Large scale coal mining in Alabama began in the 1850s. During the infancy of coal extraction, the primitive methods and machinery often required many men to do the jobs. As collieries became more efficient in the 1920s, thousands were put out of work. With miner strikes, the Great Depression and workers being replaced by equipment, bootleg mining was conceived. Oftentimes these racketeers would reopen mines that the companies had closed using existing equipment left behind. The majority of bootleg coal was sold within a 30 mile range, mainly to local merchants and families. The bootleggers would sell the coal at a fraction of the price, making it an attractive option for families and businesses to save money on heating costs. This abandoned coal drift mine @Glowstick Films and I explored dates back to the 1880/90, and was closed around the 1920s. Bootleggers would return back after it was closed, reopen it and mine the coal left to provide for their families. Also, it appears moonshiners had set up an operation after the bootleggers finished, giving the mine another bit of history, but we will save that for another time.
#underground #caving #mines
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Amazing footage and a great piece of history, thank you. The seam looked about 24 inches where it was visible, in the drifts. Did you notice the massive areas of "goaf" (i.e. worked-out areas backfilled with deads)? Looks like a stone wall on one side, with intact coal on the other. Keep up the good work, from the UK.
Are you stealing artifacts out of these mines? I hope they are on your property otherwise that is not cool man. Us other real mine explorers don't appreciate that one bit.
Shaky video, so hard to watch…
Cool video guys. I’m not trying to be a safety sally but do you carry gas detectors. I’ve worked in coal mines for a long time. You should at the minimum carry a o2 detector. Real easy in old works to run into low oxygen.
Great explore guys but please take care and always take a gas detector with you in old coal mines they can kill in an instant and helmets come in handy invest in the correct protective equipment to keep you safe, and take only photos, take care from a UK cave and mine Explora.
Awesome video, better history
I’m amazed they went so hard after moonshiners that they would go down a coal mine!
birmingham?
Just a few miles from where I lived in Pennsylvania, a family had a coal mine right there in the back yard and they used an old pickup truck perched on top of a huge wooden tower rigged up to be a winch for the coal cars to get them up the slope.
that is a lot of work
brilliant set up if all u got is coal for home heat
Cool video, I enjoyed it. Sure hope you had gas detectors, nothing to play around with.
I cannot imagine shinning back in there. Insane.
I'm from anthracite country Wyoming Valley Pa. It's cool seeing the similarities and differences between the strata and coal. Glad I found your channel. I have a local guy here that does exploration. If you want to check him out "amazing Pennsylvania"
Got to stay warm somehow.digging, loading,carrying , stoking the stove and all those steps keep you warm until you light the fire.
Please stay out coal mines that are like this if you don't have gas detector .or coal miners Davy lamp .
a Volkswagen bug drove coal from a mine….no
Great video i subscribed. i work as a coal miner and i greatly enjoyed this. I also explore old gold, silver, and copper mines i post them on my channel.
Very interesting thank you.
I like your video's as i am a coal miner. Any methane gas if any i would not worry about the gas as long as you don't use and open flame. The two big dangers i see is number one go buy and oxygen detector by all means you can drop dead if the oxygen level gets to low. Number two is bad top just hanging waiting to fall. Hard hats are a plus for the ole head lol.
This isn't far from where I live the bottom of what's known as Appalachia you couldn't imagine how poor these people were. They used this coal to sell, heat and make whiskey at night and store in the hole til sold
Living in the era when all coal mines were open, that was the bestcdays of my life when seeing all the machinery, dad's going to work, giving that blood and sweat, but what do we had today, too much of climate activists and wokes saying its destroyed the planet, these people haven't seen life or lived through those years, as most don't even know what a coal mine looks like and a piece of coal.
haaa yeah,,every ..toxic waste dump drum…is a fkn…still
So has no idea of dates of bottles????
No moonshiners worth a shit would use steel for there still product would taste horrible
Just Robin and steeling and breaking shit
When you said bootleg I thought it was an old mine used to hide a still. I wasn't completely wrong. 7:31 looks like a finger.
How could anyone make moonshine in mine, a fire would be a nightmare with smoke and C02
Where is your breathing equipment? Coal mines are notorious for noxious gases. It doesn’t look well ventilated.
Second generation electrician eastern ky coal miner here and i can say doing that without a methane detector is suicidal. Usually you can find old hand tools and dynamite, carbide lanterns and a host of great things.
I like how, if the government doesn't give you a slave permit, you're stealing, but if they do it, they're " appropriating". Even an old rusty can out in the desert. Meanwhile,,, they're stealing billions of dollars daily. Also gold, and other valuables from other countries.
Can’t believe you guys take stuff out of the mine!
Great footage. Awful music.
Man I love what you guys do. Just ignore all the Karen's bitching about the artifacts and making sure you have your SAFETY equipment. Lmao! I suppose it comes with the territory as your channel grows.
EDIT: In the future could you give some close up shots of the whiskey bottles including the bottom?
Kept saying moonshiner remains? Where they fireing there still on coal clear down there or using a induction heater
Aren't you worried about bad air? I hope you're carrying a monitor!
Great job! When was the last time someone set foot inside it!!!!
Thanks for sharing 👍
Look I love this type of video (. But ) why do you steal old artefacts from the mine so no one can see them again ?.
Whoa, in a coal mine with a naked flame lamp 💥. I know that’s how they did it back then, pretty scary to watch 😬
You can't steal something that's just lying in the ground
How is it stolen coal? You don't own the mineral Rights on your land?
Those dang robbers, the billionaires owned that coal!
You can't say it was stolen coal after the mine is abandoned …You guy will never know what it's like to have no coal for heating and hot water .Show some respect for the coal miners ⛓️⛏️💡
GAS DETECTOR !!