Blog
40 years ago today…125,000 black, slimey elephants…
Written by Jimmy
Today is the 40th Anniversary of the Buffalo Creek Flood. A couple days after the US Government declared it safe, a damn holding up 500,000 cubic meters of coal mining run off (read black sludge) busted and flooded a small West Virginia town, killing 125 and displacing the whole town. At 4 degrees celcius, a cubic metre weighs 1,000 kilos. The largest elephant gets to about 4,000 kilos. So, imagine 125,000 elephants stampeding through your small town.
Jack White references the tragedy in his song, This Protector, taking the frame of refernce of the Damn.
This Protector, White Stripes, Lyrics
I never thought that I had to be this protector
so many thoughts inside my head a strange collector
But now
but now
but now
now, now, now, now, now
You thought you heard a sound
there’s no one else around
looking at the door
it’s coming through the floor
300 people living out in west virginia
have no idea of all these thoughts that lie within ya
but now
but now
but now
now, now, now, now, now
You thought you heard a sound
there’s no one else around
looking at the door
it’s coming through the floor