Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-06-14
Communicated.)
COAL MINING In SOUTH
WEST VIRGINIA.


While the people of Eastern Vir-
ginia busy themselves with farming,
fishing and oystering. local commerce
and other occupations, they think
but little abont other resources Of
the State. A trip to the southwest
counties would be, to many, as it has
been to me, revelation of the vast
wealth of the Old Dominion. All
through this section, and especially
in this county, Wise, there are vast
mineral resources. Among them coal
and iron take the lead, and of these
soft coal is found in greatest abun-
dance. The process of mining this
is very interesting, and to those who
wish to know more about it | re-
speetfolly submit the following
description. The mine l shall try
to describe is that owned and operat-
ed by the Virginia Coal and Iron
Company, Pennsylvania capitalists.
The location is in the Cumberland
Mountains, about two miles from the
Kentucky line.
A few feet above a very narrow
valley lying between two very high
mountains, vein or seam of excel
lent soft coal crops out on the side
OF the mountain. At convenient
place is an opening called the spit.
mouth" This Is the exterior end of
a tunnel nearly two miles long,
which, fortunately, preserves about
the same level as it follows the coal
seam. This tunnel is called "main-
heading" and from it branch tun-
nels (headings) go out at different
angles, usually ut right-angles. From
these branches sub-branches are
turned off, so that the arrangement
of the headings resembles somewhat
the branching and rebranching of
symmetrical tree. At this time, after
six Years of digging, the tunnelled
area embraces about one thousand
acres. Just here / will say that
coal vein is rot long and narrow as
the word vein suggests; it is broad
and continuous in all directions over
many acres of land. The seam in
this mine averages six feet three
inches thick. AT the edges it is, OF
course, only few feet below the
surface; but far back, it is hundreds
of feet below the top of the noun
tain. The floor and ioof of the
vein are of slate or sandstone. The
stratum above the coal is in most
places thick and solid enough not to
need props, but often it is so unsafe
that strong timbers have to be used
ito hold it up. The falling of this
roof is the cause of most of the ac-
cidents in the mines.
In such maze of tunnels as you
probably imagine exists, and as really
does exist, too much of moisture,
dust, foul air and noxious gases
would accumulate if it were not for
a most interesting system of yentilla-
tion. Parallel TO the main heading
mentioned above, there is a second
tunnel having its branches. This is
not operated as a mine; that is, they
do not get coal out of it, now that
they have extended it back far
enough for the purpose of ventilla.
ton. At the exterior end of this
tunnel is big fan turned very fast.
This fan drives constant stream cf
fresh air down the tunnel, through
its branches, into the branch tunnels
that first mentioned, and out
through the main heading. Thus
constant circulation is kept up, and
impurities accumulating within are
forced out and give place to fresh
air. Contrary to what one would
likely suppose. there is very little
water in the mine. The walls are
always damp, but this is due not so
much to filtration from above as to
condensation of watery vapor con-
tained in the air famed into the
mine. There are, of course, some
places where small streams gush
forth, and other places where there
is much dripping, but such places
are exceptional.
Such is the mine. How is it
operated? To give full account OF
this would require More space than
am allowed; hence / may give
only the salient features of the
method.
There are bosses and other bosses;
mine bosses, slate bosses, dirt bosses,
driving bosses. Under these men
serve a great many laborers and
miners. Notice that miners are not
classed as laborers; such is not the
custom. The miner comes to the
mine with his pick, lamp, oil, powder,
and "grub-bucket" containing food,
water, and oil-joyful; is assigned to
one of the many digging points, all
which are carefully mapped down;
he enters the pitchy darkness, and,
by the flickering lamp on his cap,
finds his way to his place. BY pick
l. 4