On Mon, 2 Jan 2006 14:36:47 EST, Bernard Moore <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Further to previous postings on the List re the above, I have further info.
>regarding same that, whilst not giving any exact location, at least goes a
>little further in direction.
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>In a letter dated the 12th of Feb. 1925 (London Office letterhead - 6 Broad
>Street Place, EC2 - and signed by Francis Allen), I quote pertinent
>paras./sections:
>
>"There is evidently far more water coming in than was originally
>contemplated, and it would be best to consider the programme from the
point of view of
>stripping down the shaft and putting in a Cornish pump to avoid the great
>expense of this steam pumping".
>
>"The past year has been very wet with plenty of rain since, so that
probably
>the incoming water is about the maximum of what we may expect to receive,
>but in any calculation it would be wise to add a substantial margin over
the
>present amount in case more water should make itself felt in days to
come".
>
>Josiah Paul (Mgr. of S.Crofty), was going to visit the mine, and Mr Allen
>had arranged with Edwin Timmins (Mgr. at the Derbs. mine), to put Mr Paul
up at
>the "Hope & Anchor" in Wirksworth. The initials E.W.M. are mentioned twice
>in this letter, and whoever this is seems to be as much involved in the
Derbs.
>oper. as Mr Allen - indeed, Mr Allen wants Mr Paul to discuss the mine with
>"E.W.M" at the London Office before he (Mr Paul), returns to Cornwall.
E.W.M.
>could be a consultant of course.
>
>In a letter dated August the 25th 1925, Mr Timmins writes to thank Mr Paul
>for agreeing to lend an engineer for a few weeks, and supplies the
following
>interesting info.:
>
>"We have done a lot of cleaning up of the old workings and have driven over
>100' at the 142ft. level North of the Main Shaft. The face is poor again at
>the moment so we have come back a few yards to put up a rise where we had
a
>little lead".
>
>"The vein is very small but the lead is of exceedingly good quality when
you
>come across it and is mostly loose and in nugget form".
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Whilst the info. is getting a little more detailed, we are still no better
>off as to which mine is being referred to, however, I feel certain it
must be
>close Wirksworth - thus the field is definitely narrowing at least! So, the
>questions:-
>
>1). Which mine/mines was/were operating near Wirksworth in 1924/5/6? - that
>might suit the
> above description.
>
>2). Does anyone have any idea who E.W.M. might have been?
>
>Any suggestions would be very welcome!
>
>Happy New Year to All, Regards, Bernard
>=========================================================================
The List of Mines entries (see me posting of 12.12.05) would surely suggest
that the main operations related to Blobber Mine; presumably that would be
the mine referred to in the letter quoted.
Alasdair Neill.
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