Consolidation Colliery 5
The air to breathe
When the men of Consolidation 1/6 and Consolidation 3/4/9 climb into the pit cage, they greedily suck in as much fresh air as they can. After all, entering the mine doesn't just mean that they have to say goodbye to daylight for the next few hours. Fresh air is also a rare commodity below the surface. Heat, dust and humidity characterise their workplace. To make it bearable down there at all, the mines have to get fresh air down somehow. But this is only possible with technical support. The solution is ventilation shafts. They are not used to extract coal. Their only task is to supply the miners in the depths with fresh air, which flows through the ventilation shaft. The stale air and accumulated mine gases are forced out at a different location. This also increases safety: some of these gas mixtures are highly explosive and a spark can lead to an accident, causing many fatalities. In 1873, Shaft 5 goes into operation as a ventilation shaft.
Gas explosions in the mine - technically known as "firedamp" - were a constant danger. Shaft 5 supplied and protected the men at Consolidation 3/4/9 and is now one of the forgotten shafts. In 1945 it was filled in with rubble. Today, a residential complex stands on the former colliery site. There is nothing suggesting that this was once a colliery site -- almost nothing, that is. A so-called inspection cover in the inner courtyard indicates that you are standing on the remains of a shaft here. A second hidden clue is the flame arresters on the roofs of the residential buildings. These valves can be found wherever there used to be shafts. Even after they have been filled in, the shafts still release mine gases to the surface. To prevent them from becoming a danger again, the old shafts are fitted with protective covers. They are the last reminders that it was not residential buildings but a colliery that used to be here.
and then "Add to Home Screen".