The Donora Death Smog (Patreon)
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Locals were complaining about the pollution from the mills for many years before and after the deadly smog. Here’s an extract from one letter penned by a woman named Lois Bainbridge (a resident of the nearby town of Webster) on the last day of the Donora smog.
"I would not want men to lose their jobs, but your life is more precious than your job. They closed the smelting plant today. Was found that you could breathe normally without having the air polluted with acid fumes. Webster was here before the Donora Zinc Works was constructed, so why should we suffer? A beautiful town is now almost a ghost town..."
This letter in particular is interesting, as it really captures the essence of the problem in a single sentence: "I would not want men to lose their jobs..."
The need for jobs was the exact reason why action wasn't taken sooner. Even though she was writing when the disaster was still ongoing, Mrs Bainbridge really hit the nail on the head with her letter!