What did you use for heat? - Page 7

muttmom · ‎11-28-2012

@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
I grew up with radiators for heat.

So did we. Our home was heated with oil.

LilacTree · ‎03-25-2012

A coal furnace in the cellar. The stuff was filthy and blackened everything. And if we walked too close to the radiators when the steam came out, we would get burned.

And a block of ice in the ice box. Every few days, the ice man would come with a fresh block of ice.

I remember my skinny little mom having to pull out that ice tray filled with water from under the ice box and dump it outside every day. It was especially bad in the summer when the house was so hot and she had to empty it several times a day.

Those were the days when "a woman's work was never done." She washed clothes in a huge tub with a ringer with a handle she had to turn and each piece had to be squeezed through. Sheets, blankets and towels were still so wet when she had to hang them that it took days for them to dry. Then she had to iron with a dish towel wrapped around an actual iron (made of iron with a handle) that she had to keep heating on the stovetop, and it took hours and hours. And when it rained, my father would have to string rope across the kitchen back and forth so they could hang everything inside, and this was done all winter also.

It was hands and knees on the floors to keep them clean and it was old stiff linoleum, and back and forth to the bathtub to empty the bucket and refill it.

Women aged fast in those days.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@CouponQueen,

My husband spent the first 12 years of our marriage as a coal miner, working 6 miles inside the elaborate sections and tunnels of a mine. He learned to do several different jobs, both inside and outside. His favorite job inside was as a miner helper, working alongside the person who operated the piece of equipment called a continuous miner, which ripped the coal from the earth. My husbands job was to listen for any unusual sounds, which could indicate the machinery was digging into a section of unsupported roof, which could trigger a roof fall, watch for other hidden dangers, test methane levels, and keep the electrical cable out of the way so the continuous miner did not run over it. My husband also worked as a mechanic on the tipple, which was the outside setup that cleaned and processed the coal that came out of the mine. The tipple ran coal 7 days a week, so keeping the equipment running was essential. Some of the best, high grade coal in this end of the state came out of the mine where my husband worked.

A bad decision by the bosses and section foreman severely reduced the lifespan of that coal mine. An unsafe situation was created, which eventually led to pulling out all the equipment and sealing that mine for good. Two miners were killed during the 12 years my husband worked there; one man died due to a roof fall, and the other was crushed by a piece of equipment. Mine safety is very high priority, and taken seriously. Even back then, my husband was required to attend safety classes and get recertified in several things yearly. In order to work, you had to attend all mandatory safety inservices, period. Every coal miner inside the mine knew where the first aid/safety station was, and how to call to the outside for help in emergencies.

I hope I live to see the day when coal makes a comeback, and is important again. All the questions and concerns in your post have long been addressed over the years. Mining is not an easy job, but coal can be mined safely with a dedicated workforce.

VanSleepy · ‎10-05-2010

We had gas space heaters. Two of them for 6 rooms. There was no closing your bedroom door in that house. It was too cold. You didn't even want to close the bathroom door!