Digging a Hole to Heaven , livre ebook
70
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English
Ebooks
2014
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70
pages
English
Ebooks
2014
Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage
Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Publié par
Date de parution
02 septembre 2014
EAN13
9781613126806
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
13 Mo
Publié par
Date de parution
02 septembre 2014
EAN13
9781613126806
Langue
English
Poids de l'ouvrage
13 Mo
DIGGING A HOLE TO HEAVEN
COAL MINER BOYS
S. D. Nelson
ABRAMS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS NEW YORK
Millions of years ago, during a time called the Car-boniferous Period, lush forests grew in tropical wetlands. Over time, the trees and other plant life died and collapsed, eventually becoming covered by layers of mud. Gradually, the buildup of earth pushed the dead plants downward, and slowly the plant matter was compressed into coal. Humans first burned coal for warmth and for cooking. Today, coal is used to fire the furnaces that produce electricity and power factories. The most economical way to mine coal is on the surface, using a technique called open pit mining. But in this story, coal is mined underground by shaft mining.
Fossil of Pecopteris , a fern from approximately 300 million years ago.
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Clomp, clack, clomp, clack. The mule pulled the coal car down the track into the yawning darkness. Her worn ears, like fingers, brushed the low ceiling as she felt her way ahead. Conall, his face black with soot, rode on the front bumper of the empty car. The only light came from the yellow flame of his oil headlamp. The twelve-year-old boy kept a sharp eye out and ducked whenever an overhang loomed out of the darkness. The stout timbers that supported the tunnel groaned and sometimes shifted. The massive mountain seemed alive, forever leaning in upon itself.
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Like ants, the coal miners burrowed deep into the earth, creating a maze of tunnels. The men and boys had blasted and picked away, reaching a depth of 800 feet below the surface. Don t worry, Angel. We aren t lost, Conall said reassuringly. Angel, the mule, snorted in reply. Besides, you know these tunnels better than any of us. Clomp, clack, clomp, clack.
As he rolled along, the boy sang:
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How sweet tis to roam by the sunny Suir stream And hear the dove s coo neath the morning s sunbeam, Where the thrush and the robin their sweet notes entwine On the banks of the Suir that flows down by Mooncoin.
In the 1800s, few laws existed to protect working children, and they were not regularly enforced. Many children left school-or never attended school-to work in mines, mills, and factories across the country. Since many men and women did not earn enough to support their families, they had little choice but to send their children to work. This was particularly true in mining communities.
Breaker boys, 1911.
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A familiar voice called out from the gloom ahead: Oh, Conall, I just love your dandy voice. Ha-ha! A figure holding a shovel stepped forward, and Conall saw that it was his brother, Danny. The brothers grinned at each other, white teeth flashing in their dirty faces. Then Danny warned, You ll need to hold up here, li l brother. The men sent me ahead to stop you. They set a powder charge, and it s going to blow any minute.
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Fire in the hole! came the distant shout. Shadows danced wildly on the rock walls as miners and their helpers hurried from a side tunnel. Fire in the hole! echoed the younger miners as they scrambled to safety. The boys gripped their shovels and huddled together. Danny and Conall sat side by side. Danny, at fifteen years of age, had worked in the mine for nearly three years. Everyone waited in silence. Ka-boom! A blast roared from the depths. The belly of the mountain belched forth a thick dust cloud. As the gritty haze settled, the grim-faced miners hoisted their pickaxes and shovels and returned to the blast site.
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