CORNWALL
26th October 2012
Day 14
Today was to be our last full day of our holiday and we would be going to the Lands End Peninsula, where we would visit the Levant Tin Mine and Cape Cornwall.
First we had to drop my daughter off at Penzance Railway Station so he could catch the 10 am train to Reading. We then moved on the steam driven engine at Levant Tin Mine, it's the last Cornish team driven engine in its original location in the world. The mine dates back to 1820 and it closed in 1930, here you'll find a visitor centre and you can take a short underground tour. The mine reached a depth of 600 metres. It was given the nickname of " Mine under the sea", because tunnels were driven up to 2.5 km from the cliffs to under the sea, tin and copper were raised from these mines.
 |
| A Map Of The Levant Mine |
 |
| The Building Housing The Steam Engine |
 |
| This Is How The Engine Opperater Knew Level The Lift Was At |
 |
| A Plan Showing How The Lift Opperated |
 |
| On The Lift There Are Steps Which The Miners Stood On |
 |
| Looking Down One Of The Shafts |
 |
| A Plan Showing How The Shaft Was Not In A Straight Line |
Tragedy Strikes
In the afternoon of 20th October 1919 at 2.45 a disaster struck at the mine. The main engine was carrying a full load of miners who were being raised to the surface at the end of their shift, when an iron strap securing the beam to a wooden rod in the shaft broke.
The Main engine rod fell down the shaft carrying its human cargo with it. At a depth of almost 150 feet, just below the 24 fathom balance bob. The engine rod broke in two and crashed down through the shaft. Projections on the side of the engine from known as the catch wings stopped the rod from any further decent at the 70 fathom level (420 feet). There was still a great deal of destruction caused to the upper parts of the shaft and 31 miners were lost. A simple plaque next to the shaft lists the names of those miners that were lost. After the disaster the mine never fully recovered.
 |
| A Piece Of The Broken Strap The Plaque Reads This is the broken off part of the iron strap from the top of the man
engine rod. Its failure cost the lives of
32 miners and injured 19 others in
1919. The enquiry found that the fracture
was caused by an internal defect in the iron,
probably as a result of faulty manufacture.
|
 |
| Looking Down one of The Shafts The Names Of The Lost Miners Henry Andrews - Nancherrow Terrace, St Just Johnt.Angwin - Regent Terrace, St Just Peter Branwell - Chapel Street, St Just
Thomas Branwell - Carnyorth
S.J. Brewer - Church Square, St Just
George H.Eddy - Bosorne Road, St Just
John Ellis - South Place, St Just
William Henry Ellis - Chapel Street, St Just
W.J.George - Cresswell Terrace
John Grenfell - Cresswell Terrace
William J. Harvey - Boscaswell
Ben Hocking - Kelynack Moor, St Just
W.J. Hocking - Truthwall
John Kevern - Carn View Terrace, Pendeen
James Maddern - Carn Bosavern
Matthew E. Matthews - Bojewyan
Nicholas J. Matthews - Chapel Street, St Just
William J. Murley - Tregeseal, St Just
Matthew Newton - Carn Bosavern
James H. Oates - South Place, St Just
Sampson Osborne - Chapel Street, St Just
Eddy F. Pasco - Prince Street, St Just
Tom Rowe - Cresswell Terrace
Leonard Semmens - Nancherrow Terrace, St Just
Nicolas H. Thomas - Boscaswell
John Tonkin - Boscean
Edwin T.Trathen - Bosjewyan
William Henry Tregear - Bosorne Road, St Just
J.Vingoe Trembath - Bojewyan
William E. Waters - Chapel Street, St Just
John Wearne - Bosorne Fields, St Just
|
 |
| This Drawing Show How The Miner's Used The Lift |
 |
| Photo Of Some Miners |
 |
| The Miners At Work |
Buildings Of Levant
 |
| An Old Photo Of How The Mine Once Looked |
The Count House
 |
| The Count House Is Where The Miners Collected Their Wages |
 |
| Fireplace In The Count House |
 |
| Part Of The Tiled Floor |
 |
| Close Up Of One Of The Tiles |
 |
| Still Looking Good After All These Years |
 |
| Single Tile |
The Dry Room And Changing Room
This building is where the miners would change into their working clothes and when they finished their shifts they would wash and change in to their clean clothes. In this building there were four baths, one in each corner. In the middle of the photo below, this is where pillars once stood and running the entire length either side of the pillars ran wooden benches and hooks for clothing. Also in one of the corners is a spiral stone staircase that led to the tunnel that took the miners to one of the shafts.
 |
| The Dry Room And Changing Room |
 |
| One Of The Baths Can Still Hold Water |
 |
| Another Bath, The Plughole Can Be Seen In The Middle Of The Bath |
Way To The Mine Shaft
 |
| Enterance to the Mine Shaft |
 |
| A Bit Of Info About The Mine |
 |
| The Pidgeon Holes |
 |
| Looking Back Towards The Enterance |
 |
| Three Chimney Stacks |
 |
| Pendeen Lighthouse See Throught A Doorway Of The Smithy And Workshop |
 |
| Thick Granite Walls Of An Outbuilding |
 |
| Holding Pens Near Levant mines |
 |
| Way In To The Pens |
On the way out of the main site of Levant tin mines, we passed a engine house standing all by itself. I think it still belongs to Levant.
 |
| Engine House |
 |
| Once A Noisey Place, Now The Only Sound Now Is The Wind Blowing Through The Ruin |
 |
| When They Built These Buildings They Were Made To Last |
 |
| I Love The Ivy Covered Shapes On The Stonewall |
 |
| Chim, Chimney, Chim, Chimney, Chim, Chim, Chroo |
 |
| View From A Gate |
 |
| Todays Route All Photos Taken And Owned By DDPearce Map By Google |
This is interesting thank you. My great Grandfather Thomas Rowe was one of those killed at the Levant Mine. I live in New Zealand now but was able to visit the mine a couple of years ago - very interesting and special to see it. Your photos added a few more details I didn't spot at the time (e.g. the broken part of the man engine). Thank you
ReplyDelete