CARLISLE AND WHIPPLE

I am lumping these two together because I can't tell where one ends and the other begins.

The first company at Whipple was Justis Collins' Whipple Colliery Co. An explosion at the mine in 1907 killed 16 miners. The Whipple mine was later the property of the New River Company, and they closed it in 1957.

Carlisle was named after a town in Scotland. The White Oak Fuel Co. began mining here in 1899. Later the New River Co. ran it, and they closed the mine in 1965, but not before 21 miners died in an explosion of the mine in 1915.

Both the Whipple and Carlisle mines were in the 48-inch Sewell seam of coal. For a time the shaft opening at Carlisle was known as "Oakwood".

Lowell Thomas, the newscaster from radio's golden era, once broadcast from inside the mine. According to Shirley Donnelly, Thomas's over-the-air broadcast said, "...600 feet underground in the Whipple mine of the White Oak Coal Co. near Mount Hope, in the heart of West Virginia, 70 miles east of Charleston ... All around me are the tunnels - 50 miles of them-from which coal is brought from distant parts of this mine by small electric trains - 1,800 tons of it a day. To keep it dry down here, four times as much water much be take out of the mine each day - 8,000 tons of water, and 1,800 tons of coal. To make it safe as possible, non-inflamable powder is used for shooting down the coal. Miners use electric lamps on their fibre helments, instead of the old-time carbide flame, and white dust is spread all around - non-explosive dust - to keep that terrible black coal dust from exploding and blowing up the place, as used to happen so often." Also, Mr. Thomas asked coal operator Colonel S.A. Scott to come up to the microphone, and he asked, "Mr. Scott, are things any better in the mines as far as both miners and employers are concerned?" To which Col. Scott replied, "We've had our difficulties, but, for the time being, the seem to be ironed out." In case you don't know that was a question about organized labor.

It reads, "Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church put a graveyard on this hillside back in 1906. Church records tell us 139 men and boys sleep there under the marker 'killed in mine accident.' This sign serves as a reminder to all who pass by of the total sacrifice made by many of our forefathers in the struggle to carve a life for family and friend from these beautiful hills of West Virginia. Say a prayer for those who died in the darkness so we can enjoy the sunlight. Visit the cemetery on this hill. Cheer the Knights of Columbus of SS Peter and Paul, who dedidcated this sign on Memorial Day 1996, the 90th anniversary of their Catholic Parish. And stop to admire the memorial to coal miners located at the tourist center on Route 19 in Oak Hill ... The original Catholic church in this area is there at the left, on the hill beside the cemetery which lies above you. Over on the right, note the company store which stands to this day. This very sign stands at the spot where the SS PP parish hall once up on a time greeted one and all. May that same spirit send you on your way. Go with God!"