The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-04-14
How Coal is Mined is Western Maryland.

| FRosTBURG, Md, A pril 6.-Accompanied b,
! Messrs. James L. Bateman and job Lees, Will
| visiting in the Allegheny mountains last week
| paid visit to the Consolidation Coal Mine
! Ocean No. 2, where we were met by Mr.. JOIN
| Davis the foreman, and james w. Thomas
! who conducted us through the mine, which il
| shape reminds one of an old tree with two
broken limbs on one side. The first heading
We entered reached depth of 1000 feet the
| second the same distance, and the third head
| ing carried lis to depth of 4,00o feet, where
| Mr. Davis introduced us To the mysteries OF
| coal mining. | was asked to take hold of Il
pick and try the work, which was found al
easy task after it had been undermined ana
sheared by the miners before they left for their
dinner, and after few strokes OF the pick
quite good lump fell, showing us q beautiful
quality of bituminous coal, which from this
mine supplies the trade of Frostburg Md. Mr..
| DAVIS then explained the mode of mining and
| the manner in which the miner keeps his bear
| ingS. First the miner undermineS the coal to
the depth of his pick and to the width of the
heading, which is about feet. Then he begins
at the Sides and from top to bottom he enters
the coal in the same manner as he does at the
bottom, to the depth of his pick, on both sides.
This he calls shearing. After the shearing is
done the props are taken out of the bottom
cut and square steel wedges are entered at the
top and are driven until the coal will notify
the minor, by cracking sound, not unlike the
roar of a cannon ct Il distance, that it is time
for him to make his retreat. He does this and
the coal falls outwards into the heading, in
quantities of from to tons. The miner
then loads the coal into cars, places his check
thereon, and out to daylight goes his car so
cents being credited to the owner of the check
found on the car.
He keeps his bearings, which are furnished
from plot Of the surface of the mountain, by
two plumb hobs, hung at distance of from 6
to feet apart, which must spit the flame of
the miners lamp, which is held against the
rock of coal, at least ten to twelve feet away,
though some of the miners have become so ex-
pert that they have only to start short dis
lance on a straight line when they will run to
the boundary of the mine land without further
trouble of taking their bearings
At first after you have your little lamp
lighted ready to do its work, you enter the
shaft and descend gradually through black
mud ankle deep until you have reached a level,
by which time your eyes have become accus-
toned TO the light, when you can see very
plainly. You observe large props on both
sides of the heading and heavy cross ties rest
ing on them every ten inches to two feet, which
are placed there as the heading is dug out, TO
ensure safety to those working therein. The
only danger the miner has to contend with in
these mines is the black damp, which is easily
detected by the lamp you carry being sudden
ly extinguished. After this discovery the air
pump is used until the mine is filled with pure
air, when you can enter and work with safety.
At intervals there are mir shafts cut from one
heading to another, which creates steady cur
rent of air, which prevents the accumulation
of the black damp. There are also what are
called rooms cut out from the sides of the
heading, as for instance, the vein is much
wider than the heading and the boundary
line will not admit of another heading, when
the rooms are cut in at intervals of 20 TO 80
Ieet apart ana the coal Is 1nlned TO the outer
line of the boundary. The spaces left between
these rooms and air shafts are left as pillars
to support the weight of the mountain above
and are sometimes robbed by the miner, when
the land above will cave in, oftentimes costing
the lives of many poor miners.
After having landed safely on terra flrma
and each supplied with a large chunk of coal
that he had mined, and having Invested our
selves OF what mud and smut we could and
thanking Mr.. Davis who, by the way, is one
of the most obliging and affable gentlemen l
burg, where we partoox of a most hearty din
ner, each one telling of his adventures in the
mine, and how much more his head SWAIN than
the other, but no one was frightened, most as
Suredly not.
word for Frostburg and its inhabitants
GU will meet, ! am sorry to say, very few
Democrats, but the most pleasant and OPEN
hearted people in the world-kind-hearted and
liberal TO a fault, and all that is required of
you is that you be made of the right material
and you can travel on to prosperity as fast as
you choose, but you must do it on the square.
The city is not as beautiful as it could be made
and you will find very little Of the fancy there.
| asked one OF the business men of the town if
could not sell him bill of paint as thought
n good deal could be used to beautify the town,
and he replied, I'VE have no time here to paint
houses; we 20 business and make money" My
trip was of three days duration, and | assure
you left Frostburg and the many pleasant
friends found there with sincere regret.
FB.