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What to Say?

I am not really sure why, but I feel pretty much lost for words. If you have opinions on why I may be feeling such, please let me know. In order to have something of value for you to read, I shall report on a History Channel report I watched called:

The Buffalo Creek Disaster

Much of this material has been obtained through Wikepedia. This occurred in 1972. The Buffalo Creek Flood was an accident that occurred on February 26, 1972 when a coal slurry impoundment dam built on a hillside in Logan County, West Virginia by the Pittston Coal Company burst. The resulting flood unleashed approximately 132 million gallons (500,000,000 L) of black waste water upon the residents of 16 coal mining communities in Buffalo Creek Hollow. Out of a population of 5,000 people, 125 people were killed, 1,121 were injured, and over 4,000 were left homeless. The incident completely levelled the town of Saunders, W.V. (the current town of Saunders is not the same one that once was located in Buffalo Creek).

625 adult survivors sued the Pittston Coal Company, seeking $32,000,000 in damages, but settled in June 1974 for $13,500,000. A second suit was filed by 348 child survivors, who sought $225,000,000, but settled for $4,800,000 in June 1974. The state of West Virginia also sued the company for $100,000,000 for disaster and relief damages, but Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr. settled for just $1,000,000 three days before leaving office in 1977.

Gerald M. Stern, an attorney with the law firm of Arnold and Porter wrote a book entitled The Buffalo Creek Disaster about his experiences in representing the victims of the flood. The book includes descriptions of his experiences dealing with the political and legal environment of West Virginia, where the influence of large coal mining corporations is significant. Sociologist Kai T. Erikson, son of Erik Erikson, wrote a study on the effects of the disaster on the Buffalo Creek community entitled Everything In Its Path. The book later went on to win the Sorokin Award, an accolade handed out by the American Sociological Association for "outstanding contribution to the progress of sociology."

I recall when this happened, but am surprised to find I had basically forgotten about this horror until I happened across this documentary. I am not sure why it did not stick as permanently as other disasterous events in that time. It sure should be common knowledge to anyone with a high school degree.

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