Death in the Mines : Disasters and Rescues in the Anthracite Coal Fields of Pennsylvania

Richards, J. Stuart

ISBN 10: 1596292113 / ISBN 13: 9781596292116

Published by The History Press, 2007

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 5101925-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Death in the Mines : Disasters and Rescues in the Anthracite Coal Fields of Pennsylvania
• Publisher: The History Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1596292113
• ISBN 13: 9781596292116
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Through original journal and newspaper accounts, J. Stuart Richards's Death in the Mines revisits Pennsylvania's most notorious mining accidents and rescue attempts from 1869 to 1943.

Since 1870, mining disasters have claimed the lives of over 30,000 men and boys who toiled underground in the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania. Sometimes they survived; many times they did not. The constant threat of fire, explosion, collapsed rock and deadly gas brought miners face to face with death on a daily basis. Through original journal and newspaper accounts, J. Stuart Richards's Death in the Mines revisits Pennsylvania's most notorious mining accidents and rescue attempts from 1869 to 1943. From the fire at Avondale Colliery that resulted in the first law for regulation and inspection of mines, to the gas explosion at Lytle Mine in Primrose that killed fourteen men, Richards reveals multiple facets of Pennsylvania's most perilous profession. Richards, whose family has worked in the mines since 1870, offers a startling yet sensitive tribute to an industry and occupation that is often overlooked and underappreciated

About the Author

J. Stuart Richards is a Pennsylvania author and historian, and a member of several historical societies throughout the state. His family has been working underground in Pennsylvania's coal mines for five generations. This is his third book.