Brainy Boy and I just went on the coolest field trip ever this past Friday. His 5th grade class went to a coal mine in Pennsylvania and I went along. It was so sad to learn that back in the peak of the coal mining years, boys went to work full time in the coal mines at 10 or 11 years old. That was the exact age of most of the 5th graders touring the mine, and it really hit home with them. We were down in the mine for about an hour, then we toured a museum next door that held lots of artifacts and mementos from the mine and the surrounding community. It was staggering to find out that 99% of the world's anthracite coal (the type you burn in a furnace) comes from this particular area in Pennsylvania. Anyway, here's a mug of muh boy and me down in the depths of the earth.
Brainy Boy and I just went on the coolest field trip ever this past Friday. His 5th grade class went to a coal mine in Pennsylvania and I went along. It was so sad to learn that back in the peak of the coal mining years, boys went to work full time in the coal mines at 10 or 11 years old. That was the exact age of most of the 5th graders touring the mine, and it really hit home with them. We were down in the mine for about an hour, then we toured a museum next door that held lots of artifacts and mementos from the mine and the surrounding community. It was staggering to find out that 99% of the world's anthracite coal (the type you burn in a furnace) comes from this particular area in Pennsylvania. Anyway, here's a mug of muh boy and me down in the depths of the earth.
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I always wonder how many lives it took for them to figure out all of the things that they know about mining...Like the air locks and such... I guess they're still figuring it out since I still read about miners that have died on the job each year. Thinking about this makes me appreciate my boring desk job..