The History of Mining Speaks to Us
Colleagues and friends of mine surely know, that for a long time I’ve been going in for historical artefacts, related to mining and metals. These are documents, books, medals etc., that characterize attitude of our predecessors towards the industry and allow us to explore it.
Thus, in the end of 2019, the post card fell into my hands, sent from the “La Mure Mines” by some Mr. Fedorov and dated January 11, 1905 – you can see it on the top of this post.
It’s in Russian, and translation is given below (translation is from pre- 1918 language reform and therefore rather curious):
“Now, I am in the Alps, at the La Mure mines. At 8AM introduced myself to the Directorate, and, certainly, put the Director into awkward positon. But, having gathered strength, he replied to me, that, since I arrived without notice, the 1-st half of the day is lost: all engineers are in the mine, and therefore asked me to come at 11AM.
Using this unexpected interval, writing this letter to you. The hotel is very mouldy, rooms are dirty, and there’s even no table, writing this on the nightstand. Yes, likely, it’s difficult to develop culture in the mountains. But the nature is picturesque: mountains, water, clouds below mountain peaks etc.
Yours, M. Fedorov, 11.I.1905”
We don’t know, whom this post card was addressed to, and who exactly Mr. Fedorov was. Likely, he was the mining engineer, sent from Russia to La Mure coal mines (Isère, France), for exchange of experience.
The La Mure mines are of the oldest in France, they were exploited during more than 100 years and closed just in 1997 (https://www.mindat.org/loc-16720.html).
The following investigation lead me to the to the article in the Mining Journal #2, 1910 (RUS) “Thick coal seam uncovering with hydraulic backfilling at TOTIS (Hungary) and LA MURE (Isère) mines” (https://elib.uraic.ru/bitstream/123456789/2014/1/gorn_mag_1910_2.pdf). It is the Russian translation of the “Ехрlоt?аt?оn раг геmblа? hуdraulique des couches epaisses aux mines de Totis (Hengrie) et la Mure (Isère)” by Mr. de Rèneville, Executive Director of Le Mure Mines, published in “Bulletin de la Sociète de l’Industric minèrale”, February 1909.
Shortly, in this article, the efficiency of usage the hydraulic method of filling in mined-out areas is proven. It was a disruptive technology in mining at that time, and might arouse interest among Russian mining executives. Most likely, the Russian mining engineer was sent to France (by whom?) to explore this technology for possibility of its implementation in different ground, social and economic conditions.
At least, it’s really curious to get to know, on the very personified example, how mining companies from Europe and Russia built their relations more than 100 years ago.
Hope, you also enjoyed this story. :)
#mining #history