November 17, 2019 - Early in the morning on Nov. 20, 1968, a fatal explosion at the Consol No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia killed 78 men, changing the country’s history in the progress.

The tragedy, known commonly as the Farmington Mine disaster, weighs heavily on the hearts of many in Marion County every November, which has led to an annual tradition.

Seventy-eight miners died in the gas and dust explosion at Consolidation Coal Co.'s No. 9 Mine on November 20, 1968.

Every year, Marion County officials are joined by representatives from the United Mine Workers of America at the site of the Farmington Mine disaster memorial for a special ceremony, during which time everyone remembers the silver lining that came from the horrific event, according to Rick Altman, international vice president for District 31 of the UMWA.

“It is recognizing the fallen miners and their families, because those were the individuals who… gave up their lives to have safer mines,” Altman said. “That’s where the Coal Act came from. We want to preserve that memory. It’s something very special. …

“The laws of today have been written in red, and it’s not red ink. It’s the blood that was shed and the lives that were unnecessarily taken from their families that caused the laws to be what they are today.”

Altman referred to the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, which is still in effect today.

It requires two annual inspections of every surface coal mine and four at every underground mine, in addition to instituting fines and other penalties for safety violations, with legal action to be taken if violations are determined to be done knowingly.

The act also laid out basic safety and health procedures, and those who were permanently affected by mine-caused diseases like black lung were compensated accordingly.

Del. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, who held Altman’s position with the UMWA before retiring last year, was 11 years old when the explosion lit up the skies of Marion County.

Caputo said he remembers the event very well, noting that his father actually could have been a victim of the disaster if he hadn’t opted for a coal mining job closer to home.

Looking back at the event, he said that it was a monumental moment in getting the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act passed in 1969, which has prevented an accident of similar magnitude from happening ever since.

“For the first time, through satellite imagery, not only could the whole country see the devastation that the explosion caused, but the whole world,” Caputo said. “Before news could spread across America like it started doing in the 1960s, a coal mining explosion would rock the community, and people came together to help each other move on. …

“However, the coal company could just move to the other side of the hill, open up another entry, and start over again. They didn’t care much about the loss of life. They cared about the profits. But this explosion didn’t just rock that coal community. It rocked the world.”

Last year was the 50th anniversary of the disaster and that prompted the biggest memorial ceremony ever held at the site of the mine, where 19 of the 78 miners’ bodies have never been recovered.

At the ceremony, UMWA President Cecil Roberts spoke about the sacrifices made by the miners and stressed that those 78 men gave their lives so that other workers could be safe.

“There are people walking out here today who can breathe who would not be with us right now,” Roberts said at the ceremony. “They would have died years ago if it had not been for this and the legislation that was passed. It was activism from here and activism from across the state.”

Because of the tragedy, Caputo said that those who died in the accident can never be forgotten.

“Those 78 men are heroes,” Caputo said. “We made a commitment that we were never going to let those 78 lives be forgotten. We’ve held to that commitment. We have to be forever vigilant that nobody tries to roll those laws backward.”

Altman agreed and encouraged anyone who’s able to join him, Caputo and others this Sunday for a memorial ceremony reflecting on the 51st anniversary of the Farmington Mine disaster.

“Any life that is shed unnecessarily should always be memorialized,” Altman said. “To have an atrocity such as that happen, there should always be a part in someone’s heart. When you go out to that site, you can feel the presence of the miners who are still trapped. You feel that in your very core. …

“It’s truly a heartfelt and soul-moving experience to see the families and friends and dignitaries who come and pay homage to some of the people who helped carve out the laws in the coal industry today.”

The memorial ceremony will be held at the Farmington Mine Memorial in Mannington on Nov. 17 at 1 p.m.