Declining Jobs: Coal Mining and Disaster

Coal Mining Equipment Operation is a declining job in America, meaning that it is offering fewer and fewer job openings and will ultimately disappear, as did the Elevator Operator in the late 1960s. The Doorman also disappeared almost completely from Central Ohio and other places, although there some high-paying commission door positions exist in New York City. In fact, doormen in NYC usually earn large tips and pay the hotel a percentage. They have no salary.

Jobs disappear when there is no longer a need for them and technology eliminates their functions. Coal mining is a good example of this decline and elimination.

The decline in mining jobs is confirmed by recent US Department of Labor information that declares mining equipment operators to be a job that will have less and less openings every year through 2014. This is logical for two reasons:

1) The trend is toward more sustainable energy resources and opening of more "green jobs" and

2) There are more and more mining disasters occurring daily as mines such as coal mines become over-excavated and more unsafe.

We have currently lost 6 miners in Utah, plus 3 of the rescue workers on that scene, reinforcing the dangerous nature of various aspects of coal mining to the public. China has lost 183 men in a mine that filled with water during a flood. People there are near the riot stage over this catastrophe and the families of the deceased are uncontrollable and inconsolable.

My great uncle Roy Miller survived the biggest mining disaster in Ohio, the Millfield Coal Mine Disaster in his hometown (near Athens, Ohio). He worked at least 4 decades bent over in the mines -- he was 7' tall -- and later died of Black Lung, along with lung and rib cage cancer. The illnesses associated with coal mining might make a good third reason for the future elimination mines:

3) Miners are subject to a number of adverse health conditions, injuries, and illnesses in their work, including carbon monoxide poisoning,decompression sickness (The Bends,like deep water diving), Black Lung, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, other respiratory conditions, crush injuries, explosions, cave-ins, floods, trolley crashes, methane gas inhalation, and some others.

if you might like to read about the day to day life of coalminers and theri families, read anyof Homer Hickams books about Coalwood,West Virgina. Tha tincludes Rocket Boys -- and see that movie too. I think that story, based on real life, shows that coal miners, engineers, and astronauts are equally important. They are all heroes.

Mr. Hickam has his own website and puts out a newsletter if you are interested.

http://www.homerhickam.com/index.shtml

His latests book to be relaeasedi s about a young lady mining engineer who earned a regular miner's hat in the Coalwood mines: Red Helmet (named after the rooky's helmet - red so everyone else could see when they were in trouble and help them).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4buVVdcBcY

The most recent US mine disaster to date is the one in Utah. The co-owner, Bob Murray, is from a Cleveland-based mining company, eerily linking this disastrer with Ohio and bringing up memories of the Millfield Mine Disaster.

A recent comment from Murray were words to the effect that rescue workers searching for the lost miners will dig a sixth borehole into the "evil mountain."

Reuters news agency reports that Chinese rescue workers pumped water from mine shafts where 182 miners are trapped in Xintai, in the east coast province of Shandong,China. A river dyke burst and poured water into mine shafts on Friday 8/17/07. It is China's fourth deadliest mining disaster. Others include:

April 26, 1942, up to 1,572 people were killed in a coal dust explosion at the Honkeiko coal mine in Japanese-occupied Manchuria.

February 2005. 214+ people were killed in a gas explosion at the Sunjiawan mine of the state-owned Fuxin Coal Industry Group.

November 2005. 169 workers are killed in a gas explosion at the state-owned Dongfeng coal mine.

166 miners are killed in a gas explosion after being ordered back into the state-owned Chenjiashan coal mine after the pit caught fire in November 2004.

April 1991. A gas explosion killed 147 coal miners at the Sanjiao River mine in.

I live beside

this dark coal mine

the whistle blows

everyday on time

when the rain pours down

and the wind blows hard

black flowers

grow in my yard

When I lost my man

down that old coal shaft

I swear I heard

the devil laugh

and the angels left

and they took my heart

now black flowers

grow in my yard

and the undertaker

is a busy man

he's got a clean blue shirt

he's got soft pink hands

got a paved driveway

and a brand new car

black flowers

grow in my yard

When the baby cries

I sing hush little one

but I swear that I'm

gonna come undone

'cause when the rain

pours down

and the wind

blows hard

black flowers grow in my yard

black flowers grow in my yard

black flowers grow in my yard

At dusk on Wednesday November 5, 1930, thousands of people gathered on the lot of Millfield Coal Mine #6. The National Guard began establishing order and feared a riot. Ambulances shuttled bodies back and forth to makeshift morgues. Anyone with a horse and buggy was called to help. The Red Cross served coffee and sandwiches to the rescue workers and the roads were all jammed with traffic.

Rescue teams could only work an hour at the time because the air was so bad after the gas explosion. .At midnight no survivors had been found. However three rescuers heard cries from within the mine and finally found 19 men alive and fighting carbon monoxide fumes. They had carbon monoxide poisoning, burns, and fractures. A total of 82 men died, one family losing their father and four of the sons that worked in #6 with their dad.

This disaster occurred after the mining union broke under a prolonged strike. The men who died worked nonunion.

This showed the public the problems working class people were facing. United Mine Workers struggles gained publicity. Mine safety conditions across the nation began to improve. A marker was erected at the explosion sight and nothing was rebuilt. A memorial service is held there yearly for the families and descendants of those who died in the explosion.