Snaefell Mine
The Great Snaefell Mine, also referred to as the East Snaefell Mine, was a zinc mine located high in the Laxey Valley on the slopes of Snaefell Mountain, in the parish of Lonan, Isle of Man. The mine reached a depth of and is remembered as the scene of the Isle of Man's worst mining disaster in 1897.
History
Mining for metals on the Isle of Man probably began as early as the Bronze Age. Early sites have been identified at Langness and at Bradda Head, where copper could be seen outcropping in the cliffs.Snaefell Mine was situated at the eastern foot of Snaefell; the mineral vein was originally discovered in the bed of a stream. The mining sett was 567 acres in area and was originally a portion of the Great Laxey Mining Company's property. The sett was surrounded by that of the Great Laxey Mining Company and ran parallel with the Great Laxey lodes.
At the pit head there was a washing floor, fitted with washing and dressing appliances, together with a diameter waterwheel. The mine's buildings were the Mine Captain's house, two cottages, an agent's office, a smithy and a carpenter's workshop. A lead store was also erected.
The mine was worked by a main shaft, which followed the dip of the vein. The shaft was rectangular, and divided into three compartments: the middle one was the ladderway; one other compartment was used for winding ore, and the other compartment for the pump and the compressed air pipes. The ore would be wound up in a rough wooden kibble.
In the shaft the ventilation was natural, driven by the higher temperature underground compared to above ground. The general tendency of the air current was down the shaft to the bottom of the mine, and up through the various winzes to the adit level. The open end of the adit had been connected to a sloping wooden chimney on the hillside, by which means the draught was increased.
The shaft was originally sunk to a depth of 15 fathoms, subsequently being extended to over 100 fathoms with levels extended respectively at 25, 40, 50, 60 and 70 fathoms north, and at 60 fathoms south.
The 40 fathom level was driven to 96 fathoms, passing through a long run of ore which was followed by a rich find of lead ore in the mine during further working in 1871. In addition an adit level was driven north at a distance of 160 fathoms to intersect with a very large east–west lode, with another adit driven south to 70 fathoms. After a new working was opened at the 75 fathom level in 1873, a substantial discovery of rich silver ore was made.
Extraction of the ore had begun in 1856; the mine was originally worked by the Great Laxey Mining Company until 1864. The Snaefell Mining Company was then formed to work the mine, but by the late 1860s it was in financial difficulties, and it went into liquidation in 1870. The whole mine was then bought for £4,000 by James Spittall, Alfred Adams, Thomas Wilson and Henry Noble, directors of the Great Laxey Mining Company, who then formed the Great Snaefell Mining Company in 1871. The company's capital was £25,000, in 25,000 £1 shares. About 50% of the shares were taken up by shareholders of the former operator, and the other 50% by directors of the Laxey Mines, such as Spittall and Henry Noble. The chief engineer of the mine at this time was Henry James.
The cost of extracting ore from the mine continued to plague operations, and in 1883, following continued financial difficulties, the Great Snaefell Mining Company also went into liquidation.
The operation of the mine was then taken on by the newly formed Snaefell Mining Company, which had been registered on 24 December 1883. The principal shareholders were essentially those of the previous company, who had taken advantage of a clause in the company's articles which empowered the directors to sell their shares, to then have them re-sold to a third party, and then transferred to the original shareholders.
A meeting of the shareholders was subsequently held; and the plan arranged was submitted to and adopted by the meeting. The difficulties of this arrangement were eventually overcome, and 6,000 more shares were issued.
1897 Disaster
By 1897 the Snaefell mine had become increasingly difficult to work, due to insufficient ventilation. This ongoing problem had become increasingly acute as the various levels were driven further from the main shaft. During the preceding two years the mine had had to be closed during the hottest part of the summer, usually in July and August.In early May 1897, dynamite had been used to extend the workings in the lowest part, and the mine had been inspected by the government inspector, along with the mine captain, on Friday 7 May, to check there was enough ventilation. Their findings were satisfactory.
Miners had finished their shift on 8 May, and the mine was closed on 9 May. Due to inadequate safety measures a stray candle had been allowed to continue burning. This set fire to a nearby pit prop and started a fire in the shaft. The fire continued burning as long as oxygen was present; this produced carbon monoxide, which filled the lower parts of the shaft.
On 10 May at 6 am, 40 miners reported for the early shift, 34 of these were required for the shift, and began descending into the mine using the ladders which were lashed against the side of the shaft. When they reached the lower parts of the shaft, they encountered the poisonous fumes, and immediately had breathing difficulties. They at once began to vacate the shaft. Those at the top got out without too much difficulty, but others arrived at the surface in a state of near collapse, and it soon became apparent that a large number of the miners who had made the descent were unable to return. A rescue party was quickly assembled, but were beaten back by the noxious air.
Messengers were despatched for help; and around 40 miners from the Great Laxey Mine arrived together with a doctor, but it was several hours before it was deemed safe even to enter the mine. When it was judged safe to re-enter, the first body of one of the miners, James Kneale, was discovered draped on the ladder. By piercing a compressed air pipe, it was possible to revive him sufficiently for him to be supported up the shaft. Two other miners were then rescued alive, but the second was in critical condition. Diving dresses arrived from Douglas but were found to be of no use; however the pumps and hoses were of significant help, enabling the rescuers to take a supply of clean air with them into the shaft. Led by Captain Kewley the rescuers went deeper into the shaft, where several dead bodies were found, however no effort was made to remove them as long as there was a chance of finding anyone alive. By 10 pm, three dead bodies had been sent to the surface, leaving 16 miners unaccounted for. The rescue was suspended at 11 pm.
The search resumed the following morning, Tuesday. A box had been sent up from the Laxey Mines, better suited to hauling bodies out of the shaft. A telegram had been sent to the Foxdale Mines, and miners had arrived from there to assist, along with the Foxdale Mines Captain, William Kitto. By 11 am, the rescuers had reached the 100 fathom level and eight bodies had been recovered from the mine.
At the 115 fathom level the air was still deemed too poisonous for the rescuers, as shown by the immediate extinguishing of candles lowered further into the shaft. The Mine Inspector tried to obtain a sample of air for testing, but was almost immediately overcome by the air and was quickly hauled back up the shaft. The body of a miner was observed at the 130 fathom level; however the rescuers were unable to reach it because of the air, and the search was again suspended.
On Wednesday, what had by then become a recovery mission recommenced, consisting of Foxdale miners with a Snaefell miner working as pilot. At that time six men were still unaccounted for, ten having been recovered the previous day and three on Monday evening. In order to clear the shaft as much as possible before the recovery party descended, every available means of pumping air into the shaft was used. During the morning, the bodies of John Fayle, John Oliver, John James Oliver, John Kewin and Walter Christian were recovered, leaving only the body of Robert Kelly in the mine.
The air in the shaft was still proving to be restrictive to the rescue. Whilst trying to take an air sample at the 100 fathom level, Captain Kewley was overcome and had to be hauled back to the surface. One of the Foxdale miners was also overcome, and they could not recover the body of Robert Kelly from the 130 fathom level.
Sir Clement Le Neve Foster arrives
On Thursday morning Sir Clement Le Neve Foster, Chief Inspector of Mines, arrived at Snaefell and began tests to determine the extent of poisonous gas which remained in the mine. Lighted candles were lowered to the 130 fathom level in a kibble. When the kibble was pulled back to the surface after 10 minutes, all the candles were found to be extinguished. A mouse was then lowered to the level in a cage and again left for 10 minutes, but it was dead when the cage was returned. Candles were in turn sent down to the 115 fathom level, and these stayed lit, indicating better air at that level. Despite the risks, 13 miners descended the shaft to try to recover Kelly's body, but after several hours they returned to the surface without recovering it. The dead mouse, together with several sample bottles taken from below the 115 fathom level, were sent to London for examination. The examination was carried out by the eminent physiologist John Scott Haldane, one of the foremost authorities on the causes of mining deaths due to gases.In his report Haldane stated:
The reason for the continued presence of the gas in the lower parts of the mine was found during a further investigation by Sir Clement Le Neve Foster.
Snaefell Mine consisted of a single working shaft mine, and in addition there was a wooden upcast shaft which followed the slope of Snaefell Mountain in order to assist ventilation. The current of air to this shaft, so as to clear the bottom level, was arranged by closing of doors opening on to shafts from the higher levels.
When the shift had finished work on Saturday 8 May, all the doors on the higher levels should have been closed, so that the fresh air entering should have been sent through the bottom level of the mine. Initially Foster was at a loss to understand why with the aid of the closed doors the atmospheric current, which should have run into the bottom level, had not cleared the shaft so as to make descent below the 115 fathom level possible.
On making another descent on 15 May Dr Le Neve Foster examined all levels as far down as the 74 fathom level, where he found that a doorway had been left wide open. This proved to him that the entire volume of clean air entering the mine turned away at the 74 fathom level, and through that and the levels above returned by the upcast shaft and vented back into the atmosphere.