Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines
Page 7
CHAPTER SEVEN.
TELLS OF THE GREAT MINE AND OF A ROYAL DIVE UNDER THE SEA.
Botallack, to the dark depths of which we are now about to descend, isthe most celebrated mine in the great mining county of Cornwall. Itstands on the sea coast, a little more than a mile to the north of St.Just. The region around it is somewhat bleak and almost destitute oftrees. In approaching it, the eyes of the traveller are presented witha view of engine-houses, and piles of stones and rubbish, in the midstof which stand a number of uncouth yet picturesque objects, composed ofboards and timber, wheels, ropes, pulleys, chains, and suchlike gear.These last are the winding erections of the shafts which lead to thevarious mines, for the whole region is undermined, and Botallack is onlyone of several in St. Just parish. Wherever the eye turns, there, inthe midst of green fields, where rocks and rocky fences abound, may beseen, rising prominently, the labouring arms, or "bobs," of the pump andskip engines, and the other machinery required in mining operations;while the ear is assailed by the perpetual clatter of the "stamps," orore-crushing machines, which never cease their din, day or night, excepton Sundays.
Botallack, like all the other mines, has several "shafts" or entrancesto the works below, such as Boscawen Shaft, Wheal Button, Wheal Hazard,Chicornish Shaft, Davis Shaft, Wheal Cock, etcetera, the mostinteresting of which are situated among the steep rugged cliffs thatfront and bid defiance to the utmost fury of the Atlantic Ocean.
From whatever point viewed, the aspect of Botallack mine is grand in theextreme. On the rocky point that stretches out into the sea, engineswith all their fantastic machinery and buildings have been erected. Onthe very summit of the cliff is seen a complication of timbers, wheels,and chains sharply defined against the sky, with apparently scarce anyhold of the cliff, while down below, on rocky ledges and in blackchasms, are other engines and beams and rods and wheels and chains,fastened and perched in fantastic forms in dangerous-looking places.
Here, amid the most savage gorges of the sea and riven rocks--halfclinging to the land, half suspended over the water--is perched themachinery of, and entrance to, the most singular shaft of the mine,named the "Boscawen Diagonal Shaft." This shaft descends under the seaat a steep incline. It is traversed, on rails, by an iron carriagecalled the "gig," which is lowered and drawn up by steam power.Starting as it does from an elevated position in the rocks that areclose to the edge of the sea, and slanting down through the cape,_outward_ or seaward, this vehicle descends only a few fathoms when itis _under the ocean's bed_, and then its further course is far out anddeep down--about two-thirds of a mile out, and full 245 fathoms down!The gig conveys the men to and from their work--the ore being drawn upby another iron carriage. There is (or rather there was, before theself-acting brake was added) danger attending the descent of this shaft,for the rope, although good and strong, is not immaculate, as was provedterribly in the year 1864--when it broke, and the gig flew down to thebottom like lightning, dashing itself to pieces, and instantly killingthe nine unfortunate men who were descending at the time.
Nevertheless, the Prince and Princess of Wales did not shrink fromdescending this deep burrow under the sea in the year 1865.
It was a great day for St. Just and Botallack that 24th of July on whichthe royal visit was paid. Great were the expectation and preparation onall hands to give a hearty welcome to the royal pair. The ladiesarrayed themselves in their best to do fitting honour to the Princess;the balmaidens donned their holiday-attire, and Johnny Fortnight [seenote 1] took care, by supplying the poor mine-girls with the latestfashions, that their appearance should be, if we may be allowed theword, _splendiferous_! The volunteers, too, turned out in force, and noone, looking at their trim, soldierly aspect, could have believed themto be the same miners who were wont to emerge each evening through ahole in the earth, red as lobsters, wet, ragged, and befouled--in aword, surrounded by a halo of dishevelment, indicative of their ruggedtoils in the regions below.
Everywhere the people turned out to line the roads, and worthily receivethe expected visitors, and great was the cheering when they arrived,accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, the Earl of MountEdgecumbe, Lady de Grey, Lord and Lady Vivian, General Knollys, andothers, but louder still was the cheer when the Princess rode down thesteep descent to the cliffs in a donkey-carriage.
The Botallack cliffs themselves, however, were the central point, notonly of the interest, but of the grandeur of the scene, for here werepresented such a view and combination as are not often witnessed--naturein one of her wildest aspects, combined with innumerable multitudes ofhuman beings swayed by one feeling of enthusiastic loyalty. Above, onevery attainable point, projection, and eminence, men and womenclustered like gay flies on the giant cliffs, leaving immense gaps hereand there, where no foot might venture save that of a bird. Midway, onthe face of the precipice, clung the great beams and supports of theBoscawen Diagonal Shaft, with the little gig perched on them and theroyal party seated therein, facing the entrance to the black abyss--thePrincess arrayed in a white flannel cloak trimmed with blue, and a strawhat with a blue ribbon round it, and the Prince clad in miner's costume.Underneath, a dizzy depth to gaze down, lay the rugged boulders of theshore, with the spray of the Atlantic springing over them.
Deafening was the cheer when the gig at last entered the shaft anddisappeared, and intense the anxiety of the vast multitude as theywatched the descent--in imagination, of course, for nothing could beseen but the tight wire-rope uncoiling its endless length, anddisappearing like a thin snake down the jaws of some awful sea-monsterthat had climbed so far up the cliffs to meet and devour it! Now theyare at the shore; now passing under the sea; fairly under it by thistime; a few minutes more and they have reached the spot where yonderseagull is now wheeling above the waves, wondering what new species ofbird has taken possession of its native cliffs. Five minutes arepassed--yet still descending rapidly! They must be half a mile out fromthe land now--half of a mile out on the first part of a submarine tunnelto America! "Old England is on the lee," but they are very much thereverse of afloat; solid rock is above, on either side and below--soclose to them that the elbows must not be allowed to protrude over theedge of their car, nor the head be held too high. Here even royaltymust stoop--not that we would be understood to imply that royalty cannotstoop elsewhere. Those who dwell in Highland cottages could contradictus if we did! Presently the rope "slows"--the lower depths are reached,and now for some time there is patient waiting, for it is understoodthat they are examining the "levels," where the stout men of Cornwalltear out the solid rock in quest of copper and tin.
After a time the thin snake begins to ascend; they are coming up now,but not so fast as they went down. It is about ten minutes before thegig emerges from that black hole and bears the Prince and Princess oncemore into the light of day.
Yes, it was a great day for Botallack, and it will dwell long in thememories of those who witnessed it--especially of that fortunate captainof the mine who had the honour of conducting the Princess on theoccasion, and of whose enthusiasm in recalling the event, and incommenting on her intelligence and condescension, we can speak frompersonal observation.
But, reader, you will say, What has all this to do with our story?
Nothing--we admit it frankly--nothing whatever in a direct way;nevertheless, indirectly, the narrative may possibly arouse in yougreater interest in the mine down which we are about to conduct you--notby the same route as that taken by the Prince and Princess (for theBoscawen Shaft did not exist at the period of our tale), but by one muchmore difficult and dangerous, as you shall see.
Before we go, however, permit us to add to the offence of digression, bywandering still further out of our direct road. There are a few factsregarding Botallack and mining operations, without a knowledge of whichyou will be apt at times to misunderstand your position.
Let us suppose that a mine has been already opened; that a "lode"--thatis, a vein of quartz with metal in it--has been discovered cr
opping outof the earth, and that it has been dug down upon from above, and dug inupon from the sea-cliffs. A shaft has been sunk--in other words, a holeexcavated--let us say, two or three hundred yards inland, to a depth ofsome forty or fifty fathoms,--near the sea-level. This shaft is perhapsnine feet by six wide. The lode, being a layer of quartz, sometimesslopes one way, sometimes another, and is occasionally perpendicular.It also varies in its run or direction a little here and there, like awildish horse, being sometimes met by other lodes, which, like badcompanions, divert it from the straight course. Unlike bad companions,however, they increase its value at the point of meeting by thickeningit. Whatever course the lode takes, the miner conscientiously followssuit. His shaft slopes much, little, or not at all, according to the"lie of the lode."
It is an ancient truism that water must find its level. Owing to thislaw, much water accumulates in the shaft, obliging the miner to erect anengine-house and provide a powerful pumping-engine with all its gear, atimmense cost, to keep the works dry as he proceeds. He then goes to theshore, and there, in the face of the perpendicular cliff, a little abovethe sea-level, he cuts a horizontal tunnel about six feet high by threebroad, and continues to chisel and blast away the solid rock until he"drives" his tunnel a quarter of a mile inland, which he will do at arate varying from two to six feet per week, according to the hardness ofthe rock, until he reaches the shaft and thus provides an easy andinexpensive passage for the water without pumping. This tunnel or levelhe calls the "Adit level." But his pumping-engine is by no meansrendered useless, for it has much to do in hauling ore to the surface,etcetera. In process of time, the miner works away all the lode down tothe sea-level, and must sink the shaft deeper--perhaps ten or twentyfathoms--where new levels are driven horizontally "on the lode," andwater accumulates which must be pumped up to the Adit level, whence itescapes to the sea.
Thus down, down, he goes, sinking his shaft and driving his levels on--that is, always following the lode _ad infinitum_. Of course he muststop before reaching the other side of the world! At the present timeBotallack has progressed in that direction to a depth of 245 fathoms.To those who find a difficulty in realising what depth that really is,we would observe that it is equal to more than three and a half timesthe height of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, nearly four times theheight of St. Rollox chimney in Glasgow, and considerably more thantwice the height, from the plain, of Arthur's Seat, near Edinburgh.
When the levels have been driven a considerable distance from the shaft,the air naturally becomes bad from want of circulation. To remedy thisevil, holes, or short shafts, called "winzes," are sunk at intervalsfrom the upper to the lower levels. These winzes are dangerous trapsfor the unwary or careless, extending frequently to a depth of ten orfifteen fathoms, and being bridged across by one or two loose planks.Ladders are fixed in many of them to facilitate progress through themine. When a miner drives the end of his level so far that the air willnot circulate, a new winze is usually sunk down to him from the levelabove. The circulation is thus extended, and the levels progressfurther and further right and left until they occupy miles of ground.The levels and shafts of Botallack, if put together, would extend to notless than forty miles, and the superficial space of ground, on andbeneath which the mine lies, is above 260 acres.
When the lode is rich, and extends upwards or downwards, it is cut awayfrom between levels, in a regular systematic manner, strong beams beingplaced to support temporary platforms, on which the miners may stand andwork as they ascend. When they have cut all the lode away up to thelevel above them, a false timber bottom is made to replace the rockybottom of the level which is being removed. Thus, in traversing the oldworkings of a mine one suddenly comes to great caverns, very narrow, butof such immense height above and depth below that the rays of yourcandle cannot penetrate the darkness. In such places the thick shortbeams that were used by the old miners are seen extending from side toside of the empty space, disappearing in dim perspective. Woe betidethe man who stumbles off his narrow plank, or sets his foot on aninsecure beam in such places! Where such workings are in progress, thepositions of the miners appear singularly wild and insecure. The menstand in the narrow chasm between the granite walls above each others'heads, slight temporary platforms alone preserving them from certaindeath, and the candles of those highest above you twinkling like starsin a black sky.
In these underground regions of Botallack, above three hundred men andboys are employed, some of whom work occasionally by night as well as byday. On the surface about two hundred men, women, and boys are employed"dressing" the ore, etcetera.
Other mines there are in the great mining centres of Cornwall--Redruth,St. Just, St. Austell, and Helston, which are well worthy of note--someof them a little deeper, and some richer than Botallack. But we professnot to treat of all the Cornish mines; our object is to describe one asa type of many, if not all, and as this one runs farthest out beneaththe sea, is deeper than most of the others, and richer than many,besides having interesting associations, and being of venerableantiquity, we hold it to be the one most worthy of selection.
With a few briefly stated facts we shall take final leave of statistics.
As we have said, the Boscawen shaft measures 245 fathoms. Theladder-way by which the men ascend and descend daily extends to 205fathoms. It takes a man half an hour to reach the bottom, and fully anhour to climb to the surface. There are three pumping and seven windingengines at work--the largest being of 70 horse-power. The tin raised isfrom 33 to 35 tons a month. The price of tin has varied from 55 poundsto 90 pounds per ton. In time past, when Botallack was more of a copperthan a tin-mine, a fathom has been known to yield 100 pounds worth ofore, and a miner has sometimes broken out as much as 300 pounds worth inone month.
The mine has been worked from time immemorial. It is known to have beenwrought a hundred years before it was taken by the present company, whohave had it between thirty and forty years, and, under the abledirection of the present manager and purser, Mr Stephen Harvey James,it has paid the shareholders more than 100,000 pounds. The profit inthe year 1844 was 24,000 pounds. At the termination of one period ofworking it left a profit of 300,000 pounds. It has experienced manyvicissitudes of fortune. Formerly it was worked for tin, and at oneperiod (1841) was doing so badly that it was about to be abandoned, whenan unlooked for discovery of copper was made, and a period of greatprosperity again set in, during which many shareholders and miners madetheir fortunes out of Botallack.
Thus much, with a humble apology, we present to the reader, and nowresume the thread of our narrative.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note 1. The packmen are so styled because of their visits being paidfortnightly.