The title explains it all- but it can't make you feel the cool 56 degrees F temperature or the dampness! It didn't feel like it, but within seconds of entering the mine we were already hundreds of feet below the earth's surface. The tracks you see to the right in this picture were used by trams to carry quarried rocks out of the mine. The pipes above the tour group (a more modern addition) were for ventilation, bringing fresh air to the miners and carrying out "bad" air produced by the mining equipment. In spite of this, most miners developed a condition called black lung and many suffered from it until the day they died.
My great grandfather was a coal miner during times that were very hard for miners. Not a job I would feel comfortable with, but a lovely experience for you to go down there and see what it was like.
@golftragic The touring part was very wide open and airy. No troubles breathing or feeling closed-in. BUT that being said, I'm sure when this mine was in operation the initial tunnels were quite small until the dynamite did it's thing. No, I wouldn't want this for a job at all.
@onewing Leigh's great great grandfather on her mother's side worked in this mine- so it was a good intro into some of her family history. Apparently working at this mine was so-so. The pay was low, but miners could also take advantage of a company owned market and low-rent housing. On the other hand, because they didn't make enough pay to save anything up they were somewhat chained to this job. If the miner was injured, there was no sick pay or workman's compensation. Oftentimes the oldest son was then pressed into service to keep the income coming in- even if that child was 10. A very hard life indeed.
@helenhall I believe it was mostly zinc, but I'd really have to go back to their website to check because the ownership changed hands a couple times and each owner was mining for something different. At one point Thomas Edison used this mine for elements he used in making his light bulbs. This area is also one of two areas in the world with a high concentration of phosphorescent rocks and I'm sure that held some special interest too- but I'm not sure what they'd be mined for- just that it was a curious property of those particular stones.
@pyrrhula The mine stays a cool 56 degrees F no matter how deep you are. There were 7 levels of depth when the mine was fully operating. The mine shut down in 1987 and sometime after that the lower levels were flooded (on purpose). I think everything but the level we were on for the tour has water now. It keeps people from going where they don't belong!
@onewing Leigh's great great grandfather on her mother's side worked in this mine- so it was a good intro into some of her family history. Apparently working at this mine was so-so. The pay was low, but miners could also take advantage of a company owned market and low-rent housing. On the other hand, because they didn't make enough pay to save anything up they were somewhat chained to this job. If the miner was injured, there was no sick pay or workman's compensation. Oftentimes the oldest son was then pressed into service to keep the income coming in- even if that child was 10. A very hard life indeed.
@helenhall I believe it was mostly zinc, but I'd really have to go back to their website to check because the ownership changed hands a couple times and each owner was mining for something different. At one point Thomas Edison used this mine for elements he used in making his light bulbs. This area is also one of two areas in the world with a high concentration of phosphorescent rocks and I'm sure that held some special interest too- but I'm not sure what they'd be mined for- just that it was a curious property of those particular stones.
@pyrrhula The mine stays a cool 56 degrees F no matter how deep you are. There were 7 levels of depth when the mine was fully operating. The mine shut down in 1987 and sometime after that the lower levels were flooded (on purpose). I think everything but the level we were on for the tour has water now. It keeps people from going where they don't belong!
@golftragic @onewing @joansmor @gilbertwood @robz @helenhall @louannwarren @grammyn @pyrrhula @wendyfrost @daisymiller
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