So today is the 119th anniversary of the worst coal mine disaster in the history of our fair state. It occurred somewhere below Roslyn in the Northern Pacific Coal Company's Mine No. 1. A blast occurred while attempting to connect the main airway to the lower levels of the mine. The treat of explosion was ever present back in 1892, coal mines are naturally full of methane and of course dust, add a flame and you have yourself a mining disaster. The disaster at mine #1 was either caused by a black powder explosion or by the flame of a miner's hat. The state seemed to like blaming mine explosions on miner's hats, I've seen a couple reports of other explosions in which the state said the same thing. It's interesting since, an explosion caused by a miner's hat, could be deemed employee negligence and therefore the mining company would be off the hook for reparations to the families of the dead.
A different world back then, these days you don't hear of too many brainstorming disasters in which tens of lives are lost at Mircosoft. It's also hard to fathom just how much disregard there was for the employee there was, where I work we once closed because the employee's complained it was too warm. We owe much to those men lured by the pull of the deep dusty mines, as it was with their hard work and determination, that America was made great.
And whatever happened to Roslyn? It grew up to be a yuppie hideaway and a television star.
Dan
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