Published: April 15, 2008 12:29 am            

Homer Hickam: A West Virginian legacy

FAIRMONT — Coal mining is part of West Virginia’s heritage, with 117 coal seams in West Virginia, 65 of them are considered mine able.

Fifty-three out of 55 counties in the state produce coal, thus West Virginia produces about 15 percent of the total coal production in the U.S.

Mines are changing with today’s fast technology. To go down in a mine today, a visitor must go through training. Before, visitors watched a video; now one must actually put the equipment on to know what to do in a situation. For example, everyone must have an oxygen tank, and now there are oxygen pallets underground to refuel. Before, a miner had to exit the mine to receive oxygen, but now there are oxygen pallets stationed throughout the mine. Each unit can last up to one hour.

Robinson Run Mine just completed a major renovation, adding more conveyer belts to make it a more modern mine. Robinson Run is 36 square miles, larger than the city of Manhattan and is also the largest coal producer in West Virginia, producing 6 to 7 million tons a year. It had the best safety record and the safest mine in West Virginia last year, according to Tom Hoffman, a Consol Energy public relations director.

Joey Dodd, who works at Robinson Run Mine, explained.

“There are sensors to tell if something has too much carbon dioxide. If something starts to steam to create a fire, fans, fresh water supply, dust control, and back up pumps kick on. The monitors pick up the slightest things and can tell us if there is too much carbon dioxide so we can notify someone to get there and check things out.”

When it comes down to coal, West Virginia native Homer Hickam is no stranger. He grew up in Coalwood, a coal mining town in McDowell County. On Feb. 28, Hickam returned to West Virginia to visit Robinson Run Mine in Marion County as a part of Miners Appreciation Day and to promote his latest novel, “Red Helmet.”

Roger McClain, the safety inspector at the mine, wanted to bring Hickam to Robinson Run Mine because it was one of the first mines to open in 1968, around the same time that the Rocket Boys were in their childhood.

“Everything was very clear and sufficient. It was a great day today. I was terribly impressed! They even showed me how the computer works. It is more sophisticated than NASA,” Hickam said.

Hickam came to the mine to discuss many things, including his book and the idea of a national miner’s day. He has written many books, including “Rocket Boys,” “The Coalwood Way,” and his newest book, “The Red Helmet.”

He also started a scholarship at Marshall University for children and grandchildren of mine rescue helpers because his father started the first mine rescue help team.

“I want to bring attention to the miner industry because people believe coal mining is the past, that there are more important industries besides mining coal. Well, if we stopped mining, we would have an economic collapse,” he said.

Over 50 percent of energy is derived from coal, and it will increase in the future. Coal is the single best source (of energy) of the United States.

“Red Helmet” was written to bring to the readers the beauty of coal mining. It tells the way coal mining is today. Written as a romantic love story, it’s a clash of cultures.

“I decided to write a book when the Sago Mine incident occurred,” Hckam said. “I was asked to comment on it on TV networks NBC and CNN, and I started telling how coal mining was beautiful.

“It’s like a symphony. It’s just beautiful. I also got a chance to meet family members, and I already signed to write another book, so I really wanted to write about today’s coal miners.

“But the question was how to get people to read it. So I decided to write a love story. I created a New York woman, whose dad was like Donald Trump. She fell in love with a young West Virginian coal miner, so she has to move to West Virginia — talk about a culture shock!

“Her dad ends up buying the coal mining company, and she gets a degree to check things out in the mines. She ends up having to figure out what is wrong and in order to go in the mine, she has to wear the red helmet.”

        

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