The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-07
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE BRAIDwooD DISASTER.
The Scene of the Recent Fearful ColIiery
Disaster in Illinois.

The Scene of the Recent Fearful Colliery
Disaster in Illinois.
To the Editor or the Indianapolis Journal
1t may be of interest to readers of the
Journal, in view of the Bradwood coal mine
disaster, to know something of the way coal
mining is conducted in that locality. In
passing from Wilmington to Braidwood in
1875, 1 noticed small dwelling in which the
upright and lean-to, had parted company at
the top. On inquiry of my companion, L
was told that the miners were removing the
coal from beneath the main part of the build
ing, which had settled, with the entire sur
face some three or four feet, but at an in
clination which separated kitchen and up
right at the top several inches. Upon visit
ing the mines the following day the matter
was made clear enough. The coal is worked
abreast as the miners express it; that is,
the entire seam of coal is taken out for a
width of a city block or more, no columns or
walls of coal being left to support the shale
and earth above.
To protect the miner at work, rough sticks
of timber, called prop timber" are set up
on end to support the ceiling. These sticks
vary from cordwood size to that of the
largest railroad ties, according to the thick
ness OF the seam. After a short time, how
ever, the great weight of earth above causes
the ceiling to gradually approach the floor of
the open space left in the rear of the adj
valcing miners until it is entirely obliterated.
The prop timber is of course, lost, and the
supply of it forms winter industry for the
few possessing wood lands within teaming
distance
Braidwood is in the prairie region, and
wood occurs only on the water courses. To
the student of geology the locality is one of
considerable interest not only for the fossils
which are found mainly at Wilmington, four
miles distant, but also from the fact that
within linear surface distance of three miles
one passes from the upper coal measures of
the carboniferous age down to the Niagara
group of the upper silurian, and even to
the Cincinnati rocks of the lower silurian.
Fossils of both the latter. formations are
found about Wilmington. Between Braid
wood and Wilmington the sub-carboniferous
and Devonian rocks are entirely wanting.
OF the glacial drift and bowlder clay little
is seen, as the fat prairies of the vicinity are
mainly covered with the river and lake al
luvium deposited from the melting glaciers
during the Champlain period. The immense
vertical skip or omission of thousands of
feet of rock, in an absolutely fat prairie
country, is the main geological feature of
this region. There is little drainage. Braid
wood is one of the muddiest towns in Hi
nois Dwellers of the central region of In
diana can form no conception of the abso-
Lutte blackness and dreariness of the streets
of an Illinois or northern Indiana country
town in wet season. The black mud is
equal to the red clays of Bloomington. Ind,
for filth and tenacity.
1t can be readily seen, with the entire
prairie country flooded with water, how it
was possible for the earth to give way over
the mines and food the rooms and drifts of
the ill-starred Diamond mine. Such dis
aster could only occur, of course, in an ex-
treme rainy season, such as has devastated
the Ohio river towns and lowlands, and to
one familiar with the locality, it suggests
rather the power of the element than the
carelessness of the coal company. Braidwood
is as much a miners town as Leadville, and
at the time of the writer's geological and col
Letting visits. in 1915, it had much the
character of Colorado town, only modified
by its location in civilized and well-settled
community. A large portion of the miners
are foreigners. They are well-behaved, usu-
ally thrifty and in full sympathy with
American systems of school, church, etc. 1t
is ptiable that legislative political intrigue
should deprive the families of those lost in
the Diamond mine from the State aid they
so certainly need. A, w. BRAYroN.