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THE LETTER FROM SAN GIOVANNI SUERGIU PRIMARY SCHOOL

Hello, we are a group of students attending the fourth year of a primary school in San Giovanni Suergiu a village located in the southwestern region of Sardinia called Sulcis Iglesiente. A few weeks ago we have been to visit Serbariu’s coal mine, nearby our village. We know that you also live in an area rich of coal as well as of mines, so we would like to share with you our experience. First of all we would like you to know that the area where we live has became famous because of its coal, it was sold all over the Italian region. The first time coal was discovered, it happened almost by chance. In those days the land was poor and uninhabited. One day someone noticed the dark signs left on the pavement by the wheels of the wagons passing by. In this way began the exploitation of the coal mines which lasted for 35 years and it was the only source of earning for all the people. In 1971 all the mines but one have been closed down because the quality of the mined coal was poor, indeed it was contaminated by a substance called sulphur which is very polluting. The procedure to get rid of the sulphur is quite expensive, as a result the price of our coal is too high and it is cheaper to import from other countries such as yours. Today we had the possibility to visit a coalmine that has recently become a museum and we would like to tell you what has impressed us mostly. At first we were stunned by the miners working conditions (this happened especially because we know a lot of people who worked there like grandfathers, uncles, etc…). They had told us how hard and dangerous can be this kind of work, but only after seeing by ourselves we were able to really understand what they meant. The mine is 300 meters deep underground and it is divided in eight levels. We have had the possibility to go down just for the first level underground and it was as if we were about to suffocate. During the guided tour inside the mine we learned more about the dangers of working there. Probably the most important hazard is a gas mixture called Firedamp (Grisù in Italian) that can easily lead to fires or explosions. The possibility that the tunnel walls could collapse was also high (indeed the guide told us that usually the walls were plastered with cherry or chestnut pillars, the reason is that those kind of woods cracks when they are next to snap, so if the miners heard a cracking sound the knew that they had to run away because the tunnel might have quickly collapsed). Moreover if someone was feeling ill or injured himself nobody could stop working to help him, even if he was a friend or a relative. If someone was found chatting he was fined. Many problems have been caused by the coal ashes that were inhaled during the work and that caused a terrible lung disease called Silicosis (we know or have know a lot of people suffering from Silicosis) eyes or hearing problems were also common among miners because of the darkness of the tunnels and of the deafening noises. During our tour the tunnels were illuminated by neon lamps and we had the possibility to hear a record of the sounds but who had worked in the same mine told us that the real noise were incomparably louder to those we heard. Miners’ shifts lasted eight hours a new shift began respectively at 7-15-23 so that the activity inside the mine went on and on 24 hours a day every day without any break. Many times people lived far away from the mine so they had to walk to reach their houses up to five hours. At the beginning mines were located in secluded regions while the workers lived in the villages that were not so close. Than new villages like Carbonia were built in order to provide housing for the workforce of the nearby mines. Often in addition to the mens women and children were employed as well (especially during the war when men were fighting for their country). Sometime women had the task to divide coal from waste. Convicts were also used when the work had to be done inside tunnels that were too narrow or dangerous. Honestly we found this experience very interesting but quite shocking as well, and for sure we would not like to become miners because we learned that it is a job very hard and dangerous. Now we would like to know something more about you, your habits and the mines near you town. Is the mine near your town still open? For as much as you know, do you think that the work now is safer than it used to be? Have you ever been inside? Do you know anyone who works or has worked there? What did they told you about mining? We heard that a long time ago miners brought with them a canary that was used as an indicator of gas leak, do they still use birds? In Italy a lot of people are loosing their job and feel insecure and afraid because of an economic crisis, is there the same problem in your country? We are looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Best regards San Giovanni Suergiu Primary School

THE LETTER FROM I.G.DUCA SCHOOL

Hello, "I.G.Duca" School is a school with a student population of approximately 1000 children. We are located in the Jiu's Valley, in Petrosani town. The school is located near the center of town. Our school has excellent resources from our library to our classroom computers and labs. Petrosani is the oldest community from Jiu's Valley. For many years residents of the area depended on the Jiu and the coal mines. In the . Today Petrosani town is still surrounded by forests and an abundance of wildlife. Some of the animals we often see are bear, deer, fox. We are 11-12 years old and we are students in the sixth form. We are happy to read about you and your town and we invite you to cooperate with us to build a website together. We shall upload photos and videos and write about our town and its history. We are planning to visite the coal mines, the Thermoelectric Power Plant from Paroseni and The University from Petrosani, in order to find out as much as possible about mines and the Power Plant, that uses coal to produce electrical energy for our homes and school. We shall make photos and put them on the site. We will send you the site's name and the password so we will be able to build the site together. Best regards. I.G.Duca School Petrosani.