Carbide lamps such as this one were used by miners in Appanoose County and across the United States to light the dark coal mines in which they worked. These lamps were filled with calcium carbide and water. When combined, these compounds produced acetylene gas, which created a flame inside the lamp that the miners could adjust. This lamp is attached to a miner's cap, however, there were also hand-held versions of the lamp as well. Content can be used with the following standards: 2nd grade SS 2.24 Natural Resources in a lesson on natural resources found in Iowa and how they were used. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.020.002 [Lamp, Carbide]
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Ownership of this resource is held by the Appanoose County Historical & Coal Mining Museum and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney.