Poor Working Conditions In The Late 19th Century

Poor Working Conditions in Late 19th Century Mines As the United States sprang into the Industrial Revolution, there was a shift in many aspects of everyday life for the working class citizen. Their jobs shifted from small cottage and agricultural businesses to large textile factories owned by big business corporations (working). Due to the pop-up of these massive factories, more energy was being consumed. By this time, almost all of the surface coal had been mined and used up, causing mining companies to have to deepen their mines by the 1860’s (Burchill). The increase in depth of the mines due to the demand for coal created and unstable working environment in the mines, riddled with dangers to workers health and safety. The increase in depth of coal mines during the industrial revolution lead to change in mining practices and conditions. Previously, when mines were shallow, Men and boys would hew the coal while women and girls carried it
To transport coal from the mines to the surface for use, mine cars were used. Both deep in the mines and on ground level, the cars frequently got off of the tracks and into the path of workers. This increased fatalities, but was not the main cause of death in the mines. Almost half of mine laborers were killed by cave ins and falling coal. Explosives and neglect were the causes of these deaths. As the depth increased, miners had to set posts frequently to bear the weight of the roof and keep the mine from collapsing. Some miners, like David Edwards (Aldrich), failed to put these posts into place, causing the death of not only them, but their fellow miners. This instance in particular highlights the difficulties brought about by the new tasks that had to be completed to keep up with the factories demand for coal and the dangers that these tasks bring