The Coal Mine, No.5

On March 25, 1947, a disaster occurred that changed many people’s lives forever. In the coal mine, No.5 in Centralia, Illinois; 111 miners lost their lives due to a terrible explosion. One of the things that make this tragedy so hard to imagine is that it could have possibly been prevented. Many people voiced their concerns and made an outcry for help but it was not enough to prevent this tragedy. Driscoll Scanlan was a mine inspector that inspected the district that Centralia Mine No 5 was in. Scanlan inspected the mine several times before the explosion and found several deficiencies at that time. This paper will seek to examine other logical alternatives that Scanlan could have addressed, his obligation to bureaucracy and constitution and also other paths of action for Scanlan.

After each inspection of the mines in Centralia, Scanlan would send his report and his recommendations to the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals. He noted that the mine was explosive, due to the buildup of coal dust. He reported 106 recommendations including 33 major ones. Martin defines major as a hazard that “could result in disaster” (p. 31). In 1942, Frank Prez, conducted a federal mine inspector, conducted an investigation and his recommendations were similar to Scanlan. The four logistical alternatives Scanlan could have addressed were to shut down the mine, file a suit against the government, utilize media outlets and made a personal appearance to the main office and present his finding to the head of the company. Scalan had the legal right to shut down the mine and although he continued to make recommendations, his recommendations were never considered. Scanlan could have also utilized the newspapers and made the issue more known in the public to bring awareness to the public. If the public had likely known about these issues and the fact that the miners lives were in danger, there might

have been a different outcome. Also, if Scanlan had produced his finding to the head of the company, they also would likely have taken action to protect their own workers.

Scanlan