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!         

OLD ZOOS

     My California travel buddy, who I met in the Swiss Alps, was an LA zoo docent, so we visited many zoos in our travels. In return she accommodated me with my floral clocks and botanical gardens. We each learned a lot from the other.

     The oldest zoo in the world, Tiergarten, was built in 1752 at Schonbrunn Palace in Austria, just outside Vienna. It was designed around the Emperor’s breakfast pavilion, so he could enjoy the animals along with his morning chocolate. On a very hot day, after walking about the zoo, we decided to have lunch in the pavilion, now a small restaurant.

     Many animals were gifts from European nobility and diplomats from all over the world. In 1828 the first giraffe and first elephant born in captivity were born at Tiergarten. How exciting that must have been!  Even on a hot afternoon the lions, leopards, and black panthers were active and passed only a few feet away behind heavy glass.

     The zoo went under government control in 1921, but in 1991 again became a private enterprise. Today the zoo is actively involved in the protection of threatened species.

     On another European trip we visited the Budapest zoo on a quiet Sunday afternoon. This zoo dates to 1866. Besides the hundreds of mammals, even more birds and reptiles are residents, plus the complex also includes  a large botanical garden, and includes 69 buildings. The elephant house, modeled after a Turkish Mosque was really beautiful.

     Here I saw some new animals which my zoo docent friend was able to explain and identify for me. Of course all the signs and map were in Hungarian.  A couple of  times we were a bit confused as to where we were so we looked for a young male to seek help. Both times we were just around the corner from where we wanted to be. In Europe look for a teenage boy or young man as they almost always speak English—that tid bit never failed us when traveling.

    At the Edinburgh zoo we were having trouble finding the painted hunting dogs. Eventually we spotted a fellow who we thought was a zoo employee. We asked if was familiar with the zoo layout, and then showed him the map and what we were looking for. He stopped what he was doing and trotted all over the zoo until he found the dogs for us. We double stepped to keep up with him and thanked him for his help. Then he told us he was the insurance inspector doing his annual inspection. Just  another example how we found friendly and helpful people everywhere we traveled.   We spent half a day in each of these zoos and I certainly wouldn’t mind visiting them again.