Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 576 Industrial Chain (Part Two)
On July 3, 1643, before the first light of dawn had completely dispelled the thin mist on Yaoxi Lake, the Lintan (now Cumberland Town) coal mine in Hejiang County had already awakened.

"Dang...dang...dang..."

The deep, powerful sound of the work bell echoed through the valley, startling the birds that were roosting in the woods.

Groups of miners emerged one after another from the canteen in the workers' quarters.

Most of them wore indigo-colored coarse cloth work clothes and rattan-woven safety helmets on their heads, with faces displaying various expressions under the brim.

There were local natives and new immigrants, their swaying bodies still bearing the weariness of yesterday.

"Dang...dang...dang..."

Wang Laoshuan subconsciously wrapped his thin clothes tighter, and even his broad frame, typical of Shandong men, shivered a little in the morning chill.

He comes from Shandong and only arrived in Xinhua last year with a fleet of immigrants.

Originally hoping to be allocated forty acres of land according to the regulations and become a stable self-cultivating farmer, he was directly "biased" to be assigned to this Lintan coal mine because of his strong physique and mining experience in Zhaoyuan gold mine.

"Brother Shuanzi, hurry up! If we're late, all the good spots at the wellhead will be taken!" Li Shuigen, a fellow villager, urged indistinctly from the side, his mouth stuffed full.

Wang Laoshuan gave a muffled "hmm," quickened his pace, and merged into the blue-clad flow of people heading towards the mine.

He watched Li Shuigen's retreating figure and muttered to himself, "That idiot, all he knows is a good spot... With my build, I'm born to be a worm underground, so it doesn't matter where I dig?"

He looked up and saw the massive wooden derrick silhouetted against the morning light, like a silent giant.

On the pulleys at the top of the derrick, heavy iron chains moved slowly, making a creaking sound, lifting the first shift of miners down the mine and the coal mined the night before to the surface.

A unique smell permeated the air, a mixture of the pungent smell of coal dust, the damp coal smoke from the steam engine, and a cool breeze carrying moisture and the fragrance of pine from nearby Yaoxi Lake (now Comox Lake).

Not far away, a long railway track gleamed with a cold, hard light in the morning light, stretching endlessly eastward to the docks of Heath (now Royston) by the sea.

Several packhorses were pulling empty railcars, clanging and rattling as they headed toward the coal yard, ready to transport away the pre-sorted coal.

This railway, jointly built by the Ministry of Transport and Hejiang County, is the lifeline of Lintan Coal Mine and one of the keys to Hejiang County's ability to break away from the prefecture and county and become independent in just a few years.

Hejiang County, a newly established county that was only officially established last March, is growing at an astonishing pace.

Its administrative center, Hejiang Town (now Courtney City), had already begun to take shape as a town, thanks to the earliest developed Hejiang Coal Mine and convenient water transportation.

With its abundant salmon resources, Fufeng (now Comox) built several fish processing plants, and the salty aroma of pickled salmon often filled the entire coastline.

The rise of Lintan Coal Mine, along with its locational advantage near Jinshidao Iron Mine, spurred the emergence of numerous grain processing workshops and non-staple food production shops serving the mines, greatly boosting the local economy.

More than 8,600 immigrants settled here, and more than 30 villages and settlements were scattered here, making it a relatively densely populated emerging area on Qiming Island.

Wang Laoshuan and Li Shuigen followed the flow of people, bowing their heads as they entered the dimly lit well.

The alleyway was flanked by rough rock walls and densely packed wooden supports. Cold water droplets fell from above, landing on the back of the neck and making one shiver.

The deeper you go, the hotter and more humid the air becomes, with only the flickering light of the miners' lamps barely illuminating the bumpy road beneath your feet.

"Stay alert! Watch the roof, check the gas lights." The foreman's gruff voice echoed through the alleyway.

Wang Laoshuan gripped the iron pickaxe tightly in his hand; the wooden handle was blackened by the sweat from his palms.

On their working face, the coal face gleamed with a dark sheen under the light of a miner's lamp—a safety lamp that uses a copper wire mesh to surround the flame, keeping the outside temperature below the gas ignition point while allowing air to enter to maintain combustion.

"Time to get to work!"

"be careful!"

With a few shouts from the foreman, the miners scattered like worker ants, entering their respective small work areas.

"Shuigen, give me a hand! There's a crack in the coal seam here!" Wang Laoshuan roared, and together with Li Shuigen, they drove the tip of their pickaxe deep into the natural crack in the coal seam.

The two men exerted force simultaneously, their waists sinking, and with a "hey," a large chunk of coal broke off, crashing to the ground with a dull thud and kicking up a cloud of coal dust.

Just then, a tooth-grinding "creak" came from the pit logs overhead, and a few bits of coal dust fell down.

The two men paused, holding their breath until the sound disappeared, then breathed a sigh of relief and continued swinging their pickaxes.

Sweat quickly soaked through their clothes, mixing with coal dust and leaving muddy streaks on their faces and bodies.

"This job is much more tiring than farming." Li Shuigen panted heavily, wiping his face with his sleeve, only to find it getting darker the more he wiped.

“It’s tiring, but the pay is real.” Wang Laoshuan replied in a muffled voice, his hands never stopping. “Every month I can get the full five yuan. After deducting the cost of food, there’s a lot left over after a year… It’s much better than when we were in Shandong… digging for food in the soil. It’s heavenly.”

“But I’m afraid…” Li Shuigen swung his pickaxe, knocking off a large chunk of coal. “I heard from those old miners that you never know what’s underground… landslides, leaks, ghastly atmospheres… if you’re not careful, you could… bury someone.”

"In this world, what doesn't involve some risk?" Old Wang paused for a moment, then swung his pickaxe again. "Even if we're buried in a mine, it's still much better than being in the Ming Dynasty! At least we can eat our fill every day now, we don't have to worry about freezing in the winter, and we still have cash to collect. Hmm, in the future, if I have a wife and a few kids, even if one day I really... get buried, I'll think... it'll be worth it!"

"Oh..." Li Shuigen thought about it and realized that it made sense.

If he hadn't boarded Xinhua's immigration ship, he probably wouldn't have survived long in the Ming Dynasty.

They either starved to death from endless famine or were coerced by rebellious mobs and ultimately died at the hands of government troops.

In the Ming Dynasty, it seems that only the situation in the south is somewhat stable, allowing ordinary people to continue to eke out a living.

Sigh, what a world!

“Brother Shuanzi, I heard that the coal we’re digging can not only be used for cooking, but also for smelting iron and powering all sorts of machines. Over there…” He pointed to the direction from the depths of the tunnel where a regular rumbling sound was coming from, “Those iron machines will break down without the coal we’re digging. The demand for this coal seems endless, so let’s dig as much as we can.”

The "iron thing" he was referring to was a steam pump installed deep inside the main tunnel.

As the mine was dug deeper and deeper, underground water surges became a major threat.

It was these steam engines, which relied on coal produced by the coal mine itself as fuel, that roared day and night, pumping the underground water to the surface, thus ensuring the continuation of mining operations.

In a sense, coal consumes itself, and then extracts more of itself. The demand for steam pumps, in turn, greatly fuels the thirst for coal, creating a peculiar cycle.

In mines, besides water accumulation, ventilation is also a major problem.

To dispel the deadly miasma (i.e., gas) and dust underground, the mine installed a simple fan system pulled by animal power, which continuously delivered fresh air to each working face through ventilation pipes made of coarse cloth and wooden planks.

Even so, the air underground was still stuffy and hot.

The coal yard at the mine entrance is bustling with activity.

The raw coal, freshly transported from the mine, was piled up like small hills.

Some workers are using iron sieves to perform preliminary sorting of raw coal, separating large, medium, and broken pieces.

Not far away, next to a canal that draws water from Yaoxi Lake, a simple coal washing trough is in operation.

Workers pour raw coal into a trough and use water flow to wash away gangue and some impurities, thereby improving the quality of the coal and its combustion efficiency.

This initial processing, though rudimentary, signifies that the utilization of coal resources is moving towards more refined management.

The coal mine engineer, a young man named Chen Haichao, was standing with the mine manager by the track, inspecting the mine cars that had just been repaired.

These mining carts originally used hardwood tracks, but their load-bearing capacity and durability were unsatisfactory.

Nowadays, with the increase in domestic steel production, most sections of the railway have been replaced with cast iron rails transported from the Bunshu Ironworks. Although they are rough, they are much stronger.

“Mine manager, the winch still relies on manpower and horsepower, which is too inefficient and dangerous.” Chen Haichao pointed to the winch at the mine entrance that was pulled by mules and horses. “Next time we upgrade the equipment, we must apply for a steam winch. Hejiang Coal Mine is already using one, and the lifting capacity is incomparable.”

Mine manager Tang Shengfeng, a middle-aged man with a dark complexion, sighed as he watched the endless stream of workers loading coal into the railcars: "I know that steam engines are good things. But Xinhua Heavy Industry's orders are booked until the end of the year. They're busy producing machinery for shipyards, ironworks, and textile mills. They don't have the time to specially produce a steam winch for our small coal mine."

He paused, then said with a wry smile, "Let's go to the Fenzhou Coal Mine tomorrow and see if they have any obsolete winches that we can use temporarily. What you said is exactly what I'm hoping for too. If our coal mine wants to increase production, we definitely need to get some machinery over here."

Chen Haichao nodded, his gaze sweeping past the coal yard and towards a vast, empty expanse of land in the distance.

"If we could build a coking plant, that would be perfect." He rested his chin on his hand, his face full of anticipation. "Then, when the coal comes out here, it will be put into the coking ovens there, and then coke that can be used for iron smelting will be produced. Oh, and coal tar and coal gas, those are all valuable treasures. In the future, our Lintan mine can become an important coal chemical base, just like Fenzhou and Hejiang."

"Forget about that!" Tang Shengfeng shook his head and said, "If a coking plant is built in Hejiang, we can't build one here. According to the higher-ups, this is redundant construction, which is not conducive to achieving industrial scale and concentration."

Upon hearing this, Chen Haichao immediately showed a disappointed expression: "What a pity! The value of raw coal and coke is more than double. If we could have this industry, Lintan Town could become a wealthy metropolis in just a few years."

"And then there's coal tar, black and sticky, which is excellent for soaking railway sleepers and ship planks. Several technical officers from the Ministry of Industry said that the future is hidden in it; dyes, pharmaceuticals, and even... improved explosives could all come from it. If we could develop all of these, there would probably be a long string of factories to build, and we'd need to hire hundreds or even thousands of workers."

Tang Shengfeng listened, but just smiled and didn't respond.

These young people, graduating from vocational and technical schools, are always full of boundless passion and various "fantasies," trying to change this nascent country and the world with their own efforts.

However, you have to eat one bite at a time, and things have to be done step by step; you can't rush it.

Lintan Coal Mine is just a microcosm of Xinhua's coal industry.

This small coal mine, with an annual output of only a few thousand tons, clearly reflects the nascent coal-related industrial chain that has formed in China.

The development of coal mines and the construction of mine shafts have directly driven the development of many industries such as timber processing, mining tool manufacturing, and mining equipment production.

For example, the application of steam pumps not only solved the problem of mine drainage, but the pumps themselves are also major coal consumers, forming the first positive feedback loop of "coal-steam engine-more coal mining".

The coal processing itself, from simple screening and washing to core processes and industries such as coking, involves a large amount of labor and related industries.

As for the downstream of the coal industry, it is the longest and most far-reaching part of this industrial chain.

First and foremost, coal, as the "blood" of the steam engine, had begun to flow gradually into Xinhua's industrial system. Factories (powered by steam), mines (for drainage, transportation, and hoisting), and transportation (future steam locomotives and steamships to be put into use) all relied on a continuous and stable supply of coal.

The gradual popularization of steam engines and the supply of coal mutually reinforced each other, forming the core of Xinhua's "industrial revolution"—the positive feedback loop of "coal-steam".

Secondly, coal, as a domestic and commercial energy source, such as for heating and cooking, is changing the fuel structure of countless households.

Of course, coal is also the most critical fuel in the production of materials industry. Brick kilns, lime kilns, ceramic kilns, glass kilns, etc., all require a large amount of coal to provide stable high temperatures, which is the basis for their large-scale production.

For Xinhua, before the large-scale application of oil, "coal priority" was not only a strategy, but also a survival rule for forging an industrial system from poverty and weakness, and an industrial fire ignited by the whole country to promote modern civilization.

Once a coal mine with abundant reserves and convenient transportation is discovered, it will be developed on a large scale at any cost.

Because coal is not only a fuel, but also a "multiplier" and "catalyst" for the entire industrial system.

Coking is considered a core node, as it can simultaneously yield high-quality metallurgical fuels and valuable chemical raw materials.

Xinhua is working to build a positive feedback loop of "coal → steam engine → more efficient coal mining/transportation/manufacturing," and developing the coal industry is undoubtedly the best way to achieve rapid industrialization.

As dusk fell, Yaoxi Lake was bathed in the golden-red glow of the sunset, which also gave the black coal mountain a warm outline.

The workday bell rang again, and Wang Laoshuan and Li Shuigen dragged their weary steps out of the well.

They quickly rinsed themselves off in the public bathhouse, wiping the coal dust off their faces and spitting out the black charcoal from their mouths.

The canteen was already filled with the aroma of food, mainly local stewed potatoes, grilled salmon, and cereal cakes. Although the side dishes were not plentiful, they were very nutritious and could keep up with the energy expenditure.

Old Wang, holding a rough earthenware bowl, leaned over the dining table. He first wolfed down two steamed buns, then covered his head and drank the salmon soup in the bowl clean. The warm soup slid down his esophagus into his stomach, bringing a primal sense of satisfaction.

"Uh..." He let out a long burp, patted his finally bloated stomach with satisfaction, and turned to look at the cafeteria window.

There, long queues still formed, and on each tired face was a pure longing for food.

"Brother Shuanzi, want more rice?" Li Shuigen asked, his mouth full of potatoes, his words muffled, while he clutched half a flatbread tightly in his hand.
"Give me another bowl of fish soup, with more of that meaty flavor." Old Wang licked his lips. "Since it's free, I might as well drink more."

"Aren't you afraid of having to get up more often at night if you drink too much soup?" Li Shuigen chuckled憨厚ly. "I think it's better to get a good night's sleep than to have a full stomach from drinking too much soup."

Wang Laoshuan smiled, said nothing more, picked up the rough pottery bowl, and walked towards the canteen window.

Eating until one's belly is round and full not only dispels physical fatigue and emptiness, but also brings an indescribable sense of confidence and peace of mind to face the hardships of the world.
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(End of this chapter)