Featured on BBC Four last night ( one of the new digital TV Channels) on
Storyville the above mines and the poor devils that work in them. Anyone of
us who romances about mining should see this film it was the most shocking
and frightening television I have seen in along
The TV details (taken from the website) as follows
""In 1544 Diego Huallpa, a native Indian, found silver on the mountain above
his village in what is now Bolivia. It was to be the biggest deposit the
world has ever known. The mountain was named the "Cerro Rico" (Rich
Mountain) and financed the Spanish Empire. But for those that worked the
mines the mountain was known as the Gates of Hell.
Four hundred years later the fountain of silver has become a trickle, but
otherwise little has changed for the hundreds of men and women who scrape a
living from its exhausted and toxic seams.
Director Charles Vaughan went into the Cerro Rico to meet the miners who
daily risk their lives through their dependence on the mountain, that will
ultimately, kill them.""
Vaughan followed 2 of the 20 odd so called co operatives that work these
mines, not only was altitude 4000metres a problem that led to poor air
quality, but the walls were coated with arsenic and full of fumes and dust.
Co -operatives levels linked in places and no warnings were given for
setting explosives, very short fuses were used and men really did not get
out of the way till the air clears. Most of the Miners die by the age of 40,
one of the people featured was 38 and died of silicosis 6 weeks after
filming. A Brother asked if there was a cure ( he too had Silicosis but was
still working) he kept asking clearly there was nothing could be done . The
following day he walked into the mine and sat down in a bad air pocket and
died he was mid 30's. The younger Brother aged 23 was already suffering with
the disease. All this in the name of fetching out silver for Jewellery and
the like. The Mining methods were shown and with the exception of a few
drills and battery headlights mining methods have not changed.
It brought home what terrible life these people in 2003 are living . I have
asked the programme makers if this will be repeated and will let members
know.
Mike
Visit the following sites for references to all kinds of mining subjects
British Mining Database <http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bmd.htm>
Shropshire Mines Trust <http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/smt.htm>
Snailbeach Mine <http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/sbeach.htm>
Tankerville Mine <http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tanker.htm>
Bersham Colliery <http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bct.htm>
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