Shropshire Routes to Roots

Mining Problems

How was it lifted out of the ground?

When mining consisted of a tunnel bored into a hillside (an adit), the main danger was from falling rock. As mines started to be dug deeper and vertically, there had to be a means of lowering the miners safely into the pit. The most natural means of doing this was by way of hemp ropes, which had been in use for many years. They had one major drawback, which was that they rotted very quickly and were prone to snapping on any occasion. However, one of the by-products of mining is the natural tar that often seeps from the walls (The Tar Tunnel at Ironbridge is a good example). The ropes were coated with this tar and so lasted considerably longer.

Hand Windlass (Shropshire Newspapers) Larger image, in a new window [55kb]

Horse Windlass (Shropshire Newspapers) Larger image, in a new window [30kb]

The means of raising the miners and the coal was initially by a hand winch, similar to that used to raise water from a well, but as the loads became greater, horses were used to turn a large windlass, but even this method was limited to load a horse could raise.

When steam began to be used a power source, some of the first applications were in the mining industry. In this picture two 'Atmospheric Engines' were used to raise and lower the mine cage and remove excess water. An atmospheric engine meant that steam would operate on the piston on one cycle of the stroke, and atmospheric pressure would work on the other side of the piston on the second stroke. You will notice the two engine beams, and the cage hawser travelling from the winding drum on the right to the pit head wheel on the left.

Atmospheric Winding Engine (Shropshire Archives) Larger image, in a new window [47kb]

Different forms of Winding Chain [Shropshire Newspapers] Larger image, in a new window [25kb]

Towards the end of the 18th century, the loads to be lifted and the cost of hemp started to make ordinary ropes both dangerous and costly. An ironmonger named Gilpin, from Coalbookdale, proposed using iron chains rather than ropes. By the early years of the 19th century, chains had been developed into triple linked and meshed chains, which were extremely strong and durable, and were ideal for use with the new steam engines that were now being employed at the pitheads. This Shropshire innovation soon traversed the world as the main form of hauling.

How were explosions prevented?

There were, and still are, two main enemies of the miner. 'Fire Damp', or Methane, causes explosions. 'Choke Damp', an unbreathable Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen mixture, causes, as its name suggests, suffocation. These are natural gases seeping from the rocks, and in some cases found in pockets that can be released suddenly as a 'blower'.

Methane can easily be ignited and was the major cause of mining accidents until the invention of the Safety Lamp, which had a sealed flame within a mesh basket. Even so, the lamps gave a poor light and quite often the miners took a risk and opened them to see better. Sometimes that was the last thing they ever did!

The answer was to ventilate the mines to remove any dangerous build up of the gases. This was accomplished by sinking two shafts. Near the top of one of them a fire was lit causing the air/gas mixture to rise up the shaft and draw out the gases. At the same time the foul air would be replaced by fresh air drawn down the second shaft. Before the advent of Air Pumps and Fans, this was the favoured method, with open fires replaced by closed furnaces inserted near the top of one shaft.

Hot Air Ventilation [Shropshire Newspapers] Larger image, in a new window [25kb]

How do you prevent the mine from flooding?

Water naturally flows to the lowest level it can find. Miners therefore dug sumps below the seams to contain it. To get the water to the surface, large cauldrons were lowered into the sumps and then simply lifted out. This could take some while, especially in a particularly 'wet' mine. The advent of steam allowed engines to pump the water out. In the early days in some deep mines this meant several engines working at different levels, taking the water from one to the other, as each on its own could only pump so much height.

The mines of the Stiperstones area made use of their elevated situation to aid drainage. Underground drainage levels were dug which drained the water into streams lower down the valley to save the lifting or pumping of water to the surface. The Wood Level, The Leigh level and The Boat Level were three of these.