On this day in Labor History the year was 1948.
That was the day that a thick yellow fog rolled over the town of Donora, Pennsylvania just south of Pittsburgh.
Donora was a mill town, nestled in a valley on the bank of the Monongahela River.
By 1948, the town had grown to 14,000 people, who came to work in the town’s steel mills and the Donora Zinc Works.
For years the local residents had complained about the pollution that spilled from the plants.
Smog was a regular occurrence.
But this fog was even worse than usual.
A layer of cold air was trapping a noxious blend of nitrogen dioxide, sulfuric acid and fluoride pollution.
Twenty-four hours passed, and still the fog grew denser.
The police and local doctors began to receive reports of people having difficulties breathing.
The fog became so thick that residents could not see to drive.
For five days the smog hung over the town, until a rain fall began to break it up.
Nearly half of the towns’ residents became ill.
Twenty died.
U.S. Steel refused to take blame for the fog, even though they continued to run the plant as the deadly toxins continued to build.
According to a 2010 article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Despite the efforts of industry to cast the tragedy as an “act of God,” the fatalities in Donora received national attention. The event changed the way air pollution was viewed, moving it rapidly from an aesthetic issue to a public health concern, and spurred local, state and federal officials to control toxic air pollution.”
In 2008 a Smog Museum opened with the motto “Clean Air Started Here.”
November 10 - Suicide or Murder?
November 9 - Remembering Philip Murray
November 8 - Dorothy Day is Born
November 7 - Eisenhower Wields Taft-Hartley
November 6 - The Fight for Equality
November 5 - The Everett Massacre
November 4 - Will Rogers is Born
November 3 - The Greensboro Massacre
November 2 - Sixteen Tons
November 1 - The Deadly Consequences of Scabbing
October 31 - Happy Union Made Halloween
October 30 - Wall St. Lays an Egg
October 29 - Alice Doesn’t Day
October 28 - The Pony Express
October 26 - America’s Florence Nightingale
October 25 - NY Daily News On Strike!
October 24 - Eight Hours for Work, Eight Hours for Rest, Eight Hours for What We Will!
October 23 - John Sweeney is Elected
October 22 - Pretty Boy Floyd Is Gunned Down
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall
The No-Frills Teacher Podcast
Heal, Survive & Thrive!
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast