Miners and Mining
Coal mining was a hard, dirty, and sometimes dangerous job. Injuries or death, due to cave ins or explosions, were always a constant threat. Black lung disease, caused by lengthy exposure to coal dust, was another threat. Miners worked different shifts around the clock during economic boom times. The pick axe and shovel were two tools used by the early miners; later on, mechanized equipment came into use. Bituminous, or soft coal, was the type that was mined in McIntyre and elsewhere in central and western Pennsylvania. Anthracite, or hard coal, was mined in the eastern part of the state. The heyday of underground mining in McIntyre lasted until the middle of the 20th century.