Prior to World War I, the skilled miner was the central figure in the process of winning coal. The increasing application of steam-driven technology improved the efficiency of haulage and ventilation in the mines but these developments had little direct impact on the actual working of the coal. Aided by the use of hand augers and blasting powder, the miner relied primarily on his own muscle power for motive force in removing the coal. In the era when coal was loaded by hand the individual exercised considerable control in the place of work and his skill was acknowledged to be indispensable. The pick and shovel (the latter shown here) were essential tools; the former served to break coal away from the face and the latter was used to load coal into boxcars for conveyance to the surface.
During the nineteenth century miners wore canvas caps with stiff fronts (shown here) in order to prevent, or at least limit, the bumps and scrapes which accompanied vigorous physical work at close quarters. Later, synthetic hard hats were used. A portable light source was also essential for the miner, and open flame candles were in common use early in the nineteenth century. Eventually candles were replaced by whale oil lamps and, still later, by the Davy Safety Lamp (shown here) which fully enclosed the wick and eliminated the danger of combustion. Battery-powered lamps were adopted widely after World War I. The release of methane gas by mining activity made the early methods of lighting with open flames extremely dangerous as explosions could easily occur. For efficient and prolonged exploitation a mine had to be well ventilated.
Courtesy: Cape Breton Miners' Museum, Glace Bay and National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada (S80-1452)
