"THE
ASSUMPTION" PIT
Called in the German language "Himmelfahrt" was from 1548 the main pit of the mine on Krzyżowa Mountain. That year some mines that previously had belonged to various mining organizations became one big mine in which the ore was mined by the drift method. The pit was still mined at the beginning of the 20th century. Later its role was taken over by the electric narrow gauge railway. At present in the place of the pit there is a crater, and a big sycamore is growing in it. In the past the pit reached to the level the drift "Książęca", and provided good dehydration and ventilation for the excavations that were linked together. The pit was used for taking the ore up to the surface and lowering various essential materials to the mine, mainly wood for the timber lining. In one part of the pit there was a ladder. The miners climbed down the ladder to the mine.
The ore, rock and water were taken out of the mine in the wooden tubs ferruled with the iron rings (the tubs tapered towards the top), and in the sacks made of ox hide with the iron hoops.
The ore mined in the side galleries was carried in the wooden trenchers to the mining tubs in the main entry. The tubs were pushed by miners. Rolling on the wooden guide rail they carried the output to the pit. There, the output was poured to the wooden tubs or sacks attached to the rope and with the use of the drawing machine it was carried up to the surface. In the mine the ore was often mined on several working floors linked together with descending galleries and underground shafts.
The water gathering at the bottom of the pits was always enormous difficulty for miners during the hewing and exploitation of the pits. In order to remove the water the pits were linked with drain adits. When it was not possible a special tank, called a shaft sump, was hewn. 10 The water gathered in the tank was carried up in the hide sacks or wooden tubs with the drawing machine. When the amount of the water was too large the miners used hand operated pumps. In the big mines a horse gear or a water wheel moved the pumps. The pumps were called "kunszt". The word probably derives from the German word "kunst" and means "the craft". The drawings below show the constructions of such pumps that were used in the 16th century.
In the 16th century local foundries used about
60 cubic metres of charcoal every day. To meet the needs the large stretches
of beech forest were cut down, and on the bare woodless slopes thousands
of spruces were planted in the 19th century. The obtaining of charcoal
in the grinding mills in the drawing from the 16th century.
Called in the German language "Himmelfahrt" was from 1548 the main pit of the mine on Krzyżowa Mountain. That year some mines that previously had belonged to various mining organizations became one big mine in which the ore was mined by the drift method. The pit was still mined at the beginning of the 20th century. Later its role was taken over by the electric narrow gauge railway. At present in the place of the pit there is a crater, and a big sycamore is growing in it. In the past the pit reached to the level the drift "Książęca", and provided good dehydration and ventilation for the excavations that were linked together. The pit was used for taking the ore up to the surface and lowering various essential materials to the mine, mainly wood for the timber lining. In one part of the pit there was a ladder. The miners climbed down the ladder to the mine.
The ore, rock and water were taken out of the mine in the wooden tubs ferruled with the iron rings (the tubs tapered towards the top), and in the sacks made of ox hide with the iron hoops.
The ore mined in the side galleries was carried in the wooden trenchers to the mining tubs in the main entry. The tubs were pushed by miners. Rolling on the wooden guide rail they carried the output to the pit. There, the output was poured to the wooden tubs or sacks attached to the rope and with the use of the drawing machine it was carried up to the surface. In the mine the ore was often mined on several working floors linked together with descending galleries and underground shafts.
The water gathering at the bottom of the pits was always enormous difficulty for miners during the hewing and exploitation of the pits. In order to remove the water the pits were linked with drain adits. When it was not possible a special tank, called a shaft sump, was hewn. 10 The water gathered in the tank was carried up in the hide sacks or wooden tubs with the drawing machine. When the amount of the water was too large the miners used hand operated pumps. In the big mines a horse gear or a water wheel moved the pumps. The pumps were called "kunszt". The word probably derives from the German word "kunst" and means "the craft". The drawings below show the constructions of such pumps that were used in the 16th century.
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In the 16th -century foundries
tremendous amounts of charcoal were used. It was obtained from beech
wood. Beech trees adapted well to the natural conditions occurring in the local mountains. Had it not been for the man's interference, the beech trees would grow here everywhere. Apparently in the 16th century a lot of beech trees grew here. The fruit of the beech tree are beechnuts that contain up to 48% of edible oil. They are also great delicacies for various animals. The beech tree grows rather slowly up to the height of 40 metres, diameter up to 150cm and the age of 300 years. Out of 1 ha of eighty year old beech forest one can obtain about 300 cubic metres of wood. The wood, yellow and reddish, is commonly used for the production of furniture and parquet floors, and for the building of constructions. It is also used for the building of various machines and vehicles. |
