The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) this week announced the publication of "Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry's Last Major Catastrophe, January 22, 1959."

The 268-page book is a companion volume to the best-selling "The Knox Mine Disaster" (1999).

The authors are Robert P. Wolensky, professor of sociology and co-director of the Center for the Small City at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Nicole Wolensky, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iowa and Kenneth C. Wolensky, a historian with PHMC.

The book tells the story of the 1959 Knox Mine Disaster through the voices of survivors, victims' families, newspaper accounts and through literature and music generated by the tragedy. The tragedy claimed the lives of 12 men at the River Slope Mine near Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County. The Knox Coal Company had ordered that the mine be illegally excavated beneath the Susquehanna River and the force of the icy water broke into the mine trapping 81 workers. Most escaped but 12 men were never found and remain entombed.

Never in history had a river crashed through a coal mine causing 12 billion gallons of water to flow into the mine. This catastrophe forced the shutdown of deep anthracite mining in a large area of Pennsylvania, which resulted in the loss of 15,000 jobs.

"The Knox Mine Disaster is one of the worst deadly mining events in American history. Using personal memories and contemporary accounts, this book helps readers to better understand how deeply people were affected by the disaster and its continuing legacy," Franco said.

The new book can be purchased for $16.96 (plus $4.00 for shipping and handling, 50 cents for each additional copy, PA residents add 6 percent sales tax) at fine bookstores and from: Publications Program, PHMC, Commonwealth Keystone Building, Plaza Level
400 North Street, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120-0053, Telephone: (800) 747-7790 for Visa and MasterCard orders

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (www.phmc.state.pa.us) is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

2/4/2005