Question

Down the Mine 1930

Answer 1

SFA, sometimes I just wonder at the fact that history is recorded directly now, beginning a bit before my own generation -- film rather than just a verbal description...1930, you found an early film with sound!

I copied off a couple of comments, below the film, people whose family members worked in the mines...

"No gloves no helmets no safety gear. My dad lost part of his hand. And dies of black

Lung. I can’t believe we lived through these times. It wasn’t living it was existing. Thank his they all closed."

and,

"I am the proud granddaughter and great granddaughter of South Wales coal miners. My great grandfather died of black lung leaving my grandfather to earn for his mother and seven siblings - he went down pit at the age of 14."

Comments

My grandad was down the pit then too.Was until he died in the sixties.And spending 40 years underground undoubtedly played its part in his death.

Answer 2

I was also about to say, no helmets, no respiratory masks, no earplugs, no gloves. probably no steel-toed shoes. 

How could they treat the miners like that? 

Comments

A realty sadly.And lots of mining disasters here.As in other countries of course.The Aberfan Anniversary is almost upon us again.

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A frightful and needless catastrophe.

https://www.businessinsider.com/haunting-photos-tragic-aberfan-disaster-1966-2019-11?op=1#cliff-michelmore-was-one-of-the-television-reporters-at-the-scene-in-his-first-report-he-said-never-in-my-life-have-i-seen-anything-like-this-i-hope-i-shall-never-see-anything-like-it-again-for-years-of-course-the-miners-have-been-used-to-disaster-today-for-the-first-time-in-history-the-roll-call-was-called-in-the-street-it-was-the-miners-children-19

And the class disdain...  smh

"The commission ended up providing about $645 to each family, because it was advised any more would ruin the lives of the working class people, who wouldn't be used to large sums of money."

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This was the first news story to have any effect on me.i was 9.I remember seeing the reporting the next morning on Welsh TV.I have seen the Aberfan cemetery.So sad and an indictment on our industrial history.