not permitted to accept and hear.’” (Quan Fangmin translated from “Taizihe?a century history of Benxihu” which edited and writen by Japan Tokyo capital Benxihu association. It published by Xitian bookshop in 1992.)

Thus it appears that the report of Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited, though marking “utmost secret”, its position to conceal the disaster does not change. Hence though the number of the dead miners in this report is much more than that in the epigraph of “Stale for Industrial Fighter Died at His Post”, it is not still believed. By comparison, the confessions of Guhai Zhongzi and Yu Jingyuan are truer than the epigraph and the report. As confessions, they can be confirmed because Gu Haizhongzi and Yu Jingyuan confess with happening to have the same view that more than one thousand eight hundred Chinese miners died in the Benxihu gas explosion on June 3rd and November 30th 1954. It looks as if at least this two men relate in truth the fact that they get from their own procedure and channel about the information more than one thousand eight hundred Chinese miners died in the great explosion. But the difference between the confessions of this two men and the parlance of more than three thousand miners died by eyewitnesses who participated for themselves in clearing the scene and carrying the bodies from scene to up-well are more than twelve thousand peoples.

We don’t deny that Chinese miners who participated in clearing the scene and carrying bodies for themselves are very difficult to master accurately the concrete figure of Chinese miners’ death in great explosion under that condition, because it is with fail quite important and sensitive secret for Japanese. But for the question about the basic size of miners’ death, the figure said by Chinese miners is more believable than the confession of Guhai Jingzi and Yu Jingyuan. The reasons are:

(1) The confession of Guhai Jingzi and Yu Jingyuan should be comparatively believable, but it is a question whether the per sons and institutions who provide information is believable.

(2) Actually, numerous informants all point out that more than three thousand Chinese miners died in the great explosion in the course of investigating the survivals and eyewitnesses. There into, the old man Shang Baode still provides a piece of quite convincing evidence. That is “After 1945, more than twenty tramcars bones of the dead were dig up again from those tunnels when clearing tunnels in order to resume the production. For this, how can they say that only one thousand peoples died in the gas explosion? (The witness of Shang Baode, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”)

(3) As important evidence, Xonggu Yingxong has already mentioned in the “Morning of Nightmare” within the historical data 5, “people in the street all speak like this at the right explosion time”. It is obvious that the parlance that the great explosion divests more than three thousand Chinese miners’ lives is not one side speech of survivals and eyewitnesses of great explosion today, but the thing everybody all knew at that time. And the parlance of “more than thirty Japanese died ” (Include 29 exercitation students of Japanese Fukuoka Coalmine school. Penman noted.) is separately gained a confirmation by a good many experiencing persons and eyewitnesses of the great explosion and the “Benxihu Coal Mine accident process-verbal” wrote by Japanese. This also makes know that “all said like this” is well founded.

(4) There were large loss in three tunnels of five tunnels under the well at explosion time. “ Among all miners who went down the well in three digging areas that day, only a few survived, Most of them died in the disaster.” (The witness of Zhang Hongkun, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”) The overall number of the laborbers under the well as the accident happened is 4442 according to “Benxihu Coal Mine Accident Proces-verbal”. And it is taken as an important parameter to make certain the dead number of miners. But there is also a doubtful point: Membership laborers number is 12478 in accident day. At that time, miners worked in turn being separated into two teams. So laborers working in the well should greatly exceed 4442 peoples that day. It should be said that this also supported the parlance that the great explosion divested 3000 Chinese miners’ lives from one side.

(5) The dead miners may be divided into two parts by and large: One may be recognized by family members. The other are unusual workers made up of prisoners of war i.e. may not be recognized by family members, and they are many. It is worth doubting whether the special victims without families have been taken into account.

We can conclude initially that Benxihu Coalmine great explosion on April 26th 1942 made more than 1800 Chinese miners dead at least, and the idiographic dead figure mostly is more than 3000 from several sides mentioned above.

3. Great explosion and great tragedy thereof are a necessary evil consequence of Japanese policy of “human flesh mining”

What is the cause of Benxi Coalmine great explosion and the great personnel loss it made? Is it really “abruptly break out” or “it is difficult to rescue”(see above epigraph) according to the statement by Japanese Benxihu Coal and Steel Company in the epigraph of so-called the stale for industrial fighter died at his post? We see might as well the historical background and Japanese dispositions after the explosion.

(1) The unceasing upgrading resource plunder following Japanese aggressive war enlarge ceaselessly is the ultimate reason which caused the great explosion. An important aim which Japanese imperialism launched an aggressive war is enlarging the resource plunders to the occupational terra ceaselessly. The constitution and adjustment of the external economic plunder policy bases on the need satisfied ceaselessly to enlarge war. The coal, as an important war resource, is one of important predatory aims. For example, in order to satisfy the need of whole war invading China after “Qiqi accident”, puppet Manchuria controlled by Japan emended newly the so-called “Five Years Industrial Development Plan” in December 1937. The emphasis is to enlarge plan aim of the industrial and mining section, including a plan to make coal, aluminum electric power and liquid fuel etc. increase in 30-80% than former plan. (The inquisitive team of material adjusting committee of Northeast: “Northeast economic small series?resource and industry (second)” page 160, Xuehai press (Taibei), 1971. quoted from a secondary source:(Japan) Lingmu Longshi wrote, puppet basilica displaying station of Jilin province translated, “Japanese imperialism’s aggression to Northeast China” page 671, Jilin educational press, Jan. 1996.) In June 1938, Japanese government brought forward “the Brief Outline for Emending Material Mobilization Plan” again, “At the same time they requested that puppet Manchuria government should correspond consistently with Japanese policy to meet an emergency”(“Japanese imperialism’s aggression to Northeast China” page 673.) therefore, puppet Manchuria government emended the brief outline of plan again. It increased the important material production headed with iron and coal to satisfy fully the Japanese need. Japan started the Pacific Ocean War to the eye on December 8th 1941. At the same time Japanese economic plunder to China upgraded again. In order to meet this need of Japanese imperial, puppet Manchuria government released “the Brief Outline of Urgency Economy Policy”, requested “more strengthen and adjust the wartime system of industrial economy in order to satisfy fully the wartime emergency of Japanese. “Bring forward definitely nine urgency countermeasure which increase to transport the steel, coal, liquid fuel and farm primary products etc. to Japan. (“Japanese Imperialism’s Aggression to Northeast China”, Page754.) Hence, to extract the miners’ sweat and toil farthest, to increase the coal exploitation intensity, and to reduce cost in way of not providing all kinds of establishment including security in the coal exploitation. That was to push mighty the policy of “ human flesh exploitation” in order to sustain and satisfy the need which Japan enlarged ceaselessly aggression war by increasing furthest the coal output. It became a necessary choice for Japan to plunder Chinese coal resource. Under this condition, serious accident often happened under the well such as collapsing, losing tramcar control, watering and gas explosion etc. As a matter of fact, the omen of the accident was already quite obvious before the explosion. “ At that time, it has not any techno-safety measure and working protection at all. Take the protection of gas accident as an example, it has only one gas observer in one mining area, and he goes to the well for three day one week. On Sunday the gas observer is out of the under-well, so though this great gas and grime explosion which affected many mining areas has taken place, no observer died or wounded.” (The witness of Zhang Hongkun) “On the other day before the explosion the power supply is abnormal. Japanese let servicing workers rush to repair it several continuous days and nights, so workers are very tired. It is not normal still, Japanese urgent to supply power in order to produce coal. As a result it brings the gas explosion.”(The witness of Wang Qingzhen, digested from “Liaoning Mass Grave”) That day, “it happened that the low air pressure raided the Benxi area. Then fierceness storm broke the delivering electricity circuitry of the unusual high pressure, so the electricity has broken for several times in and out of the pit at 10:45 in the morning.” (Benxihu Coal and Steel Company Limited：“the process-verbal for Benxihu Coal Mine accident”，“utmost secret”， “May 6 1942”, Zhang Hongkun translated from “Taizihe?a century history of Benxihu” which edited and wrote by Japan Tokyo capital Benxihu association. It published by Xitian bookshop in 1992.) All appearance, the clear-sighted fire was likely to appear at any moment because the power system worked under unfit conditions for long period. And the low air pressure and fierceness storm lasting one day and the power was cut for long time made the gas including gas etc. both easy to get gather and not to eject normally. Under these conditions, Japanese did not take any steps to remove the danger thing, and even the gas observers did not show their faces, then they hurried up to supply power to produce the coal, as a result it made a great gas explosion. It is obvious that Benxi Coal Mine great explosion is anything but “abrupt burst ”. It is the necessary result for Japanese “human flesh mining” policy.

(2)   The policy of keeping the mine instead of miners is the essential reason for large quantities of miners’ death in the great explosion. “Human flesh mining” policy was carried out stoutly in the coal mining, and it did not change after the great explosion, it’s concrete behavior is “need mine but need not people”. Just as what mentioned above the first step that Japanese took after the great explosion was to order to stop two main aerators which still working in Laosanken tunnel and Liutang uplayer tunnel. And order “Japanese military policeman to give power to nets around the mine well, and close the door in order to keep family members from the well-mouth, and envelop the well-mouth.”(The witness of Ma Guozhi etc, digested from “Laoning Mass Grave”) The reason for Japanese take those steps was “they see the central inclined tunnel is still smoking, so they think fire maybe takes place under the well. The temporal company mining coal superintendent named Changteng Jingjun and the safeguard faculty director named Changshan Xiashou talk over each other, they are afraid of the fire enlarging.”(The witness of Zhang Hongkun) When the gas and grime explosion took place, it must effectively established the scheme that assured the oxygen supply of people being in danger under the well according to the situation of explosion scene and under-well people being in danger. The personnel rescuing is the first task, which already is a common sense established by usage in the course of coalmine rescuing for several hundred years. It is impossible for Japanese as the head of mining coal department and the director of the safeguard faculty to know this. The fundamental reason of their actions including “stop airing” and “envelop the well” is the inhuman position of their “need mine but need not people”. As a matter of fact, the direct aftereffect of Japanese “stop airing” and “envelop the well” was to make numbers of Chinese miners who avoiding the great explosion died for asphyxia and poisoning. Just as what elder Zhang Hongkun said: “The fundamental reason which results such great tragedy is Japanese steps including “envelop the well” and “stop airing” to keep the coal after the great explosion. These steps cut off the miners’ outlet to escape, and it results more than 1000 miners stifle under the well.”(Digested from “Laoning Mass Grave”)

(3) Another important cause of large numbers of miners’ death is that the Japanese don’t take measures to rescue in the great explosion. From the above state of process that Japanese coalmine principal managed the great explosion accident, we have seen that Japanese didn’t take any rescuing step aim at Chinese miners died in the accident. When Jinquan, the temporal highest principal of the company coal department, came to periphery of the accident scene, he gave an order to the mine ambulance corps firstly went down wells to search Japanese Shangye. He also ordered that “ carrying the body out at once if finding Shangye is dead”. It was obvious that the so-called task was not the real rescue under well but the rescue for Shangye Jianer. So they didn’t rescue even if they found the groaning Chinese miners. During all the rescuing process Shangye was the only person rescued and survive. (Zhang Hong kun’s witness) In fact we can also see from “ the process-verbal of Benxihu disaster accident” that Japanese didn’t do any rescue to people under well who died in the accident. “Ground aerators of tunnel 4 re-operating at 6:28 on the 27th morning then ground aerators of Liutang’s up and down two layers ground re-operating at 12:45 in the afternoon and the aeration got right. 500 horsepower in the central great inclined tunnel began to operate and do rescuing job. Miners began to repair the collapsed tunnels. Machinery staff began to repair machinery equipments. Aeration security staff began to repair aeration establishments. Carrying staff were organized to carry and collect the dead”. (“Taizihe?a century history of Benxihu” which edited and wrote by Japan Tokyo capital Benxihu association. It published by Xitian bookshop in 1992.) It is obvious that the rescue didn’t begin 16 to22 hours later after explosion and the major job of rescue were repairing kinds of equipments and carrying or collect the dead. The so-called result of rescue was nothing but for one survivor Shangye whose breath has stopped and pulse was weak. There was no second case of survivor through rescue even in the report written by Japanese.