Minds and Landscape scarred forever!

Drakewalls Mine 1938(Source 8 below)
Drakewalls
Worked from: 11th Century to 1905 (also 1909-10), with periods of closure.
Producing: Mainly tin, also some copper, wolfram, arsenic, molybdenum, lead, & silver, originally from a long "gunnis" or open cutting.
Ownership:
1847 - Company Chairman, Percival Norton Johnson (also with interests in Johnson Matthey)1860 Drakewalls Mining Co.1877 Drakewalls Mining Co.1878-1882 Drakewalls Tin & Copper Mining Co.1883 Drakewalls United Tin & Copper Mining Co 1884-1890 Drakewalls Tin & Copper Mining Co.1891-1898 Drakewalls Mining Co.Ltd.1897-98 In Liquidation1901 John Taylor & Sons 1902-1904 Drakewalls Ltd.1906-1913 British Mining & Metal Co.Ltd.
Other Associated Names:
1859-1871 Gregory, Thomas Manager1872-1877 Skewis, William Manager1878-1881 Bawden, Moses Arthur Manager1883 - Bawden, Moses Manager1892-1898 Bawden, Moses Manager
1859-1862 Betteley, E. Secretary1863-1869 Clogg, Richard Secretary1870-1871 Richard Clogg & Son Secretary1872-1890 Bawden, Moses Arthur Secretary1891-1898 Lavington, W.J. Secretary
1859 Andrews, J. Chief Agent1860-1865 Hosking, James Chief Agent1867-1868 Gregory, Thomas Chief Agent1869-1871 Hosking, James Chief Agent1870-1873 Coath, R.P. Chief Agent1873-1876 Dunstan, Edward Chief Agent1879-1881 Dunstan, Edward Chief Agent1889-1892 Rodda, H. Chief Agent1893 Hosking, James Chief Agent1894-1898 Bawden, Moses Arthur Chief Agent1904 Hooper, J. Chief Agent1906-1913 Heap, J.H. Chief Agent
1889 - 1892 Rodda, Henry Mine Captain
Notes:
1844 The first use of a method for separating wolfram from tin, devised by Dr. Robert Oxland.
1850 A summer storm sent hailstones of up to 10cm in circumference smashing through the windows of the engine houses. The accompanying rain washed enough sand and earth underground to hamper mining for some time.
1859 The mine employed 398 people. William Francis Tucker (15) was killed at the mine, buried 20 March.
1860s The management refused to employ members of a newly-formed Union, resulting in a strike It is reported that a strike-breaker was 'trussed to a pole and paraded amongst the jeering population of Gunnislake'. The imprisonment of the people responsible led to employee unrest and management lock-outs in some neighbouring mines, quelled by the use of troops and the employment of miners from other areas.
1861 The mine employed 350 people.
1869 Thomas Gerry, of Calstock, and John Adams, of Metherell, were killed in accidents at the mine.
Circa. 1870 Surface workers earned 15/- per week and underground workers slightly more, on a piece-work system.
1884 70 men were employed underground and 60 at the surface.
1889 - 5 February. Henry Davis, John (Jack) Tucker, John Rule and William Bant went underground at 7a.m. as usual. They were preparing to allow sand to run into a previously-worked area. Rule (described as a "competent person besides being a careful steady man") and Bant went to release the sand, whilst Tucker and Davis stayed to tell them when to stop. After a few minutes of running, the sand suddenly started falling too fast, to the accompaniment of a loud roar. Tucker and Davis, covered in sand, struggled out of the shaft, but Bant and Rule remained - entombed.
Despite efforts to release them, they remained there for 2 nights until the arrival of H.M. Inspector of Mines (Archibald E. Pinching) on the 7 February. At that stage a second major rescue plan was underway led by Thomas Chapman, the 'pitman', using details of the mine workings supplied by William Smale, an elderly timber man ("who, unfortunately, was exceedingly deaf") and Richard Collings, a young man who had moved recently to another mine.
Working in groups of three, the miners used small blasts of dynamite to excavate a channel down to the entombed men. Verbal contact with them was made at 10a.m.the following morning and it is stated that "strong men, many of whom had been in rough mining camps in all parts of the world, (were) alternately laughing and crying, like children, with emotion."
Renewed efforts were made, led by Moses Bawden (the purser), Captain Richards (the agent) and Albert Pinching, the Inspector. A small hole was finally blasted through to the men at 9 p.m. and refreshments were lowered the 18 fathoms down. After enlargement of the hole, Tom Chapman was lowered down and effected the rescue. Bant and Rule were fed "soup, beef tea &c." and the mine was cleared of all men by midnight.
The mine agent was censured for not reporting the matter to the Inspector immediately. Thomas Chapman's conduct was recommended to be "brought to the attention of the Queen (when) Her Majesty might be inclined to bestow some mark of favour upon such a deserving subject."
It was common at the time for poems to be written to mark such occasions and this rescue was no exception. The original "Rescued Alive" contained fourteen verses, the final seven of which are printed here, with thanks to P.H.G. Richardson.
It is not clear whether William Bant and John Rule were mentally scarred by their ordeal, but one later committed suicide, the other became a local preacher.

To all of you Cousin Jack's out there much more information about your ancestors can be found at www.minebydesign.co.uk/calstock/census/1881.htm for whom I thank for the information above blogged by me!

Ta the noo

RED Gordon