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Events/Disaster · 1930

Hawks Nest Tunnel silicosis disaster

Disaster, 1930 to 1935, United States.

What happened

Construction of a three-mile tunnel through Gauley Mountain began in 1930. Dry drilling through almost pure silica gave workers silicosis. NPS says at least 764 died and a majority of the dead were African American.1,2

Why it matters

NPS calls it the greatest silicosis death toll in US history.1,2

Story cards

Around the same time

  1. Hawks Nest Tunnel silicosis disaster

    NPS calls it the greatest silicosis death toll in US history.1,2

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Where next

Mines

An example ofWittenoom (Colonial Mine)Two dust disasters: silicosis at Hawks Nest and asbestos at Wittenoom.1

Sources

  1. Hawks Nest Tunnel Disaster US National Park Service
  2. Gauley Bridge (item Q2245446), coordinate location P625 Wikidata

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Super Pit, Kalgoorlie by Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Chuquicamata from the ISS by Alexander Gerst (ESA), CC BY-SA 2.0.