The Four Steps Necessary For Mining Coal
Step One
Coal must be broken away from the face of the coal seam.
In the early mines picks were used to break the coal away from the face, then holes were drilled in the face and dynamite was into the hole and detonated (1900 - 1950).
Question: When was machinery developed that would cut the coal from the face of the coal seam?
Step Two
Coal must be gathered up and loaded into a conveyance to hual it out of the mine.
In the first mines, coal was gathered up and loaded by hand with a coal shovel into the car.
Question : How is the coal loaded today?
Step Three
Coal has to be transprted out of the mine.
The first coal cars were pushed out of the mine by hand, then mules were used to pull the cars.
Question: How is the coal transported from the mine now?
Step Four
The coal is prepared and delivered to the consumer.
In the early mines the coal was brought out of the mine in big chunks and loaded onto a horse-drawn wagon.
Question: What happens to the coal after it leaves the mine today?
- The posted coordinates will take you to a plaque at the parking lot to this free, public, ourdoor museum of mining equipment though the years.
You will find the answers to all four questions there.
- (optional) Include a photo in your online log of you at the cache site with your GPS.