Synopses & Reviews
It was the Roaring Twenties, in the heart of Californias historic Mother Lode. The Argonaut Mine was one of Americas deepest, richest gold mines. Forty-seven miners were working the night shift on August 27, 1922. Some of the men working that late shift hadnt taken a day off in twenty-one days, and many of them expressed uneasiness about going to work that particular evening. That night, after their dinner break, the miners worst nightmare was realized: there was a fire in the shaft, trapping them 4,650 feet underground, with apparently no way out.
Drawing on primary sources to re-create the event with nail-biting accuracy, 47 Down provides a chilling narrative of the miners terrifying ordeal, the friends and family who kept hopeful vigil at the mines entrance, and the experts and rescue specialists who came from across the nation to help free the trapped men. Author O. Henry Mace researched the Argonaut disaster for seven years, sifting through stockpiles of newspaper articles, diaries, government reportsincluding the complete minutes and correspondence of the Governors Committee on the Argonaut Mine Disasterand other resources that were scattered throughout repositories across the United States to create this dramatic and riveting account of one of the worst gold mine disasters in U.S. history.
Through these rich primary sources, Mace paints a vivid portrait of the personalities and machinations involved in the Argonaut mine fire and rescue mission, including: Virgilio Garbarini, the seasoned, no-nonsense superintendent of the mine who fought doggedly against reversing the fans that would have drawn fresh air to the trapped miners; quick-thinking jigger-boss Ernie Miller, who had survived the Granite Copper Mine fire of 1917 and used his experience to try and shield his crew from the poisonous carbon monoxide that was quickly pouring down the shaft; and sharp-tongued Sacramento Star city editor Ruth Finney, who scored the scoop of the century and launched her career with her heartfelt coverage of the tragedy.
Documenting the dueling optimism and agony that stifled a city for twenty-two days, 47 Down tells a compelling tale of heroism, tragedy, and conflict as it explores the all-too-familiar theme of corporate greed versus worker.
Review
This volume details the fire in the main shaft of a Jackson, Calif., Argonaut gold mine, which trapped 47 miners 4,650 feet below ground in the summer of 1922. It took rescuers three weeks to get to where the miners were trapped by the fire as family members and friends, co-workers, the press and countless Americans awaited word of the foregone conclusion. Mace researched the mine fire for seven years; his dedication pays off in a well-rounded examination of the fire and the mining industry. Even without coming to a conclusion about which rescue plan would have given the miners the best chance of survival, he thoroughly explores the scientific and structural implications of each course of action complete with diagrams, technical data and testimony from those involved. Though Mace never really steps outside the facts long enough to capture the experience of the trapped miners, his intimate portraits of the miners’ families, mine employees and, especially, journalist Ruth Finney, explore the countless ways the mining disaster changed those who were close to it. Mace also smoothly connects the fire and the mining town of Jackson with bigger Am erican and world affairs like the war in Europe, immigration, Prohibition, advances in communication and the growth of women’s rights. Mace may not have hit the “Mother Lode,” but his tireless digging has certainly uncovered a forgotten nugget of Californian and American history. Photos.
(May) (
Publishers Weekly, April 26, 2004)
"Mace researched the mine fire for seven years; his dedication pays off in a well-rounded examination of the fire and the mining industry…he thoroughly explores the scientific and structural implications of each course of action complete with diagrams, technical data and testimony from those involved…his intimate portraits of the miners' families, mine employees and, especially, journalist Ruth Finney, explore the countless ways the mining disaster changed those who were close to it. Mace also smoothly connects the fire and the mining town of Jackson with bigger American and world affairs like the war in Europe, immigration, Prohibition, advances in communication and the growth of women's rights…his tireless digging has certainly uncovered a forgotten nugget of Californian and American history." (Publishers Weekly)
"Mace's "47 Down" is the riveting account of this tragedy and it has the same emotional impact of the recent best-seller "The Perfect Storm." Mace writes with taut prose, grabbing his reader by the collar… Drawing on newspaper accounts, diaries, government reports and official documents, Mace captures all of the drama and heartbreak of this event. This book is exceptional historical reporting and highly recommended." (Tucson Citizen)
"O. Henry Mace’s recently released book, 47 Down: The 1922 Argonaut Gold Mine Disaster in my words is... a damn good read! Wading in a calm little pond, by the time you’re in up to your ankles you find yourself pulled in by the quicksand of the story." (Amador Ledger-Dispatch)
"Mace has researched the subject so well that you will think that a mining engineer has written the tragic story of "47 Down". Not only does he do a remarkable job of making the reader feel and understand this colossal tragedy that captured the attention of all America, but he also does a great job of capturing the culture of the "tramp" hard-rock miner of the day." (Richard L. Bullock, D. Eng., P.E, Mining Engineer)
Synopsis
Advance Praise for 47 Down
"A gripping mystery story: Will the men trapped deep underground in a mine by fire be reached by rescuers in time? And why do these mining disasters occur, and reoccur, in our nations history?"
Gerald M. Stern, author of The Buffalo Creek Disaster
"This is as much a story about journalism as it is about a mine disaster. Women reporters assigned to chronicle the human side were called sob sisters for their ability to evoke emotion with words. O. Henry Mace pays tribute to the tenacious and creative Ruth Finney, whose storytelling skills framed the story for decades after her passing and established her as one of the early giants among women in journalism."
Eleanor Clift, contributing editor, Newsweek
"Most disaster books are predictable and dry, but O. Henry Maces 47 Down, the story of the 1922 Argonaut mining tragedy, is, quite simply, one of the best disaster books to come along in years. Maces taut, lyrical, intelligent prose combined with his thorough research and his film directors eye for detail and focus make 47 Down as compelling as The Perfect Storm and as memorable as Young Men and Fire. Mace takes the reader inside the Argonaut mine shaft and doesnt let go. This is a necessary book."
Denise Gess, coauthor of Firestorm at Peshtigo
Synopsis
A riveting account of the worst gold mine disaster in history
In 1922, 47 miners were trapped 4,000 feet underground by a fire in the Argonaut Gold Mine in Jackson, California. As the trapped men's families stood vigil at the entrance, rescue workers rushed to the mine from across the state. So did scores of reporters, and for two weeks the unfolding story was worldwide front-page news. Down below, a small army of rescuers, desperate to reach the 47, labored to restore an old tunnel that once connected the Argonaut to its nearby competitor and bitter rival, the Kennedy Mine. This gripping narrative tells a compelling tale of heroism, tragedy, and conflict as it explores the all-too-familiar theme of corporate greed versus worker safety.
O. Henry Mace (Sacramento, CA) has written on western history and assembled collector's guides to early photographs and Victoriana.
About the Author
O. Henry Mace has written on western history and has put together collectors guides on both early photographs and Victoriana.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
Chapter 1. The Greatest Fear.
Chapter 2. Like the Frames of a Movie.
Chapter 3. Their Worst Enemy.
Chapter 4. A Meeting of Minds.
Chapter 5. The Cream of the Crop.
Chapter 6. In Her Dark Frightened Eyes.
Chapter 7. Disappointments and Conflicts.
Chapter 8. Undercover Work.
Chapter 9. Breakthrough.
Chapter 10. The Hand of Fate.
Chapter 11. They Have Risen.
Chapter 12. Bound for the Same Place.
Chapter 13. Pointing Fingers.
Chapter 14. The Cause and the Cost.
Chapter 15. A Dynamic Conclusion.
Bibliography.