WAKEFIELD NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSUEM PLEASE L@@K!! FULL DEATAIL REQUIRES?

Question

What was the size of the mines? How did it affect the miners?

What were the surroundings like for workers?

What improvements were made in mines to help miners?

What were the risks to miners? What things were used to improve miner’s safety?

What is the ‘miner’s welfare fund’ and how did it improve miners lives?

please all deatail you can do

Answer 1

What happened? Went on a school trip and didn't take notes?

I'd suggest you go to their website (see below) and see if you can get a loan of some of their educational materials.

Next time you go on a school trip, take notes rather than messing about with your mates.

Answer 2

During the industrial revolution within Great

Britain, coal production increased rapidly and by the

early 1800’s over 10 million tonnes of coal was being

mined annually. Coal production continued to increase,

reaching its peak in the early 1900’s when over 250

million tonnes was being produced each year.

Since then production has declined and today

annual output is approximately 30 million tonnes.

So your answers will change over the 150 years of mining history

Early mines were hand dug, and were little higher than the seams of coal, so could be only a few feet high (60cm-1m) - The "Roadways" may have been a little higher though in hand worked and human hauled mines the roadways were only large enough for a person crawling on all fours. Later, as explosives and horse or mechanical haulage became common roadway sizes increaces and so did the space at the coal face. Mechanised coal winning needed lots more room, though "lots" could mean stooping height.

In 1842 the first of a series of "Royal Commissions" (Reference 1)looked at the conditions of mines and mineworkers. These reports shocked middle class victorian philanthropists who pressed parliament for action to improve safety, The commissions also drew attention to the use of child labour and women in mines. In 1842 Lord Ashley rushed a bill through Parliament to prohibit all women, and children under the age of ten, from underground work. What most shocked the victorians weas not the danger and hardship women faced, but that they, like the men worked half naked. (The victorians had little problem in women working in dangerous factories, as long as they were decently clothed while doing so) (reference 2)

Laws were introduced to make mining owners have some regard for safety, but mining continued to be one of the most dangerousof occupations.

In England The Oaks explosion was and remains the worst mining disaster, claiming 388 lives on 12th December 1866 near Barnsley in Yorkshire.The worst of many Welsh disaters was  439 deaths at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, Glamorgan in a Gas explosion in 1913; The worst mining disaster in Scotland is the Blantyre mining disaster in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire which claimed 207 lives in 1877.

as well as these disasters, many miners died in day to day accidents and many more suffered injuries. Mining also lead to widespread lung disease as a result of breathing in coal and stone dust.

Safety laws gradually brought improvements, introduction of safety lamps as oppossed to naked flames reduced the risk of explosion. Improvement in working techniques and ventilation again reduced risk from both explosion and collapse.

Arguably, the bigest step forward was the nationalisation of mines taking control from individual owners, and introduction of compensation schemes for miners suffering from mining related illnesses. Many of the improvements were also the result of miners banding together and campaigning through trades unions. Local unions had existed since the late C18 but the Miners Federation of Great Britain was born in November 1889

Through a levy on coal, the Miners’ Welfare Fund was established in 1920 to improve the social conditions and well-being of miners. In 1926, a separate fund was introduced for building pithead baths. Miners could go home in clean clothes, and the miners wives were relived of some the problems cause by the men coming home in filthy clothes (reference3)

Answer 3

This sounds like a great homework question. Once you find out the answers maybe I can copy off your paper.