Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-19
Dangers Of the Miner.


ance on this subject, and more prejudice against
the above class Of men, in the minds Of large
majority Of yermouters than should and would be
II the truth was known. Believe that the one
hundred and fifty thousand Of our population
which spend a few years Of miserable existence
in producing our coal from the bowels Of the earth
are an injured and mlsrepresented body men
They enter their subierranean workshops in the
morning and emerge hUm them Ia the evening
like train Of black ants They are born miners
and think TINT miners they should die Being
separated from the rcst of the world, they see and
know little OF human life. Many spend four
months in the winter without seeing daylight cx-
cept on Sundays
Their dangers are many and great They are
quauymen, who in addition 10 the wants and per
lis which are incident 10 all the hard labor on the
surface must be supplied with light and air boy
artificial means. And besides the common sources
Of danger, they are exposed To instant death by
food Of water fall Of the roof or TO be burned
alive by an explosion OF inhammable gas which Is
sues forth from the side and roof Of the cavern
which surrounds them. Besides the terrible and
tragic accidents Of coal mines which now aud then
startle the community the silent progress ofdsease
which makes the miners life 80 miserable and his
death so premature, Is no less appalling
Long deprivation Of solar light impoyenshos
his blood aud bleachos his color and the irritating
dust and fine coal which is held in mechanical
suspension in the air which he inspires literally
choke his lungs Confined space is another cause
Of misery to him. The height OF the mine is often
not more than four feet and bali, within which he
has to travel for hundreds Of yards (sometimes
FOR miles, 10 and from his work, and after reach
ing his solitary cell he has 10 labor all day within
the space Of two or three feet This stopping IN
travelling and constrained attitude ~ undermining
the coal, curves his back and wthcrs the extensor
muscles OF his calves and almost entirely disables
him to enjoy the erect and upright position Of
a man.
The extreme temperature in which he carries on
his labors makes his condition lamentabe Sixty
five degrees Fahrenheit is a common temperature
at the end Of the mines all the year round Az
ter exposure to this oppressive atmosphere during
the whole day, the miner suddenly energies into
the open air at the pits mouth, vitality depressed
by prolonged exertion, when the bitter wind is
shaving the surface at a temperature much below
the freezing point. Reader, how would you like
that? In the majority OF cases also he has to
work in foul air, for notwithstanding all the Off
is still execrable Besides the binding column Of
powder smoke which hovers about him for hours,
the little air supplied to him has to circulate some
times for miles through the mines, and to pass
over excrementitous deposits Of man and beast
and decaying woodwork Of tho mine, ere II reaches
him In enfeebled streams in his solitary working
cell, This is offensive and dangerous to the
miner that the presence Of iredamp Is considered
blessing and the ultimate loss Of life from this
cause is greater even than that from explosions.
Again, very many OF these mines gaseous
or fiery pits. They are projected down, with but
one means Of egress, into the very home of poi
sonous, inflammable, and explosive gases, which
make it not only dangerous, but absolutely i'm
possible 10 take an ordinary light into them. In |
such case, resort Is had 10 what is called the |
safety lamp" Bnt the light afforded by the |
most improved construction of the safety lamp is |
often inadequate for the purpose Of the miner |
And an unfounded but an interested confidence |
in the lamp itself has been productive Of the most
fearful loss Of life by causing work to be carried |
on in dangerous places, which otherwise would |
have been closed, and especially by loioering he |
standard Of reatRdtion.
Who can contemplate, without feeling Of hor- |
ror, the fact that hundreds Of our fellow-citzens
are daily buried hundreds Of feet deep In the bow
els Of the EARTH with but one hole OF ogress, |
which at any moment is liable TO be closed by an |
accident, cutting of all means OF escape and sub
jecting the imprisoned miners to a lingering and |
horrible destruction ? However good the yentila-
ton of the mines may be, unforeseen accidents may
happen at any moment, This is the very nature
of the dark realm In which he follows his daily voca-
ton. The pick Of the miner strikes an old mine
where carbonic acid gas has been for years OF per-
haps century, and the poisonous air PUSHES in and
does its work in an instant; or, sudden invasion
OF the carburetted hydrogen disengaged by a fall
OF the roof, meets him, and explosion Is caused
by this ungovernable demon Of the mines, which
crowd the pits mouth with multitude OF newly
made widows and orphans Thus either the fire
damp burns him to cinders, ora ehoke-damp noise
lessy blots ont his life.
Iairhayen, May, 1875. r. J. MATHEWS.