By Steve Fiscor, editor, E&MJ and Coal Age
Today, the U.S. celebrates National Miner’s Day. Mining Media International, which publishes E&MJ and Coal Age, honors the legacy and contributions of miners worldwide. Their skill, determination and hard work provide the raw materials that allow society to advance. Most people today have no idea how metals are smelted or the source of their electricity. This is a testament to the miners that go quietly about their business.
The U.S. Congress proclaimed December 6th as National Miner’s Day in 2009. It marks the anniversary of the 1907 Monogah mining disaster where 362 coal miners perished in West Virginia.
Many other mining regions celebrate Miners Day on December 4, which coincides with the Feast of St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners. We join them in the celebration of miners and pray for the protection of miners from accidental death and injury so that every miner returns home safely every day.
