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Coal. By Cole Hudson. Opening. Coal is an important resource that greatly improved industrial America from 1869 to 1911. During this time period, coal was in great demand, along with the need for miners. Overall, the coal industry greatly impacted America. Description and Uses.
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Coal By Cole Hudson
Opening • Coal is an important resource that greatly improved industrial America from 1869 to 1911. During this time period, coal was in great demand, along with the need for miners. Overall, the coal industry greatly impacted America.
Description and Uses Coal is a black or brown rock that can be ignited and burned. When it burns, it produces heat which is used to make steam that drives engines called turbines. Coal is widely used to heat homes as well as to heat factories. It is burned in a furnace which then produces heat for the building or house. There are many useful chemicals in coal which can be used to make dyes, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, and other products. The main use, however, is to produce electric power. Coal is mainly found in bowl-shaped areas known as coal basins or sedimentary basins.
Mining part 1 One way to mine coal is with a surface mine, which involves moving the soil that covers the coal deposit so the coal underneath can be easily dug up. Surface mining is usually only used on coal deposits that are less than 100-200 feet below the surface. A large majority of surface mining is strip mining; stripping away the overburden to expose the material being mined. The overburden is the large mass of dirt or rock covering the coal or other materials that are going to be mined. Another way to mine coal is with auger mining. A coal auger looks like a large corkscrew. It goes into a coal outcrop at an angle, and then twists the coal out in chunks. The outcrop is a deposit of coal on the side of a hill or mountain.
Mining part 2 Underground mining is when tunnels are dug into coal deposit. This method is used mainly on coal deposits greater than 200 feet below the surface. Even though underground mines require more men, they are still highly mechanized. Underground mines generally have 2 access passages; one for the coal to go out, and one as an entrance and exit for the miners. Underground mines use 3 different types of passages. There are (1) Shaft mines, (2), Slope mines, and (3) Drift Mines. Another underground mining technique is the room and pillar system. The room and pillar system involves leaving pillars of coal standing to support the overburden while the coal around it is mined out.
Miners Coal miners have a difficult job. They are the ones who work on removing the rock; either by blasting, using a pickaxe, or by machinery. But besides that, miners are anyone who works in a mine. Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. They can die from explosions, cave-ins, inhalation of deadly gasses, and much more. On December 6, 1907, three hundred and sixty two workers were killed in a mining accident. This shows how dangerous mining can be.
Transportation Most shipments of coal within the country are carried by train, or on a barge. Barges are the cheapest way of transportation, but it is only applicable near rivers. To get the coal out of the mines, small railways, or conveyor belts are used. Coal can also be mixed with water to form coal slurry which is then transported through pipes to its destination. The transportation of coal played an important role in the coal industry.
Locations In the U.S., coal mining began in Pennsylvania. The coal fields in Pennsylvania were very close to major eastern cities and to large railroad companies, making it a large central hub of coal production. Later on, coal mining moved into West Virginia. The coal from West Virginia was useful in households because it didn’t create as much ash. Soon, soft coal became high in demand. It was used mainly for trains. Soft coal fields popped up in Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Illinois, and Kentucky. Soft coal was a lot dirtier than the coal used in households, and it produces a lot of ash.
Closing Coal was an important piece of U.S. history and helped to further the industrial side of America during this time. By providing a new, cheaper type of fuel, and an efficient way of heating buildings, the explosion of coal use impacted everyone in America.
Sources • Sources: • United States History, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007, Section 3 The Transportation • Revolution, Pages 400 – 401. • World Book Encyclopedia, volume 4, Coal, pages 716 - 732 • Coal, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal • Coal mining, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining • Miner, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miner
