▁th riv ed ▁at ▁Cap els , ▁Care tta , ▁Co al wood , ▁and ▁Ber wind . ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁Bart ley ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁Mine ▁explos ion ▁killed ▁ 9 1 ▁min ers , ▁and ▁subsequently , ▁Hav aco ▁No . ▁ 9 ▁mine ▁explos ion ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁claimed ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁coal ▁min ers . ▁ ▁Ext raction ▁of ▁the ▁low - vol atile ▁coal ▁continued ▁un ab ated ▁through ▁the ▁energy ▁bo om ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁this ▁coal field ▁has ▁been ▁on ▁the ▁decl ine ▁and ▁out m igration ▁has ▁ro bb ed ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁ 7 5 % ▁of ▁its ▁population . ▁( In ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁Mc D ow ell ▁County ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁which ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 2 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census .) ▁Yet ▁today ▁there ▁are ▁a ▁few ▁medium ▁to ▁small ▁surface ▁and ▁deep ▁mines ▁still ▁operating . ▁ ▁Co al ▁cam ps ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁coal ▁cam ps , ▁also ▁called ▁coal ▁towns , ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁P oc ah ont as ▁Co al field ▁are : ▁▁