Mining Relics of 1500 Years Ago.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 146, 23 June 1887, Page 7

Mining Relics of 1500 Years Ago.

" ij-jj'at thinihg operations were.carriecjj oat iyill^M-^ ♦heir" occi-pation there is : abundance of evideitceiiibut nothing in this direction w equalled the discoveries recently made in connection with the St. Dom-jngo-inine-; 'of Spain. _ These . were worked-by.the Romans in what may be teflfrfid a' scientific ma nn er consider - jug ttieir^ppiiances '■•". for in some of tbenr^te actually.' excavated galleries for <fwinJ°g"purposes nearlythree .miles in length, while':'in 'bttiefi the water was raised by means of wheels carrying it over-rb?k^' "Eight of these-rocks-have recently been found by the miners who are employed.in; contiguous - workings intliesb "old mines; and' all in a'highstate okpreserv'atibri. They are made of wood; the wheels and axles, where the greatest strain: wpuld be, being- of oik, ancU-he other parts of pine. It is.es-, limatedthat the wheels, are at least i$oo; yearsiolo, although the wood is in ■", a'

apeftk't'stat'e of preservation owing to the water being charged : with metallic It would appear that'- the wheels niust/haye -been worked by -men on -I'the;-"; treadmill : principle . by; standing upon . , one , side ; the water, 'being "raised by one wheel into:; a" large*- basin, - and then lied another stage by a second one, and'jtßetl xa .the. -.ame, way .by die bthers;" JJot the - least interesting 'matter ja connection with the "discovery is • the state "iii which ttie was- fdtthd;... : When wood, is placed m water, or near to it, the *£Lecay-fs' rather"rapid."/-BM there are means' by; which it 'canbekept for' ages-ida-goOd state of preservation, -as shotyi- in:'tiw .case olf the St DpiningO; mines. Some metallic refuse is found evem* nowjf-efficien.t: for the purpose. Kyatiising':'ha's: long **■ been iii use for preventing fermentation- and decay, whicnK'.pon'elby steepingtlie'timber in i corrOsive sUbiimate, ,;the perchloride of mercury. '" Creosote has also .been found'aii' 'excellent preservative of, tiiny, fcr' subjected .to.the';action of water. | may'\'also°'.;'be'. said;.-that while the rJiomanst-.knew- how*-to. »pieserveiaber underdgrouDd,_Uie..Greeks also _DoW_how' 'to kgep'Tt m*a*goo_^stale"in_ ieir buildings. This, they, did by charing the timber before p)aciriglt,in posiP& f VYe r a.ire. told"' the beams of the lie theatre"at "Herctilaneum were con Iferted :ifit» £ cbarcoar by -; the Ibva which" overflowed _lthe: city, - and |after.a lapse, of molre*~thaff "i ."opo«years: 3 wreI.'-Qun(cfi entire c as if.they liad beeii'

fcrmjed^but:yesterday;' • The -'same ptoff-rty. was' known even before, this, is 'tfe'e faimous temple ol* Ephesus ;;wa^ btuirra'pies'charreh to prevent.them from decay.,, yhefiMoiy :6fitie long past-T^eyenln.mining,,it .appears after ,a laps);.. of '' lso6-years—may- be "of.advan-