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The work was not only hard, but it was dangerous. There was always the danger of being blown to pieces by a premature explosion of powder, or of being crushed by falling slate. Accidents from one or the other of these causes were frequently occurring, and this kept me in constant fear. Many children of the tenderest years were compelled then, as is now true I fear, in most coal-mining districts, to spend a large part of their lives in these coal-mines…  –Booker T. Washington

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In addition to breathing coal dust, cave-ins, mechanical accidents, gasses in the air, and explosions– both controlled and uncontrolled–tunnel miners also had to deal with slate falls and kettle bottoms.  Kettle bottoms are petrified tree trunks which are not well bound to the surrounding rock above a coal seam.  These large chunks of rock were deadly as they could work their way loose and crash down on a miner at any time.

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