A good idea would be to visit Florence mine at Egremont, Cumbria, the UKs
last surviving haematite iron ore mine, or at least their web site, if you
can't get to Spain.  Methane gas not usually a problem, so naked lights were
generally used, though build up of CO2 and CO from explosive detonations or
even wood props decaying could be a problem, for instance.  Some information
in Iron Ores - Haematites of West Cumberland etc, Special Reports on the
mineral Resources of the UK, Vol. VIII, Bernard Smith, 1924, 2nd edition,
(reprinted in 1980 by Mining Facsimiles). There are also a few specialist
articles in the mining press on haematite mining, and the northern mines
research society had a brief article, I think, on Iberian mines a few years
ago. Contact their librarian, via website at MinHistNet/NMRS. Working
methods in Cumberland were somewhat different to coal mines as the ore was
generally in large irregular masses, not seams.  There is or was a
specialist tour company that  used to arrange visits to Spanish and
Portuguese mines, who might be able to help you, who's name escapes me at
present. Began with an A if I remember correctly. Should have a website,
maybe even on the MineHistNet.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Greenley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 4:57 PM
Subject: nineteenth century mining - a request for information


> Hello,
>         I'm researching late nineteenth century mining techniques for a
> screenplay and was wondering if anybody on this list could offer me
> some advice.
>         The story involves a group of British miners despatched to
resurrect
> an ailing mineworks in Spain in 1893. For story logistics the party
> consists of an under-manager/engineer (acting as leader) and a mix of a
> dozen hewers, carpenters and mechanics. From the research I've done
> this would appear to be a fairly unlikely scenario but story logistics
> demand otherwise!
>         The most plausible outline I've developed so far is that the men
have
> been sent to transform a mothballed iron ore mineworks in order to
> satisfy the market demands of the British steel industry for iron ore.
> What I need to know is how mining techniques would have differed, if at
> all, for the extraction of coal and iron ore. I've envisaged the hewers
> hailing from the Durham coalfield and am guessing that the basic pick
> and shovel, 'bord and pillar', dusty, accident-threatened, roadways and
> horse-drawn tubs world of the coal mine would apply equally to iron ore
> mining. Do iron ore mines face the same threat of gasey seams? Do they
> vary from shallow and wet shafts to deep and hot as coal mines? Also,
> what technological advantages did British mining possess that could
> turn an uneconomic mine into a profitable one? Or would it be more the
> case that greater capital reserves and better access to markets were
> British mining's real strengths. Finally, what would the preliminary tasks
> involve for re-establishing the mine?
>         If anyone can help with the above or is prepared to discuss the
> screenplay in more detail I would be very grateful (a recent draft enjoyed
> a performed reading at SCENE, part of the London Film Festival, and the
> project is presently supported by North West Vision). Any assistance
> would, of course, be acknowledged in the completed screenplay.
> Rather than cluttering the list please send any replies to the
> email address listed below.
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Jon Greenley
> email: jongreenley(at)yahoo.co.uk
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> Jon Greenley
> Sunday Co-ordinator
> Manchester Metropolitan University
> All Saints Library
> Manchester M15 6BH
> tel: +44 (0)161 247 6104
>
>
>