Appalachian Coal Mining

I sat there in the dark alone listening to the dripslowed the forward progress of the mines. Dad
of water in the distance. Dad was ahead at theand Claude used electric mining cars and cutting
face of the mine setting the black powderequipment, with a belt line following along to
charges before leaving the mine for the night. Iquickly move the coal. They pushed ahead of the
heard a creaking sound above my head, and Iother two mines by driving strait back into the
moved to another waiting position a few feetmountain to get ahead of the competition.I recall
away. Suddenly a huge bolder about twice myone evening when I was alone on the outside that
size fell on the spot that I had been setting just aI decided to go into the mine and meet dad as he
moment before. Dad had told me to listen to thewas coming out. All I had was a flashlight, but I
rocks and that they would warn you beforeknew that all I had to do was follow the belt line
something happened.Black powder was used forand the electric car tracks until I reached them.
the last shot of the day, it was cheaper and theOn the way I noticed one of the openings into
smoke would have time to clear out before thethe adjacent mine and had to take a look. I was
next day. During the day we used dynamiteshocked as I stepped over into the other mine. I
made from nitroglycerin and sawdust that did notcould see the main haul line with the cut out roof
produce as much smoke. The miners hated theand then row upon row of props for as far as I
round boulders that stuck to the roof betweencould see. I did see a wall of coal along one side
the coal seam and the sandstone ceiling. Youand as I peered around the side it turned out to
were always bumping your head on them orbe a very thin wall with more rows of props and
when you least expected it they would fall,no pillars. The wedges at the tops of the props
blocking the road way or tracks in the mine.were pushing out from the weight of the
These boulders consisted of a very heavy rockmountain. I sure was glad when I got out of
unlike the sandstone or the fossils found in thethere. A common practice in taking out coal in the
border area of the ceiling. They are black like themountains, is to tunnel through the mountain
coal and smooth like something left over fromleaving pillars as you go to support the mountain.
the past when the coal was still exposed to theWhen you reach the far side, you then start
surface. They could be fossils like the thousandsretreating removing the pillars as you go. The
of bamboo looking rocks that have to be pickedmountain then drops down closing off the mine. I
out of the coal.That was one of my jobs to leanhad never seen props left in the mine to hold it
over the moving belt line and pick out the rocksup. Dad and Claude used roof pins along the main
and fossils as the coal passed by. I was aboutroute to support the roof. Claude had even
thirteen when dad starting taking me to the mineinvented a wooden roof pin that work great in
during the summer months. He said it was to giveareas were there was water seeping in through
me something to keep me busy and out ofthe ceiling.At the end of the day we would all
trouble while school was out. On Friday he wouldgather below the tipple and bath in the pool
give me ten dollars for the week and I wouldcreated to hole water for washing the coal. When
spend it on the Saturday movies. Once he gaveLarry was with me we would quit early and go
me a hundred-dollar bill by mistake and I did notswimming. As we were in the mountains and the
realize it until I paid for my movie ticket. Ofroad was hardly ever used we did not bother
course I brought him the change back.Being awith swim suits. Larry and I were taking our usual
boy, I played around the mine more than Iswim one evening when two girls and a boy
worked. As long as I made up a good pile ofshowed up. They must have lived somewhere on
dummies, paper bags about a foot long and thethe mountain and they looked very rough. They
size of the dynamite sticks, and was aroundstarted making fun of us and throwing rocks. We
when the belt started running, I was free to roamwould not come out of the water as we were
and play on the tipple or explore the mountainnude. Then one of them hit Larry in the head with
side.I must have some attachment to the coala rock. Before I knew it I was all alone, Larry was
mines of the Appalachian mountains. I was born inout of sight chasing them down the road, naked
a small coal mining community in the easternas a jaybird. He did not catch them and I am glad
Kentucky coal fields. Dad was a supervisor inhe did not because he sure was mad and I had
charge of one of the mining crews. He startedseen him in fights before.Coal mining in the
mining in western Kentucky and had taken a jobmountains is quite different from level country.
near Seco, Kentucky in 1941. I was born thatYou never know how high the coal seam will be.
year in a coal mining town. On December 30,Dad told me of one mine he visited that the
1970, I awoke after having a nightmare about aseam was so high that they had to use telephone
coal mine disaster and I shared the vivid dreampoles for props. However, it did not last for long
with my wife. I had never dreamed about minesand closed back down to only inches. As long as
or disasters before and was quite surprised. Laterthe coal remains four too five-foot high the
that day we heard on the news about the Finleyequipment can clear and you can make a profit.
Coal Co., explosion in which 38 were killed. TheHowever if it gets lower and you have to take
location of the mine was given as easternout rock to move ahead, it gets very expensive.
Kentucky near Hyden, Kentucky, only a few milesWalking in five foot high coal can be quite
from Seco where I was born. The explosion wasinteresting. Coal miners walk bent over with their
caused by excessive coal dust and otherhands grasped behind their backs. This saves the
combustible materials, insufficient rock dust, andback from strain. I have found this to be helpful in
other violations. The coal dust explosion was socaving also.In the summer of 1955, the mine on
extensive that dust and other materials weretop of Aetna Mountain played out, so we moved
expelled from all eight openings of theto Spring City, Tennessee where dad leased coal
mine.Thirty-four widows and 103 children wereon the mountain just west of Spring City. Shut in
left to mourn the loss. I do not know whatGap Road heads up the mountain then turn of
possible connection other than being born so closeonto Hard Rector Lane that runs along the top of
to the disaster could cause me to have thatthe mountain until you reach the mine. I was
dream. I only lived there a short time and had notraveling along this road one morning with dad on
relatives in the area.During the spring of 1954 wethe way to the mine, when he stopped the truck
moved to Hale Town, Tennessee on theand jumped out running into the woods. About
Tennessee river near the Alabama andten minutes later he returned and asked me if I
Tennessee state line. Hale Town was no morehad seen the bobcat run across the road! Dad
than post office and a trailer park found up Hickssaid that he wanted to get a better look at him
Hollow Road. A few miles north, Aetna Mountainand chased it through the woods.In the place of a
Road winds up Aetna Mountain where dad leasedbelt line, we used a three-wheel electric car to
coal on the side of the mountain. Claude Cain, ahaul the coal out in trailers attached behind the
close friend and mining partner built the tipple andcar. Dad had two-twin brothers working for him
assembled the belt line that ran from the mine toand they were experts at driving that car. They
the hill side for loading the coal onto trucks.Wewould come out of the mine at top speed, whip
only stayed in Hale town a few months and thenaround and back a string of three trailers out
moved to South Pittsburgh, Tennessee acrossonto the tipple. That always amazed me the way
the river and on the border with Alabama. Thatthey could keep the trailers strait backing up like
summer when school was out, dad started takingthat. We had a big electric generator for powering
Larry Cain and me to the mines. Larry wasthe equipment in the mine and it required a can of
Claude's son and they lived just down the roadether in the morning to get it started. It also
from us in South Pittsburgh, dad always said thatcharged the batteries on the electric car. The
one boy was half a boy and two boys was nospeed control for the car was a line of contacts
boy at all. I think that he was referring to theon a lever with each contact slightly offset from
work that he could get out of us.The mine onthe next. As you pushed the lever forward, it
Aetna Mountain was created by cutting the sideengaged more of the contacts to bring more of
of the hill away to expose the coal seam andthe batteries into the circuit for the motor. There
then just tunneling into the side of the mountain.were no brakes, and you just reversed the
The lease that dad had was between two otherpower to the motor to stop. With one front
mines and no one knew where the minewheel you could turn on a dime, this may be why
operators would go once they got underground.they could control the backing of the trailers so
Dad soon found out that each time they wouldeasy.I think that dad tired of mining after opening
move to the right or left then would break intothese two Tennessee mountain mines, so he
the old workings of the other mines. The oldertook a break and opening a gas station in
mines used ponies or donkeys to move the coalEnglewood, Tennessee.I have started writing as a
out on tracks for the coal cars. The coal seamshobbie and plan to write about my life, work,
were too low for the animals so the rock had tohobbies, region and many other things of interest
be cut out of the ceiling for head room. Thisto me and maybe others will enjoy also.