The Day the Earth Caved in: An American Mining Tragedy

Having been born and raised in Mount Carmel, which is about 4 miles west of Centralia, I can claim some familiarity with this tragic series of events. As I am now the solicitor for the Borough of Centralia (or what's left of it), I know many of the people written about in the book. There are only about 15 or so folks remaining in the town, but these are people that absolutely refuse to leave. It's almost impossible to have all of the borough council offices filled, so next month we are going to court in Columbia County to receive permission to reduce the number of required council members. In the hard coal region, there are numerous people who were born, married from, lived in, and were buried from, the same house. Centralia, like most small hard coal towens, was an extremely close-knit community where everyone seemed to know everyone else, and everyone else's busines. As an example, in Mount Carmel when I was in high school in the early '60s, there were about 6 or 7000 people, but a letter addressed to my parents, with just their names and no address, would be correctly delivered to our house.That close-knit feeling in Centralia was shattered when Frank Jurgill (a high school classmate of mine), came running from the town dump in 1962 to announce that it was on fire. I take no stand on how the fire started. I know that Dave DeKok, whom I knew when he was a reporter here, and whose book I also own, disputes how the fire began. That really isn't the point of the book, rather it is what happened after the fire was discovered that is the heart of the book. These were folks who refused to leave their family homes until there was so much danger that they just had to go. There is a lot of anger on the part of the remaining citizens, who still suspect some type of conspirary to uproot them so that one of the former local politicians, who is involved in strip mining, has the opportunity to get control of the mineral rights to the ground, which now belong to the borough. It is that stubbornness to yield to what they perceive as an injustice that will keep those diehards in their town until the last one dies. I admire them for their courage in the face of adversity, and intend to continue to represent them legally as long as they will have me. They are true heroes, and when you read the book, you will easily pick out the villains in the woodwork.

In 1981 Carrie Wolfgang sees a cluster of federal officials across the street. Centralians were always suspicious of government strangers ever since the coal mine fire plagued their town 19 years ago. She calls her daughter, Flo Dombrowski, who dispatches her 12-year-old son Todd to investigate. Todd finds his cousin Erik fixing a flat tire on his motorcycle in Carrie's backyard. Todd, lingering with Erik, sees a wisp of smoke coming from the ground. Ever curious, he moves in closer. The ground caves in and swallows up Todd. So begins Joan E. Quigley's account of the disastrous Centralia, PA coal mine fire. This is not just the story of a coal mine fire, but the tale of the tenacious people who survived the frequent heartbreaking woes of a coal-mining community. The chronic oppression caused by the uncontrollable demon of fire, the insidious and relentless pollution, and the helplessness of the people facing the governmental bureaucracy begs the question of why they remained loyal to this town. Out of this morass, strong characters emerge who provide leadership in the struggle to save the town. Joan Quigley, an award-winning journalist, has interviewed the principals and examined the evidence to present this compelling book. She digs deep into the human spirit tested by this disaster.

I would not have thought that the story of a coal mine fire could be so fascinating, but Joan Quigley could probably bring excitement to any subject she chose to explore. Her portrayal of the characters and events involved is vivid and compelling, as is her scrupulous research. Highly recommended.

First-time author Joan Quigley tells the compelling story of the nation's worst mine fire and what it left in its wake; the book is an enjoyable read and a remarkable story. Extensive and meticulous reporting (plus Quigley's personal connection to the town of Centralia, Penn.--her grandfather and great-grandfather were miners there) allowed the author to craft a gripping story that reads like a novel. Through the residents of Centralia--fiercely holding onto their burning town--we move through the horrific drama and learn about the government's gross mishandling of the situation. I was quickly drawn into the narrative and would recommend this book to anyone interested in a well-told, (unbelievably) true story.

Joan Quigley's book tells the heartbreaking and gripping true story of Centralia, a small town sitting on top of an underground coal mine inferno that eventually consumed everything the residents had cared about for generations. Her meticulous research and elegant writing enrich the story with deeply human characters, and she makes painfully clear that corporate greed and governmental apathy fueled the fire that decimated the Pennsylvania town. Quigley, who is the granddaughter of miners, brings a personal passion to writing about the disaster that shows on every page. Her focus on the hard history of the coal miners who settled the town makes clear that the residents had to pick between desperate and dangerous choices from the beginning, and similar options brought the town to an end.