Late Labor Day Post with Thoughts on the No.9 Mine

This Monday, many in the United States celebrated Labor Day. The organized labor movement is controversial with many in the US, given its siding (for the most part) with labor over capital. I recently read a sobering book on the No.9 Mine in Farmington, West Virginia, the site of a major occupational disaster on November 20, 1968, that killed 78 miners. The events in Farmington provide a clear example as to why the labor movement arose, and it provided the impetus for more serious regulation of the mining industry at the federal level. 

Bonnie Stewart was the author of the book on No.9: The 1968 Farmington Mine Disaster, and she relied partially on interviews with survivors and the families of the dead, along with official reports from government investigations and the company records. The events of November 20, 1968, were not the first time that the mine exploded. A similar event occurred in 1954, but the number of deaths was much lower (16) because of a smaller Sunday workforce. However, it was clear that the company (Consol) ignored safety precautions because slowdowns or shutdowns of production hurt the bottom line. Indeed, there were concerns in the days leading up to the explosion that dust and gas levels in the mine were dangerous. Additionally, the company rigged breakers to keep production up when gas levels supposed to cut power to the mine. 

Some of the final miners removed from No. 9 in a bucket (Wikimedia Commons)

There is sometimes a belief that companies will do the right thing, and some (perhaps many) will. However, Consol did not. Safe levels of methane and coal dust were a known factor, and the company decided not to follow safety recommendations in the pursuit of more profits. There was also some evidence that people with ties to the company might have forged some of the log books related to fire boss inspections on the night of the disaster. Because the company would not regulate itself, the US government stepped in with the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act. 

The actions of the company reminded me of an article I read on Don Blankenship and the Upper Big Branch disaster at the Massey Energy mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, in 2010. Blankenship's mine attempted to dodge federal inspectors, and bosses told men to "run coal" despite dangerous conditions, which shows that the love of money can lead to many evil outcomes. For his part, Blankenship served a year in jail before running for the US Senate in 2018. Disasters like those at Farmington and Upper Big Branch provide clear evidence that labor organizations and governmental regulators are necessary to protect the interests of laborers from the desire to make another dollar at any cost.  

I Submitted a Manuscript

One of my last posts on this blog looked at how long it takes to write a book. The idea I tried to put out into the Interwebs was tied to the belief that small efforts over a relatively long period of time can lead to productivity and completed projects. Near the end of last month, I completed a draft manuscript for a project I'd been addressing on and off for about seven years. The topic is a West Virginia senator from the last century who is not named Robert C. Byrd, although Byrd shows up fairly frequently in the text. 

The final manuscript draft was about 110,000 words, counting all notes and a bibliography. I received a confirmation that the editor I'd previously contacted had received the draft, along with a note that it would take a while to review. I fully anticipated that this would be the case. My hope is that he will be able to bring it up at his next board meeting so that the proposed book can be out within the next 18 months or so.

Of course, there is the possibility that the reviewers and the editor decide not to proceed, which would be disappointing. I have to say that I was pretty satisfied with the draft, although I'm absolutely sure that there will be revisions regardless. 

I have a few ideas for the next project I'll submit, and I've started thinking/researching a couple of them. One is more theoretical, while the other would focus on the Spanish flu and resemble (at least to a degree) my previous book Big Pandemic on the Prairie. You can buy that book here. (Not an affiliate link.) Both of those would probably be about half the length of the most recent manuscript, so writing 500 words per day on those would lead to about 100 days of writing, although it's likely to take quite a bit longer for me to research and write them. However, looking it in those terms regarding words per day can make the process of writing a book seem much more manageable. 

I'll be sure to update the progress of the submitted manuscript, and I may provide updates as to the progress on the other projects I'm looking into.