Sago Mine Disaster / Appalachian Coalfield Stories
Author B. L. Dotson-Lewis has compiled a detailed account of the Sago Mine Disaster and other mining disasters in the coalfields of West Virginia. On January 2, 2006 the nation and the world learned that thirteen coal miners were trapped underground, fate unknown, following an explosion. Trapped 260 feet down and 2 miles into a mountain, these miners became the focus of a media frenzy as the tragedy was broadcast all over the world while family, community, fellow coal miners, and the nation at large held out hope for a rescue. This book contains a detailed time line of events, interviews with family, memorial remarks written by Homer Hickam, an open letter to the families of the miners from lone survivor Randal McCloy, Jr., testimony from the mining foreman and extensive photographs of the event. Other topics covered in this book include the Hawks Nest Disaster, the legacy of Black Lung, Coal Camp memories, and mountain top removal. 301 pages.
