COLLECTION NAME:
Colorado Coal Project
Record
Collection Name:
Colorado Coal Project
Title:
Chaz (Chas) Porta interview
Creator:
Margolis, Eric, 1947-
Creator:
McMahan, Ronald L.
Subject:
Coal mines and mining
Subject:
United Mine Workers of America--History--20th century
Subject:
Coal miners--Personal narratives
Subject:
Roche, Josephine A. (Josephine Aspinwall), 1886-1976
Subject:
Street scenes
Subject:
Industrial Workers of the World
Subject:
Coal miners--Colorado--History--20th century
Subject:
Columbine Mine (Weld County, Colo.)
Subject:
Interviews
Description:
A coal miner is interviewed, presumably, Chaz (Chas) Porta, whose name is listed on the file. The miner seems to be describing photos at first. Then he describes in full how safety lamps were used to detect if there was harmful gas present in the mines. He then describes various types of equipment that were used to mine in his time, including hand loaders, puncture machines, and water pumps. Porta then mentions John L. Lewis and Josephine Roche and their involvement in the labor movements and strikes, and the parts that Rocky Mountain Fuel and the IWW played. The famous incident at Columbine Mine and the terrible explosion at Monarch Mine are discussed, highlighting that one of the men, Joe Jaramillo, was never actually found in the wreckage. There is a memorial to him near the site. Portas then discusses after-damp, also known as black-damp, or carbon monoxide poisoning that can happen during a cave-in in a mine, and how ventilation is used in the mines to prevent poisoning. Porta talks about black lung and life as a miner.
Description Type:
summary
Publisher:
University of Colorado Boulder Archives
Contributor:
Porta, Chas.
Date:
1900s
Type:
Audio
Format:
audio/mp3
Identifier:
Chas Porta 102 A-C.mp3
Language:
English
Coverage (Spatial):
Columbine Mine (Weld, Colorado, United States, North America) (mine)
Coverage (Temporal):
1900/1985
Coverage (Spatial):
Colorado (United States, North America) (first order administrative divisions)
Coverage (Spatial):
Monarch Number One Mine (Boulder, Colorado, United States, North America) (mine)
Coverage (Spatial):
Louisville (Boulder, Colorado, United States, North America) (populated place)
Coverage (Spatial):
Town of Superior (Boulder, Colorado, United States, North America) (civil)
Rights:
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