A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



No. 2 pit, have also been of an extensive 

 character. 



The particulars shown in the following 

 table of the number of persons employed 

 underground in haematite mining throughout 

 Cumberland, from 1893 to 1900 inclusive, 

 are taken from the annual reports of Mr. 

 J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines and 

 Quarries for the county. 



Table showing annual outputs, number of 

 persons employed underground, and output 

 per person underground : 



during the years 1889, 1895, and 1900. 

 These analyses were made by the Lonsdale 

 Haematite Iron and Steel Co. Ld. and include 

 samples from twelve different mines : 



These figures indicate a gradual decrease 

 in the producing power of the mines, while 

 as a result the cost of raising the ore is pro- 

 portionately increased. This however only 

 applies to the Whitehaven district, as the 

 large outputs from the Millom district are 

 likely to be maintained for many years. 



In the older mines of the first district the 

 cost of production is also adversely affected 

 by an increased cost for timber and the greater 

 care that has to be exercised in keeping the 

 ore free from impurities. Where the strata 

 have been much crushed by collapses of the 

 roof and pillars it is practically impossible to 

 keep some of the shale and other impurities 

 from mixing with the ore, the result being 

 that the yield of metallic iron is lowered and 

 that of silica increased. 



The following table shows the average 

 yield of metallic iron, etc., from the principal 

 producing mines of the Whitehaven district 



The result for 1900 may therefore be taken 

 as the present average yield of the White- 

 haven district. 



The haematite miners of Cumberland are 

 on the whole a steady and industrious class. 

 ' Strikes ' have been of rare occurrence in the 

 various districts, and this has largely contri- 

 buted to the welfare and better social position 

 of the miners. Most of them are now mem- 

 bers of the Cumberland Miners' Association, 

 which has for some years (after several pre- 

 vious failures) established a footing in the 

 county. Well organized centres of the St. 

 John Ambulance Association exist in the 

 Whitehaven and Millom districts, in which 

 the workmen take a great interest. The 

 success of this movement in the former dis- 

 trict has been largely owing to the well 

 directed efforts of Mr. J. L. Hedley and his 

 assistant Mr. W. Leek, H.M. Inspectors of 

 Mines for Cumberland, who have devoted 

 much time and attention to the work, and in 

 the latter to the energy and zeal displayed in 

 this direction by the managers of the Hod- 

 barrow mines. 



The activity now prevailing in prospecting 

 work to the south ofEgremont in the White- 

 haven district, and the encouraging results 

 obtained, will, it is hoped, induce further 

 search along the low lying belt of land 

 stretching between Egremont and Millom ; 

 so that, by the opening up of new mines, the 

 falling off in the output from the northern 

 portion of the Whitehaven district may be 

 counteracted and a future period of prosperity 

 assured for haematite mining in Cumberland. 



406 



