About

Black lung is a legal term describing man-made, occupational lung diseases that are contracted by prolonged breathing of coal mine dust. Call it miner's asthma, silicosis, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung—they are all dust diseases with the same symptoms.

Miners' asthma was first used in 1822 to describe the lung disease occurring among coal miners. The cause of the spitting, coughing, and breathlessness in coal miners was unknown, so doctors used the well-known word asthma to identify the condition. Later, silicosis became known as the disease producing breathlessness in miners who had worked where silica was thought to be in the coal mine dust.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis was the term British investigators used for the first time in 1942 to identify a type of dust disease observed in coal miners. The following year this disease, as distinct from, and in addition to, classical silicosis, became compensable in the United Kingdom. Like all occupational diseases, black lung is man-made and can be prevented.

In fact, the U.S. Congress ordered black lung to be eradicated from the coal industry in 1969. Today, over three decades later, it is estimated that 1,500 former coal miners die of black lung each year. That is the equivalent of a Titanic going down in the nation's coal fields each year. However, unlike the sensational news coverage of disasters such as the Titanic, black lung victims die an agonizing death in isolated rural communities, away from the spotlight of publicity.

While black "spittle" and black pigmentation of lungs were observed in European coal miners during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was not until 1831 that the term black lung was used for the first time to describe the lungs of a Scottish coal miner. From then until the end of the nineteenth century, coal mine dust was generally acknowledged in Europe to be the cause of the black lungs and the shortness of breath occurring among coal miners. In 1880 Émile Zola, in his famous novel about French coal miners, Germinal, wrote eloquently about the devastating effect of black lung.

My father was indeed diagnosed with the disease.  He died in 1964 of other causes.  The mines are a puzzle to me.  I think mainly because my Dad worked the mines.  While visiting W. V., I was able to get a better look at the places my Dad may have worked.  Welch is a very sad shell of it's once bustling self.  The mines have been shut down.  The houses run down.   You could see sadness in the faces of its people.  Greed is what has shut this town out.  Miners, who realized the danger involved,  wanted more than what the mining companies were willing to pay.  Miners had no choice but to think of their families if anything happened to them.  But there was no waivering from the mining companies.  Therefore, many people had to move away to find lucrative work.  The town of Welch also, experienced two major floods, which pretty much destroyed the town.  They have rebuilt some, but there are places that were once on the map for McDowell county, that no longer exist. 

We had the privalege of staying at a very quaint and lovely motel in Welch.  The Pocohantas Motel on Rte. 16.  Up the road there was a wonderful little restaurant called the Drive-In.  They had a wonderful menu with a very welcoming group of people working there.  The younger employees were wondering why people from Michigan would want to come to this small town.  Once we explained to them that I was born there, they began to understand.  Then the stories came about the mines, the floods, etc.  There is a lot of history in this small area of West Virginia.

My father had to find work somewhere, since there was nothing left to what he had come to call home.  He packed up the family and moved them to Detroit, Mich.  This moved proved to be a bad call.  Detroit was to big for people who had come from a very small town. 

From there my Dad and his brother decided to go to Grand Rapids to see what it had to offer.  This was more to their liking.  Believe it or not, they found a home in Grand Rapids for $10,000, which at that time, was still a lot of money.  Try buying a home today for that amount.  The neighborhoods all knew each other.  It's kind of hard to get away with much because everyone knew you.  Neighborhoods like this are few and far between these days. 

We had a great childhood.  I don't think anyone could have asked for a better one.  There are 7 children total in my family.  I am the 3rd oldest.  I have 5 sisters and 1 brother.  Of course we fought just like every brother and sister fight.  But, you know what, no-one else could do anything to either of us without all of us coming to the defense.  We were a very close knit family.  Over the years because I have moved away from GrandRapids, I don't see my sisters as much as I would like to.  My Mom passed away in 1996, so it is just us kids now. 

We all have children except for 2, my youngest sister and my older brother.  I have 3 children and 7 Grand Children.  My 22 month old Granddaughter lives with us.  We recently got guardianship.  So we are trying to raise her the best we can. 

 So much has happened since I first launched my website.  Please stay tuned.