SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 6

(By Senators Phillips, Caputo, and Stollings)

[Introduced January 12,2022]

 

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 23-018/00-000.74 (23A084), currently known as the Holden Box Beam, carrying County Route 18 over Copperas Mine Fork in Holden, Logan County, the “Holden 22 Coal Miners Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, The production of coal has brought a livelihood to many people in the state of West Virginia, but at times it has also come at a great cost to the miners and their families. A single disaster in a mine may impact an entire community with grief to be felt in many families for generations; and

Whereas, The community of Holden, West Virginia, was hit by such a tragedy on March 8, 1960, when a fire ignited during the day shift in the tunnels of the Island Creek Coal Company Number 22 Mine, commonly known as the Holden 22 Mine; and

Whereas, Shortly after 8:00 a.m., a large fire broke out near the 3 Left Overcast deep within the mine. Mine crews immediately positioned fire-fighting equipment – including a water car, an 80-gallon chemical truck, and high-pressure rock dusting equipment – at the site, but they could make very little headway against the large, hot fire. There was a massive rockfall as several of the wooden timbers collapsed, blocking off 200 feet of passageway, and, soon after, the power was cut off inside the mine; and

Whereas, Twenty men were trapped behind the fire and rockfall, but they also attempted to extinguish the fire and they tried to determine the best way to exit the mine via other slopes or entries. After discussion with the section foreman and the safety engineer, two men, Kyle Blair and Willis Carter, then attempted to reach the 3 Left Entries to the mine through a small opening, with a plan to open large airlock doors to “short circuit” the air and smoke away from the fire. It took these two men hours to make their way as they had to crawl through other areas of fallen rock, dense smoke, and noxious air, but they did manage to reach the entrance. They would be the only two of the trapped miners to make it out alive; and

Whereas, Teams of state and federal inspectors, company officials, rescue crews, and first responders arrived at the mine that afternoon and quickly assessed the situation. Rescue work began immediately as these crews explored access into the mine by way of alternate entrances and they continued efforts to fight the fire at its source. These efforts persisted through the night and into the next day; and

Whereas, Families of the miners and first responders gathered outside the main entrance of the mine while crews inside ran water lines and air hoses into the mine, constructed stoppings, checks, and line curtains to control the flow of air away from the fire. Rockfalls and the need to carefully manage the flow of air, left almost no open, travelable openings to the fire, all of which impeded the rescue effort; and

Whereas, Over the next seven days the crews made heroic efforts, at considerable risk to themselves, to reach the trapped miners. They were hindered by the intense heat of the fire, collapsed ceilings, and, as one rescuer stated, “smoke so thick you could poke a hole in it with your finger”; and

Whereas, Rescue crews first reached trapped miners on March 15, 1960, discovering a group of 14 men, all of whom appeared to have been overcome by carbon monoxide from the fire. The next day, two more deceased miners were found and, the day after that, two more were discovered, with the body of the last victim brought to the surface at 4:45 p.m., on March 17, 1960; and

Whereas, Fifty-three mineworkers entered the mine on day shift the morning of March 8, 1960, but the following eighteen men did not make it out alive and were never to see their families and friends again:

 

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial to be established commemorate the 18 miners who perished in this disaster and the selfless dedication of the many miners, rescue teams, and first responders in their efforts; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 23-018/00-000.74 (23A084), currently known as the Holden Box Beam, carrying County Route 18 over Copperas Mine Fork in Holden, Logan County, the “Holden 22 Coal Miners Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “Holden 22 Coal Miners Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.