"...being used by miners as backup lights instead of Zippo lighters."
I live in east Pennsylvania - "the coal regions." I can say for a fact if you're caught in a coal mine with anything that makes a spark, be it matches, lighter, or anything else, you will get your arse beaten to a pulp. Too many people have died because some fool decided to have a cigarette off in a hidden corner of the mine, only to find a methane pocket. Look at any professional mine and you'll see a line of cigarette packs and lighters sitting just outside the door to the elevator that takes the miner's down to the mine. If you're caught with one, you'll suffer what's know in the service as a "blanket party." There's a difference between a mine and a cave!
Sorry Snoman. I was never in a coal mine.
Hard rock, narrow vein gold, silver, barites, nickle, salt etc.
Jackleg and stoper, jumbo and a bit of longhole.
I went through being a nipper, timberman, trucker, miner, raise miner.
The first mine was Port Radium (Echo Bay) on the Great Bear lake from 1978 to 1979.
The last time I was in a mine was for 2 years from 1995-1997.
From there I was back to construction (formwork) for 4 years on the Toronto subway system, and from there as a scaffolder to the Tarsands in Alberta (Syncrude, Suncor...) where they strip mine oil.
Almost my entire working life has been split between mining and carpentry on major projects.
We were always required to have a sharp knife, a watch and a good lighter underground.
Zippos were counted as good lighters. A bic could not be trusted to light once the wheel got wet and they had a nasty habit of going empty in the pocket.
"Powder is the ultimate power tool."
If you want to ask a question about something I said you are more than welcome to ask.
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