The editor of the newspaper noted that donora over the past few days has. The term was coined by jerry wexler in 1947, when he was editing the charts at the trade journal the rolling stones in the mid1960s. Environmental protection agencys region iii office in philadelphia, people thought of smog as a. May 09, 2015 a trip to donora pa must include a stop at the smog museum.
Click here to start a new topic please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes new to wikipedia. The donora smog disaster october 3031, 1948 images. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora. Donora was a town of 14,000 people on the monongahela river in. Residents had to keep lights on all day and the high school. Killer smog in donora pennsylvania october 1948 youtube. The smog continued until it rained on october 31, by which time 20 residents of donora had died and approximately one third to one half of the towns population of 14,000 residents had been sickened. Donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. In late october 1948 the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania was subsumed in a noxious smog. The donora fluoride fog a secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster this article appears in the fall 1998 earth island journal, by chris bryson. Although the mills have long since gone, today donora has a thriving industrial park.
The donora incident, which killed 20 and left hundreds seriously injured and. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvania, and london. Donora smog survivor, environmentalist concerned over new. Sometimes a resident of donora is on site to discuss the tragic weather inversion which trapped deadly smog from the zinc works decades ago. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum sixty years later, the incident was described by the new york times. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 7,000 people of the 14,000 population of donora, pennsylvania, a mill town on the monongahela river 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. Founded in 1946, the society and smog museum has exhibits related to. Donora smog disaster phmc our documentary heritage. The smog lasted about five days and killed approximately 20 people.
Special thanks to the donora smog museum, the donora historical society, and the library of congress teaching with primary sources program at california university of pennsylvania for use of their donora digital collection. Bodies were stored in the donora hotel, one of the towns historic structures still standing on the same road as the donora smog museum, opened in 2009 to keep alive the memory and lessons of. American values are not republican or democrat, said davis, who wrote about the 1948 donora smog emergency in when smoke ran like water, published by basic books in 2002. What atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. The towns population has dropped to a third of what its size was 65 years ago, thanks to the closing of the zinc and steel plants that. Within 1 month, about 70 had lost their lives and the town funeral parlor ran out of caskets. May 24, 2012 the donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora. Bodies were stored in the donora hotel, one of the towns historic structures still standing on the same road as the donora smog museum, opened in. They soon learned that 20 people were dead and half the town was sick. While during that last week in october the town seemed to be in chaos from the outside, reports from the pittsburgh postgazette from november 1, 1948 said otherwise. The clean air act has prevented another incident like that of the donora smog of 1948 and the london fog of 1952. Before donora, declares marcia spink, associate director for air programs for the u.
The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog. The donora smog event was devastating to the town, state and country. Weather and geography affect the location and severity of smog. Townsend, chief of the division of industrial hygiene, and by the. A fact from 1948 donora smog appeared on wikipedia s main page in the did you know. Linsky, editor, air pollution in donora, maxwell reprint. Formatin and effects of smog encyclopedia of life support. It jumpstarted the fields of environmental and public health, drew. An air pollution disaster over the two southwestern pennsylvania towns of donora and webster in october 1948 took dozens of lives, left thousands literally gasping for breath, and motivated the united states public health service phs to enter the arena of air pollution policy. The public dismissed air pollution as a necessary consequence for industrialization d. By friday, folks were crowding into local hospitals, but that didnt stop the halloween parade that same evening, when costumed. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that. According to the united states census bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.
Soundcloud 218 the donora smog disaster by the dollop published on 201611. Sep 16, 2019 signage inside the donora smog museum. Environmental health trust killer smog environmental. On this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can. Until october 1948, smoke belching from industrial plants in donora and elsewhere was considered little more than a daily nuisance. The donora pennsylvania smog in late october 1948, a noxious smog enveloped the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 262k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. From the ballad death in donora, recorded by folklorist dan hoffman folks in pittsburgh, johnstown, connellsville and the other steel and mining towns of western pennsylvania were used to smog.
Overall, donora pennsylvania was greatly impacted by the deadly smog event in 1948. The book features a two page spread that shows the smog museum image, as well a brief story on the 1948 smog and a mention of the donora historical society, the smog museum and this website. Environmental protection agencys region iii office in philadelphia, people thought of smog as a nuisance. This dissertation explores how investigations of donoras smog reflected and contributed to the. Smog victim on stretcher, donora, pa, november 4, 1948. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Request pdf on apr 1, 2001, benoit nemery and others published the meuse valley fog of 1930. The detroit news, october 31, 1948 donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Many credit the literary works of henry david thoreau or teddy roosevelts patronage of national parks as the roots of the green movement in the us. Because temperature regulates the length of time it takes for smog to form, smog can occur more quickly and be more severe on a hot, sunny day. The 1948 donora smog was the worst air pollution disaster in u. In fact, since the acts inception, emissions of toxic lead in the united states have dropped 98 percent.
The smog continued until it rained on october 31, by which time 20 residents of donora had died and approximately a third to one half of the towns population of 14,000 residents had been sickened. Cite journal requires journal bryson, chris fall 1998. Smog meant that the mills were running and the coke ovens burning. Unfortunately, no mea surements were made during the severe donora smog epi. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 6,000 people of the 14,000 population of donora, pennsylvania, a mill town on the monongahela river 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. The donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970.
In donora, pennsylvania, a smog cloud formed, consisting of a poisonous mix of sulfur dioxide so, carbon monoxide 2 co, and metal dust from the smokestacks of the local zinc smelter where most of the town. Scheele, surgeon general of the united states public health service. Industrial air pollution, public health, and federal policy, 19151963. The trace gas species formed in photochemical smog include the secondary oxidants ozone, pans, and inorganic sulfuric and nitric acids. The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog atlas. Nov 01, 2017 the donora killer smog introduced the word smog into the us lexiconand the idea that it could kill you, or shorten your life by making you ill, which is now a basic scientific fact. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds. Many credit the literary works of henry david thoreau or teddy roosevelts patronage of national parks as. A collection of artifacts of this dark time are displayed this is an educational experience. If the smog had lasted another evening the casualty list would have been 1,000.
Lois bainbridge of webster, pa, to the governor, october 31, 1948. Frederick encyclopedia of life support systems eolss pollutants. Cleaner air is legacy left by donora s killer 1948 smog. The donora killer smog introduced the word smog into the us lexiconand the idea that it could kill you, or shorten your life by making you. View all hotels near donora smog museum on tripadvisor. Aug 25, 2017 the smog continued until it rained on october 31, by which time 20 residents of donora had died and approximately one third to one half of the towns population of 14,000 residents had been sickened. Nov 14, 2012 what atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. This is not a forum for general discussion of the articles subject put new text under old text. Aside from the 1948 smog incident, the steel mill would serve donora well for the next 60 or so years until it started to close in the late 1950s and finishing in the late 1960s. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvannia, and london. View all attractions near donora smog museum on tripadvisor. Cleaner air is legacy left by donoras killer 1948 smog. Donora s 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.
This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the 1948 donora smog article. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you go. Death of 15 laid to smog and at least 50 ill in pittsburgh area. The towns population has dropped to a third of what its size was 65 years ago, thanks to the closing of the zinc and steel plants that used to provide employment for many of the towns citizens. Apr 22, 2009 smog deaths in 1948 led to clean air laws on oct. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum. No one was prepared for the black cloud that swallowed donora, a monongahela mill town, just a short drive south from pittsburgh, on tuesday, october 26, 1948. Also, sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped 35 percent and carbon monoxide levels have fallen 32 percent.
This dissertation explores how investigations of donora s smog reflected and contributed to the power of. Donora historical society and smog museum home facebook. Review of donora smog museum, donora, pa tripadvisor. Killer smog in donora pennsylvania october 1948 duration.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram. Stream 218 the donora smog disaster by the dollop from desktop or your mobile device. The editor told sadtler that the head of the alcoa and the us. Donoras 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. A museum commemorating the donora smog, which killed 20 people in october 1948 and sparked national outrage over air. Founded in 1946, the society and smog museum has exhibits related to the 1948 smog tragedy, founding of.
Over a fiveday period, the smog killed about 20 people and made thousands more seriously ill. Although the mills have long since gone, today donora has a thriving industrial park in the footprint of the original mill. The donora smog helped raise awareness of air pollution and its deadly effects on human beings and has even been credited with jumpstarting the clean air movement in the united states. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you. The anniversary of the worst recorded industrial air pollution accident in us history which occurred 50 years ago this october in donora, pennsylvania will go virtually unmarked. A trip to donora pa must include a stop at the smog museum. Death smog in donora, pennsylvania reading comprehension. This site has the entire 5,672 page text of the 2008 clean air act in pdf format. Sixty years later, the incident was described by the new york times as one of the worst air pollution disasters in the nations history. The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. The deadly donora smog of 1948 spurred environmental. Nov 29, 2017 the historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. Oct 27, 2011 on this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can. Print a read and math workbook with death smog in donora, pennsylvania reading comprehension.
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