My Wyoming Valley

[Alan Sondheim]

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.


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