A large part of this mine lies inside solid rock, so in many places there is no need for wooden supports to keep the tunnels open. The rock itself is strong enough to hold the roof and sides. However, some passages run between rock and loose earth. In these areas, the miners support one side with fir trees used as beams, while the other side is held firm by the natural stone. This mixture of earth and rock makes the mine less regular in shape than some other mines The Town of Herrn-Grundt and Its Situation.
The passages here are not as straight or orderly as those in the mines at Chremnitz. Many of them are neither fully horizontal nor straight down. Instead, they slope gently upward and downward, following the natural direction of the veins in the hill. Because of this, the paths can be confusing, and there are also many large hollow spaces, or cavities, within the mine.
A Dangerous Passage Blocked by Earth
In one place, we had to go down along a sloping passage to reach a notable part of the mine. When we arrived, we found that the earth had fallen in and completely blocked the way. It was dangerous and difficult to pass through such a place. Instead of turning back and taking a longer route, one of our guides decided to dig straight through the loose earth Private Guides Turkey.
The earth was still soft and unstable, and as he dug forward, it kept falling upon him and covering his body. Even so, he continued bravely and slowly made a burrow through the fallen soil. At last, he broke through and fell down among the workmen below, bringing a great quantity of earth down with him.
The workers below quickly began to clear the passage. They loaded the fallen earth into their barrows and into the small mine carts called Hundts, which I mentioned before. The boys who managed these carts ran away with them very fast along the tunnels. By their quick labour, the blocked passage was soon cleared again up to the place where he had left us. This showed both their courage and their skill in dealing with sudden dangers.
Size and Richness of the Ore Veins
The veins in this mine are very large, and many of them are what the miners call “cumulate” veins. This means they contain a great amount of ore gathered together in thick masses. The ore here is very rich compared to many other mines. In one hundred pounds of ore, they often find about twenty pounds of copper. Sometimes they obtain thirty or forty pounds, and in some rare cases even half the weight of the ore is copper. There have even been instances where sixty pounds of copper were found in one hundred pounds of ore.
Much of the ore is joined very tightly to the surrounding rock, and this makes it very difficult to separate. In many places, the ore and the rock form one continuous body of stone. The only difference is that one part of the rock contains copper while the other part contains none. The miners can easily tell the difference by the colour when they first look at it.
Colour and Types of Copper Ore
The copper ore in this mine is usually yellow or black, especially the best quality. The yellow ore is considered pure copper ore and is highly valued. The black ore, on the other hand, often contains not only copper but also a portion of silver mixed within it. Because of this, black ore can sometimes be even more valuable than the yellow kind.
The miners learn to recognise these colours very quickly, and this knowledge helps them decide which rock should be worked and which should be left behind. This saves time and labour in the mining process.
Minerals and Other Substances Found in the Mine
Besides copper ore, there are also several kinds of vitriol found in this mine. These include white, green, blue, and even a red kind that is clear and transparent. These mineral substances form naturally in different parts of the underground passages and add to the richness of the mine.
There is also a green earth or sediment that comes from a green mineral water in the mine. This substance is called Berg-Grun and is used by painters because of its fine colour. In addition, there are stones found in the mine that show beautiful shades of green and blue. These coloured minerals are not only useful but also very pleasing to the eye, and they show the great variety and richness of nature hidden within the earth.
