The Appalachian Earthquake of 1897The Appalachian Earthquake of 1897
Rod and Steve share the story of one of the largest earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains, which happened in Pearisburg, Virginia, in 1897. Plus an announcement about our YouTube
Category: Disasters
The 1921 West Virginia Capitol FireThe 1921 West Virginia Capitol Fire
On January 3, 1921, a massive fire broke out at the West Virginia state capitol in Charleston. Not a big deal, you might be thinking, fires happen all the time.
The Tragedy at the Cowee TunnelThe Tragedy at the Cowee Tunnel
On December 30, 1881, 30 convicts, along with their guards, were shackled and deposited on the banks of the Tuckaseegee River near Dillboro, North Carolina, with a job to do:
Appalachia’s Deadly Railroad ExcursionAppalachia’s Deadly Railroad Excursion
After the Civil War, the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, decided to invest in a railroad to Cumberland Gap and Middlesborough. The first train to travel on that railroad from Knoxville
The Eccles Mine DisasterThe Eccles Mine Disaster
In 1914 a series of massive explosions occurred in the Eccles Mine No. 5 near Eccles, West Virginia in Raleigh County, West Virginia, leaving over 180 men and boys dead,
The Sanctified Hill MudslideThe Sanctified Hill Mudslide
Sanctified Hill was a section of Cumberland, Kentucky, where many retired African American miners and their families resided in homes many had built themselves. In 1972 heavy rains fell across
The Laurel Mine Disaster of 1884The Laurel Mine Disaster of 1884
The Pocahontas coal field, located in southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia, was one of the most productive coal areas in the United States. The town of Pocahontas, in Tazewell
The Buffalo Creek DisasterThe Buffalo Creek Disaster
In February, 1972, a coal company muck dam along Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, collapsed after a winter of heavy snow and rain. The resulting flash flood of
The Saltville Muck Dam CollapseThe Saltville Muck Dam Collapse
Christmas Eve, 1924, started like Christmas Eve always had, with people getting ready for family gatherings, caroling, and opening presents the next morning. That’s not what ended up happening in
The Eastman Chemical Plant ExplosionThe Eastman Chemical Plant Explosion
On October 4, 1960, there was a massive explosion at the Eastman Chemical Company plant in Kingsport, Tennessee. Several workers were injured or killed in an event the residents of