The history of The Mountain State includes some dark stains that can never be erased or wiped clean. These disasters and accidents brought entire communities to their knees (here are 10 of them). And when tragedy strikes, no matter the location, it affects us all. The following incident is considered to be America’s worst industrial disaster, and it happened right here in West Virginia in the height of the Great Depression.
In 1930, a massive tunnel was begun. More then three miles was to be dug through Gauley Mountain in a project to divert water from the New River to a hydroelectric plant on the other side of the mountain.
The tunnel would be dug at an angle so that water pouring through the passage would travel downhill to create the force needed to power the turbines at the other end. But a huge problem occurred during the nearly three years of construction.
The project began on the banks of the New River near Gauley Bridge. Many of the workers were local, but many were also migrant workers who, in search of employment during the Great Depression, found themselves gainfully employed on the construction crew.
The project was to dig through three miles of silica-rich sandstone to reach the other side. However, the project wasn't considered a mine, so necessary precautions weren't taken to protect the health of the workers.
Almost immediately workers began to die; their lungs had filled with the fine particles from the silica dust. Those who weren't local were either buried on a farm in Summersville, or their remains were sent back to their families. New workers immediately replaced those too sick to work, or those that died.
No one knows for sure how many men died of silicosis, a condition of having silica shards embedded within their lungs. The best estimates are somewhere between 700 and 2000 men.
In 1972, the remains of many of those buried on that farm in Summersville were disinterred. Each was placed in a child size coffin and moved to Whippoorwill Cemetery in Summersville. A memorial (shown above and below) marks the cemetery.
The graves are unmarked and only noted by the impressions in the ground. An estimated 70 such graves are found at Whippoorwill. These men represent the estimated 700 to 2000 that died of silicosis in an era before industrial safety was on anyone's radar. The Hawks Nest tunnel deaths are considered America's worst industrial disaster.
From Hawks Nest State Park you can see both Hawks Nest Dam and the service entrance for the tunnel that still diverts water to the facility on the other side of Gauley Mountain.
It stands as a constant reminder of the crews of men that gave their lives to feed their families during the Great Depression. Whether native West Virginians or among the many migrant workers that also died, they will never be forgotten.
Do you remember hearing about this tunnel disaster?
To remember four of the worst natural disasters to hit The Mountain State, keep reading here.
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