how was mining dangerous in the past?

Answer 1

1. They did not have high-tech gadgets to dig coal or check the levels of gases like sulfur or carbon monoxide.

2. They had to crawl in on thier knees to dig coal in crawl spaces about 3 feet high with hand tools and buckets.

3. The did not have repirators to keep coal dust and gases out of their lungs which caused Black Lung Disease.

4. If walls or roofs collapsed they had little chance of getting out alive unless a fellow miner seen a problem and pulled them out before the collapse.

My B/F's grandfather along with his father and brothers worked in the mines in the state of West Virginia back in the 30's, 40's & 50's. He said it was a VERY dangerous job but they had to do it to feed their families. Many miners have cancers or died from cancers but it is not well documented because the mining companies have to protect their ASSets ;)

Answer 2

When you went down in the mine there were no guarantee's that you were coming back up, and for some people it was the only job that they could get, a lot of miners die at early ages from lung related diseases, the big disease was Black Lung, but they were jobs that fed the family and thats all that mattered.
Through the years laws have changed that has made mining a little safer. God bless the men and women that go down in the mine, because it is the coal that gives us electricity.

Answer 3

The most dangerous thing was it was not regulated or monitored by anyone but the owner and sometimes they were very cruel and didn't care. Today there are quite a few government agency's that protect the miners.

Answer 4

Acid mine drainage polluted the water shed, black lung in coal miners, collapse of structures within the mine, and little understanding of geologic processes caused lethal gas emission when the wrong area was mined.

Answer 5

Disregard for human life.