CORNWALL TIN MINE

                                          A Claustrophobic Mine

      Once Cornwall, England was the tin center of Europe when tin mining was the lifeblood of the small communities in the area. The landscape is dotted with stacks of the old mines.

     As claustrophobic as I am, my children can’t believe that I actually went underground to visit the Geevor Tin Mine. In 1911 Geevor opened an old mine; the Victory shaft was sunk in 1919 and extended 1575 feet into the ground. In 1965 three mines combined for a total of two square miles. In 1975-80 a 1:4 gradient shaft was added under the ocean. Only ten percent of the rock mined is turned into tin ore. It takes 24-30 hours to get the rock ready for the smelters. Iron, copper and arsenic are also found in the rock.

     In 1985 the price of tin dropped 60% overnight. The Geevor mine,  containing 160 miles of tunnel, continued to operate five years longer but closed in 1990. At that time it employed 370 men, 130 of whom worked  underground.. All the workers lived within a 7-10 mile radius of the mine, but after the mine’s closing many of the men moved overseas to work in mines elsewhere.

     Mining was men’s work, No women were allowed in the mines. Years ago boys as young as 8-years old were sent into the mines. Many mines were a family enterprise.  Totally dark in the mines, candles provided the only light, Each miner supplied all his own equipment and tools. He was paid for what he produced; there were no hourly wages or any sick time. Miners often stayed in the mine 10-12 hours in cramped positions—from dawn to nightfall. They suffered poor eyesight and had a life-span of only 40 years.  Many died of tuberculosis. Mining was rock, darkness, and water. It was one very hard life!

     In 1991 they started flooding the under-ocean mine. It took 3 ½ years to bring the water to sea level. In 1993 part of the mine opened as a museum.

    This was neither my first nor last mine or cave adventure, but it was perhaps the darkest. For this trek we all put on hard hats and mid-calf length smocks before entering the mine. The narrow pathway necessitated single file with each of us holding onto the waist of the person in front of  us as we wove our way through the tunnel. Bumping heads and elbows happened often!  The guide in front had the only flashlight (torch in England). I did a lot of silent self-talk to remain calm during this experience. I was one happy camper to see daylight!