The Hawk's Nest Incident involved injuries and deaths as the result of the construction of the Hawk's Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia as part of a hydroelectric project. The three mile tunnel, diverting the New River under Gauley Mountain, was constructed by Union Carbide beginning in 1927. In the tunnel, they discovered silica and the workers were asked to mine this valuable mineral used in the electroprocessing of steel, but were not given masks for protection, even though management wore such masks during the short times they visited for inspection. As a result, many workers, mostly poor and African American, died from silicosis, sometimes as quickly as within a single year. There are no definitive statistics, but several sources agree that resulting fatalities probably totalled approximately 700 of the 2000 workers. Gauley Bridge is a town located in Fayette County, West Virginia. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... The New River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long, in the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia in the United States. ... Union Carbide Corporation, headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, is a United States chemical manufacturer, now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Silicosis (also known as Grinders disease) is a form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. ...

Muriel Rukeyser wrote a poetry sequence, "The Book of the Dead," about this disaster, which can be found in her book, U.S. 1 (published in 1938). Muriel Rukeyser Muriel Rukeyser (December 15, 1913–February 12, 1980) was a Jewish-American poet and political activist, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice, and Judaism. ...

A nearby West Virginia Historical Marker at Hawk's Nest reads: A scenic view of the New River Valley from Lovers Leap, in Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, West Virginia Location of Hawks Nest This article is about a location in West Virginia in the United States. ...

"Construction of nearby tunnel, diverting waters of New River through Gauley Mt for hydroelectric power, resulted in states worst industrial disaster. Silica rock dust caused 109 admitted deaths in mostly black, migrant underground work force of 3,000. Congressional hearing placed toll at 476 for 1930-35. Tragedy brought recognition of acute silicosis as occupational lung disease and compensation legislation to protect workers."

Resources

• The Hawk's Nest Incident by Martin Cherniak (1986)
• Dying for a Living: The Hawk's Nest Incident, section of Trust Us, We're Experts by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Trust Us, Were Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future is a book written by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. ... Sheldon Rampton (born August 4, 1957) is the editor of PR Watch, and the author of several books that criticize the public relations industry and what he sees as other forms of corporate and government propaganda. ... John Stauber is an American writer and political activist who co-authored five books about propaganda by governments, private interests and the PR industry. ...

External links

• About the Hawk's Nest Incident