Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-10-14
CIR 99nltb's gripnb.
Copper
| (GoachadRl

These caTeTns wind considerable
way under ground, but the whole
mass over them, sides, and roof, will
disappear, a$ they proceed in cutting
the ore away The sidespf this open
pit are almost perpendicular. The
descent intp tits only by rugged
steps, cut in the rocky ore, in a few
places, assisted by several ladders,
and rope TO hold by. The most
surprising part of the 0 eration, is
the obtaining the ore from The sides
Of tits pit. Wooden platforms are
from the top Of the opening.
A winllas8 on each serye s to lower
and raise the baskets which convey
the miners; who thus descend down
the steep sides to the part where
they, york, on the upright face Of
the pr4cipicel There they get out
the ere with picllaxes, or blast it
with glnpowder; tumbling down the
masses Of ole, with laundering
noise to the bottom of the pit.
Vast mines Of copper are wrought
in the county Of Cornwall in Eng
land. That bounty Is chiefly famous
for tin; but the copper is also in
abundance, and of great Importance.
Large Jumps Of native copper, Of con-
siderable purity, are found there, not
very deep in Che soil. But the ore
is plentiful, and in constant working.
Much copper, and Of the purest
Kind, is obtailca from the Jumps OF
mundid, OF m rcasite, found in the
tin mi hes. These Jumps were, for
years, regarded as of no value, and
were III rown AWAY; but science has
now di#covered a mode Of extracting
copper from them, to the amount OF
a bundled and fifty thousand pounds
sterling per annhm; and it is equal in
goodne IS to tn Z Swedish.
There is a Becpliar copper mine at
Ecton Hill, near the river Dove, in
Derbyshire. Near thirteen thousand
pounds were spent in searching be-
fore any ore could be found; then, at
tive hundred yards depth, vast guam
titles were discovered. The peculi-
arity of this minG is, that the ore
does not spead in veins, hither and
thither, as is comm only the case, but
sinks. downperp endicularly, widening
,as it deepens, III the shape of a huge
bell. 1t is the deepest mine IL
Great Britain. Sweden abounds il
copper, which is in high esteem; this
is principally found in the province o
Dalecarlia, whence also comes then
iron. These mines have been wrought
:, for ages. On approaching them, one
! is amazed BY the huge machines con
structed to draw up the ore, some o
the water-wheels being above forty
feet in dia meter. A great chasn
appears, Of extraordinary depth; fol
the cay4rns dug Out not being prop
erly shfpor ted At first, the whole fel
in. YOU ppss into ttis great moutI
by wooden stairs, which are carrie(
over The wild miss Of fallen rocks
7 After this deep descent, you procee(
horizontally. The daylight is sool
lost, and the close vapors become Of
lensive, especially as you descend
-tstill lower down these winding steps
The pestileh tial fumes, the darkness
and tie 70 ks, give dreadful ap
pearallce to the whole. The work
men seem like unsubstantial spec
tres, rattle than living inhabitant
of the earth AT one part, the steam
is so hot as to Fcorch; and the snl
phure6us stencil is intolerable.
In long winding galleries, ant
high r@ofed cayerns, the workmen
almost naked, aIe seen hewing gu
the rich ore, and wheeling it in bar
rows, tewar ds the spot where til
buckets hang, which are to raise i
above ground. Il takes an hour t.
go down to the bottom Of this pit
as it is.twelve hundred feet deep: fly,
hundred men are employed in it; anC
it was here that the great Gustavu
Vasa hid himself, rs a common la
i. borer, before be TBS raised to thu
throne.
I A Laplander, travelling with hi
reindeer, near Drontheim, in Nor
way, discovered copper; which on ex
animation, led to the opening of
considerable mine. This has beer
wrought almost wo hundred years
Some Of the veins are almost worl
OUT, but the eastern division is still
productive. The lfouiness Of the al
makes the work cry O oppressive; anC
sometimes a sugaFy I'd ste upon thu
lihs. warns the Worklhen to fee