Coal mining was dangerous work. Men laboured long hours far underground to sustain a fairly precarious existence. Their shared experience bonded the workers together in a solidarity that was peculiar in the region. Over time, miners had to adapt to many changes introduced to the system of mining. Their unions were the best and most disciplined in the region. The individuality and independence experienced by the miner at the coal face contrasted with the intricate cooperation required to move coal to the surface. In large mines, which could spread over as much as twenty square kilometres, colliers seldom worked under immediate supervision, although they were subjected to all manner of managerial discipline. Mechanization, especially the introduction of compressed air driven cutting machinery and electricity, challenged their control by demanding careful coordination from a very active management team. Expanded capacity gave the industry over twelve thousand men working in and around the coal mines at its height just before World War I. Here a miner undercuts a coal seam with a compressed air driven coal cutter in one of Cape Breton's pits. (For further information on this subject see Canada's Visual History, volume 55, Coal Mining in Nova Scotia to 1925.)
Courtesy: Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton
