I believe that it was not uncommon for methane to be a problem in some of the mines in this area. I heard that one mine during the last excursion, for fluorspar, suffered a methane explosion (Cammock Eals?). Also the pyrittic nature of many of the strata that levels were driven in gives rise to oxygen deletion, on decomposition of the pyrites.
Hope that this helps.
Rod Goslin
On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:12:40 +1000
John Shoebridge <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Group
> Question Re Bernard's message
> Why should atmosphere in an abandoned metal mine become especially lethal
> ?.. I am well acquainted with oxidation in a coal mine producing carbon
> dioxie and a gob fires making carbon monoxide ...also methane coming from
> coal bearing strata but what does a lead mine exude or produce. ?
> Regards
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bernard Moore" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 8:32 AM
> Subject: Re: horse winding
>
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > An interesting subject.
> >
> > Yes, the 'yoke' was able to rotate and the animal turned, and there was
> > indeed no need for any gearing. A brake could be fixed if required.
> >
> > The Burtree Pasture Mine in Weardale has a superb example of a Gin/Whim,
> and
> > I was able to view the remnants numerous times in the late 1970's before
> the
> > mine was closed and the sealed. This particular u/g example was very
> large: a
> > circular chamber of approx. 40 feet in diameter or more had been
> excavated, and
> > it was perfectly 'domed out'. A superb stone arch was constructed about
> two
> > yards square that ran up from the floor from one side, over the roof, and
> then
> > down to the opposite side: not an easy task to p.graph either, since most
> of
> > the area was 'restricted' since it was all quite close to the shaft (which
> > itself was chambered at this point). This gin was adjacent to and wound
> this Main
> > Shaft (regarded as an u/g shaft) - there is a large opening into the shaft
> > from the gin, so obviously this was where the rope went to the winding
> wheel
> > (indeed I think this opening would also have accommodated the wheel). The
> > excavations around the shaft at this point were impressive and superbly
> engineered.
> >
> > It must be remembered that the shaft at this mine was 1000' feet deep, and
> I
> > am very certain that there was more than one horse working this gin/whim.
> > Access to it was easy as far as getting the animals to their work, so
> there was no
> > need for them to have been kept u/g - as was not the case for the tramming
> > etc. ponies at Smallcleugh - and due to the heavy winding they would have
> had to
> > have done, they must have been 'light' draft horses (the sheer size of the
> > gin chamber does tend to suggest the capability of two animals working). I
> know
> > of no hard evidence to support this, but the remains are indicative of it.
> > Under no circumstances is any attempt to be made to gain access to this
> area or
> > the indeed the mine: ventilation was artificial during working, and
> without it
> > the atmosphere WILL be lethal.
> >
> > At the time I knew the place, shaft clearance work had not long since been
> > abandoned due to an area of very difficult chokes in the shaft some 300'
> feet or
> > so down, but the torpedo pumps were still working to keep the water down
> for
> > the dev. drive heading towards Allenheads - and following the lode in that
> > direction. Everything was tried for a while to try and get through the
> chokes,
> > but it was judged as becoming far to costly in the end. This was a pity,
> since
> > there was evidence that significant fluorspar was left in the deep
> workings
> > which were significantly below the Whin Sill (the Blackdene Mine had
> proved there
> > that their vein considerably improved after breaking back into limestone
> > under the Whin, and was indeed increasing in strength as it was being
> followed
> > down (this mine was sadly closed before this dev. was fully completed).
> >
> > To my recollection, the Deep Adit at Burtree Pasture (3'x 2'), came into
> the
> > workings some 150' below the Gin Plat. The adit was broken into down the
> > decline that had been sunk about 1976 (indeed it had been looked for). So,
> this is
> > how I know how small it had been driven!
> >
> > Sorry to deviate a bit, but it's all part of the picture!
> >
> > Regards, Bernard.
> >
>
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