Coal Mining in Pennsylvania

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Coal Miningin Pennsylvania

• Dylan Kevech
• Jamie Finch
• EGEE 211

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The Process of Pennsylvania Coal Mining
Slope Mine

• Coal is too deep to allow surface mining.
• Coal is parallel to the ground.
• Called slope mine because shafts are slanted.
•  Only used when drilling straight down is not
  possible.
• Slope mines are not usually deep.    

This picture demonstrates a typical slope mine
with a shaft that is slanted to reach the coal
bed.
http//library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00461/images/s
lope.gif
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Bell Pit
Open Face Mining

• Used when other mining is impossible.
• Consists of straight shaft dug by hand.
• Miners are connected to a rope when in the mine.
  This rope is also used to hoist miners and coal
  upwards.
• Usually very small and shallow. Miners can only
  mine so much before the ground gives way.

• When a coal seam breaks through and is visible
  through the ground.
• One of the earliest forms of mining.
• Coal is harvested with picks and shovels.
• Least dangerous.
• Small quantities of coal.

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http//www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bmr
/historicalminingreports/historicalpictures/images
/117aOutcropping20of20coal20veins-mono.jpg
http//www.swannington-heritage.co.uk/graphics/sca
ns/bellpit.jpg
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Room and Pillar
Long Wall Mining

• Rooms are cut into the coal seam 20ft wide
  leaving pillars in-between the cuts.
• Much coal is wasted in pillars.
• Many Irish immigrants were given the dangerous
  job of robbing the pillars.
• The pillars prevent much ground subsidence

• Continuous miner is used. No need for hundreds of
  real miners
• Leaves no support behind for coal that has been
  removed.
• Major cause of Land subsidence
• The most popular type of mining in use today.

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http//www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/bmr
/act54/Image12.gif
http//www.miningmatters.org/images/lwsystem.jpg
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Evolution of Machinery

• First tools were a pick and a shovel
• Coal was drilled, then explosives were inserted
  into the hole and blasted loose.
• First I would drill a line of holes about three
  feet apart and as deep as the drill bit would go,
  the one I used was about 4 long. I would then
  put in a ½ copper pipe and tamp clay around the
  pipe leaving a small hole when I pull out the
  tubing. I always used black blasting powder
  because if I used dynamite I would have to wait
  for all about an hour or two, if not it would
  give you a headache. Blasting powder allowed you
  to continue working as soon as the smoke cleared
  and the dust settled. Next I would take the
  squib, insert it into the hole with the powder
  packed in. The last thing I would do is scream
  fire and run as fast as I could. Then the hard
  work started.- Frank Kevech Sr.
• Under cutting machine
• Electric powered drill.

This picture is an old undercutting machine made
by Sullivan used by Frank Kevech Sr.
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Old Mining Equipment on my Familys Farm
Old Mine Cart
Generator Used to Power Equipment
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Sullivan Undercutting Machine
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Dangers of Coal Mining

• Collapse-Roof could Collapse because of poor
  timbering. Slate could cause the coal face to
  slide down on top of miners.
• Mine Fires
• Centralia- Underground coal mine fire that has
  been burning for many years. Many attempts to
  stop the burning have failed.
• In the Winter months, dry cold air enters the
  mine and takes the moisture from the dust
  creating a dangerous coal dust that could catch
  fire.

• Flooding
• The Knox Mine disaster of 1959
• The Wyoming Valley in Luzerne County
• Miners went too far towards the Susquehanna River
  and the river broke through
• Train and mine cars were tossed into the river to
  fill the hole. Finally plugged with cement and
  stopped the water flow.
• 12 Miners were killed in the accident

http//www.wvia.org/RIVER/images/KnoxMine.jpg
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Child Labor

• Children sometimes accompanied their Fathers into
  the mine to help expedite work and increase
  production.
• Young Children were put to work as breaker boys,
  brattice boys, spraggers, and runners
• Children were paid very little for their work.
• Breaker Boys were beaten by breaker bosses.

http//www.geh.org/ar/strip19/m198500810022.jpg
http//static.flickr.com/46/189110668_1252280ba1_m
.jpg
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The Environmental Impact of Coal Mining in
Pennsylvania

• Longwall mining has caused severe damage
  especially near my hometown.
• Loss of water
• Loss of Homes
• Destruction of Property

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As the longwall machine extracts the coal and
moves forward, the machine leaves nothing behind
to support the ground. Therefore the land falls
in to fill the void.

• Resulting in
• Loss of water to house
• Loss of water for farm animals

With this loss people have to resort to using
water buffalos. These water buffalos dot the
hillsides in mining communities.
www.wvdhhr.org
www.rayproffitt.org
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Destruction and Loss of Homes
Mining causes homes to subside which causes
people to move and relocate from the area in
which they grew up.
www.dep.state.pa.us
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Destruction of the Land
www.dep.state.pa.us
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Acid Mine Drainage
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Mine Reclamation
Mine Companies are supposed to go back after
they are all done mining and fix the area so that
it is able to be used in the future www.lr
ca.org http//www.mg.mtu.edu/mining/hill1.jpg
However, this is not always the case!
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Pictures!
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Remains of a Shutdown Syn-fuel Plant
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Tour of 84 Mine
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• Resources
• Interviewed Frank Kevech Sr., Talked about Mining
  processes and machinery.
• Wikipedia The Online Encyclopedia, Coal Mining,
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colliery
• Underground Coal Mine Types, http//66.113.204.26/
  mining/coal/undergnd_mining.htm
• Virtual Tour of Coal Mining Western Pa,
  http//patheoldminer.rootsweb.com/
• Toured Mine 84 in Washington, Pa with Stanley
  Kevech (photos of active site)
• Interviewed Scott Finch on the Environmental
  Effects of Mining
• The Ten Mile Valley Protection Network
• The Tri-State Citizens Mining Network
• http//library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00461/images/s
  lope.gif

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• http//www.dep.state.pa.us
• www.swannington-heritage.co.uk/graphics/scans/bell
  pit.jpg
• www.rayprofitt.org
• www.miningmatters.org/images/lwsystem.jpg
• www.wvia.org/RIVER/images/KnoxMine.jpg
• static.flickr.com/46/189110668_1252280ba1_m.jpg
• www.geh.org/ar/strip19/m198500810022.jpg
• http//