The West Virginia tunnel where black workers breathed pure silica dust and and were buried in secret

The Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster

In the early 1930s, Union Carbide built a tunnel through West Virginia’s Gauley Mountain. Three thousand workers, mostly African Americans fleeing poverty during the Great Depression, drilled through pure silica rock without masks or safety gear.

The company knew silica dust kills but did nothing. Workers died so fast they called the area “the town of the living dead.”

At least 476 men died from acute silicosis in America’s worst industrial disaster.

Here’s what happened at this tragedy you can visit at Hawks Nest State Park today.

Deadly Mountain of Pure Silica

Gauley Mountain contained sandstone that was 99% pure silica, a mineral used in making steel. Union Carbide found this valuable resource during early drilling.

They made the tunnel wider than planned to get more silica for their factories. This choice boosted profits but put workers in greater danger.

Doctors already knew silica dust caused deadly lung disease. The tunnel bosses knew these risks but chose not to protect their workers.

Workers Denied Basic Safety Equipment

Tunnel workers got no masks while drilling through silica rock. Managers wore masks during their short visits but gave none to the men doing the actual work.

The company used dry drilling instead of wet drilling that would have kept dust down. This saved money but filled the air with deadly particles.

Workers said the dust was so thick they could barely see and felt they could chew it. They breathed this dust during shifts that lasted up to 15 hours.

Brutal Working Conditions Under Gunpoint

Workers used drills and dynamite to blast through rock, creating dust clouds with each blast.

Black workers later told Congress they couldn’t even get short breaks in clean air. Bosses forced sick men to work at gunpoint.

A company man called the “shack rouster” carried guns and a club to force sick men into the tunnel. The local sheriff had given him power to do this.

Segregated Camps and Discriminatory Treatment

The company built separate housing camps based on race.

White workers lived four men to a unit with electricity. Black workers were packed twelve men into the same size units without power. Both groups paid the same price for housing – about half their weekly pay.

Black workers always got the most dangerous jobs with the most dust. This unfair treatment matched how blacks were treated across the South in the 1930s.

Rapid Tunnel Completion at Human Cost

Workers finished the tunnel in 18 months, much faster than planned. They drilled through 300 feet of solid rock each week.

The human cost was clear as workers fell ill. Only 40% lasted more than two months without getting sick from silicosis.

Just 20% made it past six months. Many left after seeing coworkers get sick or die, while others worked until they couldn’t breathe anymore.

Silent Mass Deaths from Silicosis

Workers began dying from silicosis weeks after starting the job. Tiny silica particles scarred their lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

Company doctors lied on death certificates, calling it pneumonia or a made-up disease called “tunnelitis” to hide the truth. Between 10 and 14 workers died each day at the worst times. About 80% of all workers got sick, died, or quit within six months.

Secret Burial in Unmarked Graves

Laws in West Virginia kept black and white people separate even in death. This created a problem as black workers died in large numbers.

At first, the company buried bodies in the riverbed under tunnel rock. When people started asking questions, they changed tactics.

Union Carbide paid a farmer named Martha White to bury black workers in unmarked graves on her land. An undertaker got $50 per body for mass burials with no records or family notices.

Congressional Investigation Reveals Truth

In January 1936, Congress began formal hearings about the disaster.

For three weeks, they heard from workers, families, and doctors about what happened. The company bosses refused to show up when called to testify.

Congress found the tunnel was built with “grave and inhuman disregard” for workers’ lives. The official report counted 476 deaths from 1930-1935, though later studies suggest the true number was much higher.

Corporate Evasion & Miserly Settlement

Workers and families filed over 500 lawsuits against the companies. After years of fighting in court, the cases settled for just $200,000 total.

The money was split unfairly. White workers got up to $1,000 while black workers received as little as $30.

Half of all the money went to lawyers who then agreed to drop all future cases. The companies never admitted wrongdoing and faced no criminal charges for the hundreds of preventable deaths.

Visiting The Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster Site

The Hawks Nest Workers Memorial and Grave Site is located at 98 Hilltop Drive in Mount Lookout, West Virginia.

The memorial includes granite markers and informational panels that explain the tragedy. Nearby Whippoorwill Cemetery in Summersville also contains remains of tunnel workers.

Hawks Nest State Park overlooks the tunnel area from high above the New River Gorge. The park has hiking trails and viewing platforms where you can see the river diversion point.

The Hawks Nest Museum inside the park’s main building displays photographs and artifacts from the disaster.

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