SPARWOOD VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF COAL MINING
INTRODUCTION
NATURAL HISTORY
  HUMAN HISTORY
MINING COAL - ECONOMICS
MINING COAL - METHODS
MINING COAL - COSTS
MICHEL-NATAL BEGINNINGS
MICHEL-NATAL CELEBRATIONS
MICHEL-NATAL WOMEN
MICHEL-NATAL CLUBS
MICHEL-NATAL SPORTS
THE MOVE TO SPARWOOD
SPARWOOD TODAY
LEST WE FORGET
GLOSSARY
CONTACT US
SITE MAP

MINING COAL - COSTS - Ventilation

Breathing fine coal dust over many years could lead to a disease known as pneumoconiosis of coal miners or "black lung." The disease progressed from causing coughing and minor lung impairment to progressive loss of lung capacity, increasing disability and possibly death.

To counteract this reality the mines installed large ventilation fans built at the surface which were used to draw air out of the mines to make sure there was fresh air for the miners to breath and keep the levels of explosive gases to a safe level.

In the Crowsnest mines, ventilation fans, depending on the size of the mine, could deliver from 30,000-180,000 cubic feet per minute to the workings.

The remains of one such fan is shown here.

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