Letters to the Editor....
Memories of the Knox Mine DisasterFebruary 10, 2007 Dear Editor: I am a retired American-European history educator from the Windsor, NY School District with an extensive background in the history of New Immigration era of 1892-1924, especially Slavic and immigrants from Eastern Europe. I grew up spending my summers at my maternal grandparent's home in Cecil, PA (about 25 mi. southwest of Pittsburgh)from 1943-1955. My grandfather and 3 uncles all worked the bituminous mines in the Bridgeville-Sygan-Cuddy area. All the mines were part of the Pittsburgh Coal Company's operation in supplying coal for the steel mills in Pittsburgh, especially during World War II. (Yes, I am proud to say that I also have coal dust in my veins!) I served aboard a US Navy destroyer [USS DAVIS DD-937]from 1958-1960 and on January 23, 1959 as our ship pulled into San Juan, PR, the ship's tv set had the CBS News on and first film of the Knox Mine Disaster. One of our "M" division crew members named Walt Rygelski, MM2/c, also saw the video as we both came off watch from bringing the warship into port. Walt stated that he lived near Plains, PA and that his family probably knew some of the 12 miners who were killed in the disaster. My recollection, which has been forever etched in my mind (of that time of black and white television ),was the big swirling hole in the river as the Susquehanna River emptied itself into the Knox Mine and, a few days later as we prepared to leave San Juan and continue with Gunnery Exercises, the later pictures of the number of gondola cars and mine cars being dumped into the gaping hole in the river. Unfortunately, Walt Rygelski was killed in an auto accident in New Jersey as he returned to the ship from leave later that spring. He is remembered as one of our deceased crew members at our annual navy ship reunion. Every year on my weekly radio show, I continue to honor the memory of the coal miners from the Lattimer Massacre, the Harwick Mine Disaster(near Pittsburgh) as well as the Knox Mine Disaster. Oh yes, I used to take personalized escorted tours to Ellis Island from 1991-2001 in my capacity as an Ellis Island charter tour specialist and historian. I also used to pick up people in the Scranton area at the Viewmont Mall on my bus tours to Ellis Island from Binghamton. In 1993, Tom Supy, the mine foreman of the McDade Mine and his wife, came with me on a trip sponsored by the Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church of Binghamton, NY. To introduce Mr. Supy to the parishoners on the bus and to make him and his wife feel most welcome, I asked a show of hands of people who were sons and daughters of coal miners. Of the 48 people on the bus, 25 women and 10 men raised their hands. After that, it was a great bus trip to Ellis Island for everyone, including the singing of Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn folk songs on the return trip. I just thought you'd like to know that the continued memory of the immigrant coal miners and their families is not forgotten on my show . From time to time during the year, I also mention coal mine-related (both anthracite and bituminous ) items of interest to my world-wide audience. Daniel Jan Walikis From the: ANTHRACITE HISTORY JOURNAL |
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