Coronavirus streets in Manchester - XI

Almost sleepwalking

With the drudgery of sleep in my legs, my mind was elsewhere, the supermarket visit I missed yesterday along with a somewhat purposeful walk in the cool of the evening. From my bed, I charted the shortest route to the Regent Retail Park, then set out to go shopping.

The trek was to take 32 minutes and it took me through Castlefield, the path that formed part of my return journey just over a week ago on Sunday. The queue was about 30 deep and I was soon in the shop, having laden my basket with goods, I was nigh on exhausted at the checkout till.

Packing the heavier bits into my rucksack, I had the rest in a shopping bag and made for home via a slightly different route and through the canal ways of Castlefield that I learnt was the birthplace of Manchester.

Castlefield as the birthplace of Manchester.

Coal and canals were the business.

Where inland waterways began

The Bridgewater name I have been seeing prominently around Manchester belonged to the Francis Egerton, the 3^rd Duke of Bridgewater who happened to be a pioneer of canal building, this took navigation off rivers create courses of water for transport to strategic locations, first with Bridgewater Canal and then improving navigation between Manchester and Liverpool. He consequently made his larger fortune through his canal waterways and coal.

As I have written a bit about the River Medlock, I now have it on good authority that it was not always a malevolent force of nature. It was before the advent of steam-powered machinery used in the 18^th Century on the wharves at the end of the Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield to drive cranes and hoisting machinery powered by waterwheels on the river itself.

River Medlock is not all notorious.

Overlooking Castlefield wharves.

On entry to Castlefield, but I was leaving.

Soon to come alive again

The social places, bars, restaurants, beer gardens are all deserted because of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is amazing how thriving all these venues would have been at a different time. The streets remain sparse, though I could not help but notice that down the road at Bridgewater House, people seem to be back to work and closing late.

For me, there is much more to discover about Manchester, even after over 6 years of living here. Until my next outing, we hope for the best and we look to a better future.

Castlefield on Google Maps.

Fossils long before their time

Mining mishaps climbing the graph

Beyond air, rail, ferry disasters, mining mishaps seem to figure quite prominently in the records of despair and sorrow pertaining to major accidents.

Generally, victims of disaster are unfortunate in that they are in the wrong place at the wrong time; however, for mining; the people who meet their demise in circumstances in which they happen to earn their living – their working environment.

Nowhere, is the anxiety of expectancy and the dashing of hopes more dramatically played out than in the work that goes into trying to rescue miners from a coal mine mishap.

With all other disasters, help can almost immediately be given at the point that emergency services arrive, but in coal mines; determining the cause of a disaster leading on to ensuring safety for the rescuers in an unstable atmospheric environment puts back the opportunities for any salvation.

We all watched in January just after the New Year as 12 miners lost in a disaster in the United States were sought as the news wires vacillated between hope and despair till we all ended up both despondent and disgusted.

No greater lament could have arisen from the events that occurred, than to ensure that this never happens again. Asrecriminations began flying; damage-limitation and politics took precedent over the people affected; one man lies in hospital regaining speech but unsure of his future.

Coal is the future

Apparently, coal is supposed to ensure future global energy security in comparison to the finite supplies of oil. In the 10 years till 2004, coal consumption increased by 75% of which the greatest amount is accounted for in China.

Coal consumption - BP Global Reports and Publications

In an interesting reversal of roles, the largest coal deposits are to be found in the United States and none in the Middle East. One can almost wager that when the Middle East oil reserves run out and gas does not gain ascendancy, the begging bowl for energy fulfilment would be moving in the opposite direction.

Coal reserves - Australian Coal Association - Global Role of Coal

A case for Iran

Now, if Iran is seeing that far ahead, their quest for alternative energy sources through nuclear power research and development would begin to make seriously astute sense.

Not many nations would want the world superpower be become the main source of raw materials for global energy needs.

So, if coal so underpins the engine of manufacturing in the generation of electricity, production of iron, steel and cement along with other fiery processes for the production of paper, aluminium and metals of economic value; why is the process of extraction so fraught with safety and disaster issues? See How Coal is used.

Too many disasters

In China alone, which comes third in coal reserves, in the same year to December 2004 there were 3,413 mining accidents which killed 5,286 people and that was the safest year in history.

It makes me breathless, but no where near the agonising death of the many that might have been caught up in explosions or mine collapses, or the slow happy death of those who in gasping for air breathe in volumes of Carbon Monoxide which leads to death eventually as blood and organs are starved of life-giving oxygen.

There is no doubt, seeing the importance of coal to the global economy that safety should become a paramount objective or else that industry would be completely decimated for the lack of expertise and human resources – people would just not knowingly walk into death-traps once they see better career opportunities open up for them.

Another 65 lost in Mexico

Back to the issues at hand, we read that 65 men would have perished in a mining disaster in Mexico. Going from other rescue effort records that it normally takes days to mount an effective rescue; one would suppose miners would be given better survival kits as they wait out the disaster before the rescuers arrive.

The Sago miners only had one hour’s supply of oxygen, those in Mexico apparently had up to 6 hours supply, but if it takes days to mount a rescue, we should not delude ourselves into thinking the attempted rescue is would lead to a successful rescue but a recovery of bodies.

I am not chemistry major, however, one would think we could have some sort of catalytic or meta-morphing converter (shows I am a chemistry idiot, but Hey! Someone should be thinking about this) attached to helmets that allow would poisonous gases like methane or carbon monoxide to be converted to usable oxygen as the miners draw breath.

In such dire situations, the miners trapped, need to be able to participate and contribute to their own rescue efforts; with sealed communication equipment and adequate personal life-support that should run for up to a week.

Never again!

In some countries, the miners’ survivors get some sort of compensation even full scholarships for their dependants, but nothing can pay for the daily fear and anxiety that the families endure as each passing day starts and ends on a wing and a prayer.

If they draw any strength from their loss, and I hope they do, it should include ensuring no further generation would see any career development in going back to the mine but in other endeavours that allow people like me to write about these incidents from a different comfort zone.

Postscript

I have written about the significance of coal to the global economy and though I am also conscious of the implications to global warming – my premise here, was to balance the importance of coal against safety concerns especially when disasters happen.

Formerly - Coal fuels despair slowly

How in God's name, did this happen?

This media circus should stop

My sleep was constantly interrupted as the news came from the West Virginia coal mine disaster, the search for 13 lost men changed constantly as the troughs and crests of a roller coaster ride.

There was such a baying for news as the networks analysed, cross-referenced and reported rumour with incomplete information which suggested one man had died, and then there were 12 survivors and just now, only one survivor in a critical condition.

In fact, one really wonders what to believe as the news developed that the mine was unsafe and critical safety issues prevented some from working at certain times.

All the while, hope and despair wrestled with the truth and reality as we were told the survivors who would be brought by the church; ironically, one can say to be buried of course, because someone must have known the whole truth rather than a twelfth of the truth.

Miscommunication unrehearsed

The problem here is, whilst is it dastardly unconscionable and beneath contempt that people’s anxiety was tugged at with devilish mockery, the need to address news conferences and report progress even where there was no information is becoming the bane of our civilisation.

One suggestion indicates that mobile phones helped spread incomplete information as eavesdropping and rumour coupled with the loud shouts of joy from the control centre spread a wildfire fire of terminological inexactitudes (lies).

First is hardly best

The quest to get there first with the news; first from the first witness or non-witness is just not good for our humanity as we viewed this globally.

The first report race means that not enough checks and are made of information received before it is relayed.

It is difficult to say for sure who should take the blame for this kind of media frenzy; from the news producers to the news consumers.

Business as usual

As we mourn the loss of 12 lives, the company may just go on because it is almost impossible to re-skill miners and there is a business to run, life just goes on as our humanity dissolves into the need to be fed by the work of our hands.

Life goes on at the expense of those who have been cheated of the joy of good news because checks and balances were not put in place to crosscheck what had been heard.

“Miracles do happen” as the Governor did say, but sometimes the man-made miracle is not the event itself but the gluttonous hunger and unquenchable thirst of the technology needed to deliver the news.

Beyond this disaster some lawyer is probably already preparing a brief for a class action suit against many that would not include the news networks.

We have not heard the last of this stuff yet and it is only day 4 of 2006.

How in God’s name, did this happen?