Throughout the course of this civic issues blog I have discussed in depth the effects of coal mining on the environment in southwestern Pennsylvania. This blog has been an exploration of the consequences of an industry that is often forgotten in today’s society but still presides as the most popular source of energy in the nation. Since the nineteenth century the process of coal mining has become increasingly technological, meaning less miners underground and out of harms way. However, for my last blog I want to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children that worked long hours in terrible to conditions underground in the mines. These people risked their lives (and many still do) to provide fuel to build America. In many ways the Pennsylvania coal miners were the backbone of this country and the source that powered the industrial revolution. It is important that as the future builders of tomorrow we do not forget those of the past.
This picture shows just how little headroom miners had underground.
A miner drilling into the seam. This photograph shows how hard the work is for a face worker. The heavy drill, the noise, dust, lack of headroom, kneeling on rough ground and the constant danger.
The size of the modern shearing machines can be seen from this photograph. The coal is automatically cut and loaded onto a conveyor belt for transport to the pit bottom.
Boys prepared to head to work. Look how young they are.
The 21st century miner. Still not a job I would want to do everyday.
Tags: ci, Coal, mariasharpe, minbiole, rclspring2013, wk12
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A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner | Maria's Rhetoric and Civic Life Blog
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A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner | Maria’s Rhetoric and Civic Life Blog
Working in the coal mines was definitely very tough work. They had to deal with large amounts of dust which has been shown to cause black lung. Gas deposits in the coal could leak into the mine and poison the workers. Both suspended dust and the gas were explosive. Interestingly enough, it was also extremely hot down in the mines. The picture of the boys surprised me, as I had thought that breaker boys were mostly phased out in favor of mechanical methods of sorting coal.