Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.55.0306282029340.1581@panix3.panix.com>
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>
To: Cyb <cybermind@listserv.aol.com>,
"WRYTING-L : Writing and Theory across Disciplines" <WRYTING-L@LISTSERV.UTORONTO.CA>
Subject: My Wyoming Valley
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 20:29:46 -0400 (EDT)
My Wyoming Valley The Breaker images breaker boys boys had had a a median median lifespan lifespan of of 18. 18. Today we visited breaker. we It It was was the the Blue Blue Coal Coal breaker breaker in in Ashley. Ashley. I of remember blue cars when blue was coal a when child. child. cars dyed. ruins and and we went in. in. The Huge slabs Huge metal of concrete and everywhere. concrete outside structure The stood outside as structure usual. stood windows were were broken broken and it was dark inside. inside. The would get fall caught asleep in get conveyers. caught The conveyers. would took photographs I They were battered They ripped battered apart. and Those Those who who lived lived often often lost lost arms arms legs. legs. life The brutal was even brutal after even unionization. after Knox disaster Mine well. disaster I well. photographs This end spelled of end mining anthracite the mining northern northern spelled field. the four fields Pennsylvania hold fields 75% hold of 75% the world's The anthracite. four Twelve perished miners as perished the Susquehanna into rushed the into breach. breach. miners All adjacent mines All flooded. the is perhaps perhaps fifteen fifteen or or twenty twenty stories stories high. high. The workday The at was least at twelve least hours. twelve dust was everywhere in unheated uncooled uncooled space. space. Coal noise was deafening and no one one could could talk. talk. The rollers still for present belts the are belts still are present gone. but The gone. belts covered The loading covered docks loading there. still You see can where see the where coal might been have dyed. been You A passed few the miles site away of passed Avondale site disaster. Avondale miles disaster. we One One hundred hundred ten ten died died that. that. In a 1902 major major strike strike battered by In Pinkerton. 1902 Teddy intervened Roosevelt but intervened a number lives lives lost. lost. Roosevelt Lives Lives disasters. disasters. coalfields are soaked in blood making making us us strong. strong. "The Breaker images "Breaker boys had a median lifespan of 18. "Today we visited a breaker. "It was the Blue Coal breaker in Ashley. "I remember the cars of blue coal when I was a child. "The coal was dyed. "The breaker was in ruins and we went in. "Huge slabs of metal and concrete everywhere. "The outside structure stood as usual. "The windows were broken and it was dark inside. "The breaker boys would fall asleep and get caught in the conveyers. "I took photographs of the conveyers. "They were battered and ripped apart. "Those who lived often lost arms and legs. "The life was brutal even after unionization. "I took photographs of the Knox Coal Mine disaster as well. "This spelled the end of anthracite mining in the northern field. "The four Pennsylvania fields hold 75% of the world's anthracite. "Twelve miners perished as the Susquehanna rushed into the breach. "All the adjacent mines flooded. "The breaker is perhaps fifteen or twenty stories high. "The workday was at least twelve hours. "Coal dust was everywhere in the unheated uncooled space. "The noise was deafening and no one could talk. "The rollers for the belts are still present but the belts are gone. "The covered loading docks are still there. "You can see where the coal might have been dyed. "A few miles away we passed the site of the Avondale Mine disaster. "One hundred and ten miners died in that. "In 1902 a major coal strike was battered by Pinkerton. "Teddy Roosevelt intervened but a number of lives were lost. "Lives were lost everywhere in disaster after disasters. "The coalfields are soaked in blood making us strong. ___