Aglolink.org

Public kitchen for the miners

Sawahlunto is small town rich heritage associated with coal mining in West Sumatera. This is old mining town of preserving heritage. Sawahlunto heritage property inventory is done and one by one turned back.

Public kitchen for the miners and their families

In essence, the former coal mining town to live longer by using the existing heritage. Variety of mining related relics is still intact there. In addition to ex-pit mines or tunnels that are now beginning to be brought back to the mine tourism, the former general kitchen or barn rations could be the common thread mining story here. In the complex public kitchen is very spacious and consists of several buildings such as factories ice bars, hospitals, houses the head of ration, house staff, warehouse supplies of rice and other raw materials, the abattoir and even animals. This common kitchen needs daily meals the miners and their families, patients, etc. numbering thousands of people prepared. So do not be surprised if all the cooking utensils here are large. Every day, rice or 65 endure almost 4000 kg of rice should be cooked to be distributed to thousands of mouth associated with mining.
The building from 1918 is now a museum warehouse rations. It is still visible two large furnaces manufactured Germany in 1894. Factory that makes the stove is Rohrendampfkesselfabrik DR Patente No. 13,449 and 42,321. In addition to the chimney or stove, there is also a large pot used to cook rice. Since the year 1945 this kitchen is no longer used for mining employees but for the army. The period 1950-1960 was the former kitchen is used as administrative offices for the company Ombilin Coal Mine.

Peoples Chain And Killer Hole

Sawahlunto city of about 274 km2 area was occupied around 53 thousand inhabitants. The city never abandoned the people, mostly miners, when coal supplies are running low in the city. That happened in early 2000. Now the city started to squirm after Sawahlunto committed to revitalize an area of about 6 km2 and its old buildings and relics or heritage from the colonial era.

The prisoner in the Dutch period

One of the Dutch heritages that about two years ago found and corrected immediately in order to increase tourism this former mining town is a holes of Mbah Suro or Lubang Mbah Suro. This place, as the name implies, is none other than former coal mining pit. This hole is the main holes former coal mine in Tangsi Baru, Tanah Lapang Sub-District, District Lembah Segar.
Although only a former coal mine pit but it had a long and interesting story. From here was born the name “Orang Rantai (The Chain)”. The person was none other chain name for the mine workers, which is nothing but a prisoner in the Dutch period, which was sent from various regions in the Dutch East Indies, including Batavia. The workers were shackled as he was forced to mine coal for the sake of the Netherlands.

De Groet, a Dutch geologist who is in 1858 found that around river Ombilin contains coal. The discovery of De Groet then followed by Ir Willem Hendrik De Greve in 1867. More thorough investigations by the Ir Verbeck produce findings with a range of coal content in the tens of millions, so that mining began in the region. Production of Ombilin coal mining began in 1892. Mbah Suro holes mentioned similar to the Japanese Cave in Bukittinggi. Hole’s Suro built much earlier by the Dutch while the Japanese cave built by the Japanese around 1930. Hole’s Suro also more unique because it is under the city Sawahlunto and snaking up to about 1.5 km.

The cave built by the Japanese around 1930

Mbah Suro, known as the foreman of the chain and the community, he is also known to have high power. He has five children with 13 grandchildren. Mbah Suro, died before 1930 and was buried in the cemetery of the chain, Tanjung Sari, Sawahlunto.
The width of the pit was about two meters by two meters in height. Hole with a depth of 15 meters from the ground has been restored as far as 186 meters. There’s another hole that was more under the first hole, but have not touched restoration. On the first hole was restored, the process of clearing mud and pumping of water from this hole is approximately 20 days. On the wall are still visible even held superior quality coals. During the restoration, found many human skeletons, including the human thigh, and the Dutch heritage in the form of alcoholic beverages. Not surprisingly, to enter into the hole, there are several caveats that must be complied with visitors. In addition to using a safety hat, because the water was still dripping from the walls of the hole, visitors also have to use bots shoes because the floor was wet and the holes full of water.