The next time you find yourself complaining about your own workplace conditions, think about THESE guys. Here are some photos taken at a new coal mine in Dauphin County...
Williamstown Mine Number One sits atop Big Lick Mountain above Williamstown. Miners like this are using a type of equipment not normally used to mine Anthracite coal.
The mine opened in mid-April, but it will not be in full operation until late Summer. Until the miners dig deep enough into the mountain, they'll be able to sit up as the operate the machinery. But its a luxury that won't last long...
Eventually, the miners will spend their entire work day inside the mine, almost lying down. The vein of coal being mined is only about four-feet tall, so standing up is not an option inside the cramped space.
The equipment being used is not normally used to mine Anthracite coal, because Anthracite veins are usually very steep. In some cases, the're almost vertical. However, the vein of coal on Big Lick Mountain sits at a much lesser degree, which allows for this type of gear, normally used to mine Bituminous coal, to be used.
The machines that the miners are operating are linked to each other like a train. And at the very front is a grinding machine fitted with a number of large, carbide-tipped drill bits like this.
The coal is then transported outside of the mine on a long conveyer belt.
Coal is then loaded into a dump truck, and taken to a nearby processing facility. There it will dry out a bit, and be sorted into various sizes, before being sold to local customers and steel mills across the country.
This is another view from outside of the mine. When it reaches full operation, 20 to 23 people will be employed at Williamstown Mine Number One.
Seen here, there are four entrances into the mine. Only two are used for access to the coal vein. The other two are used for ventilation. The large orange pipe feeds fresh air into the mine. Air is then filtered out of the mine through another opening.
Eventually, miners will dig more than 2,000 feet into the mountain. The vein itself is about six miles wide, with an estimated 12 to 14 Million tons of Anthracite coal. That's enough to mine for the next 30 to 40 years.
To see the story with video, just click on the link below!
http://www.whptv.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=124231@video.whptv.com&navCatId=626
Hope you enjoyed it!... Thanks for stopping by!
-- Mike
