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