FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello. I hope you all are well.

This morning my neighbor (over 80 years old, a former miner) calls me from his balcony and tells me that, taking advantage of the quarantine to put his small warehouse in order, he has found something that I might like and he no longer cares about; and that otherwise he would have thrown it out; and... and...
I thanked him and asked him to leave it OUTSIDE my door.
After a while I saw a plastic bag hanging on the gate of my house. I went down, opened it and, surprise!, I found a very peculiar pair of shoes.
I called him on the phone and asked him for information.
He explained to me that the particular type of accident prevention shoes (ante litteram...) was given, from the 1920s to the 1940s, to miners of the "Marchi Mine" in the village of Ravi (municipality of Gavorrano, Grosseto Province, Tuscany) where we both live.
In 1965, together with other workers, he had to free the mine warehouses to make room for new and more useful materials and, instead of throwing those shoes away, he kept them as a curiosity.
An interesting addition to my collection of mining objects.

Warm greetings and take care.
Sante

[Pete Richards]

Very interesting. Are the soles made of cork?

[Tobi]

Interesting historical item, great addition indeed!

[R Saunders]

They do look like cork which may give a grip onto rough material to prevent slippage. Not wood, try pushing a needle into the soles. interesting collectable.

[Peter Perkins]

I think wood worms are strongly of the opinion the soles are of wood!

[Sante Celiberti]

It is solid wood. guaranteed.
Hence the anti-injury character of shoes.

Warm greetings.
Sante

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello. Thank you for your attention.

Here is another interesting story.

Our miners called this bag "panierina": the term contains the word "pane" (= bread). In fact they used it to bring their food to the mine and consume it during the lunch break.
It was made of cardboard fiber and when it appeared, in the 1950s, it was considered a luxury because it replaced a previous home made, blue cloth bag called "tascapane" (= pocket for bread).
But, like all good dreams, this too did not last long. In fact...

... to be continued.

Cheers.
Sante

[Sante Celiberti]

... In fact.

The life of the miners, underground, is a tragedy.
The depth (the Gavorrano mine exceeded 800 meters), the darkness, the lack of air, the humidity, the heat, the feet often soaking, the noise, the dangers always lurking...
It is understandable that the lunch break constituted a moment of paradise.
But how would you feel if, by opening your "panierina", you discovered that your surviving food is not edible?
In the list of the tragedy I had forgotten the mice!
Yes, the cardboard baskets were very inviting to them...
It was necessary to replace them with other similar ones, but this time made of metal.

Warm greetings from Tuscany.
Sante

[Don Lum]

Hello Sante,

I love Panettone which we have during the holiday season. It appears to me that a miner might be able to bring out some nice mineral specimens in that metal lunchbox ;-)

Stay safe.

Don

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Don.

This was certainly the best way to get good specimens out of the mine.
Almost 100% of the pyrite samples from our mines went through these lunchboxes, but it wasn't that simple.
At the exit of the well, for each of three daily shifts, there was a guard who chose some miners and inspected them. The miners risked not only fines, but also layoffs.
The mining company was not afraid of the theft of the ore (nothing compared to 27 million tons extracted), but feared for the safety of the miners who, in search of undamaged pieces, not only used a "paid" time but often put themselves in very risky situations.
The mechanical and electrical repair workers were more fortunate: they worked in pairs (and not in teams), at night, and had more freedom of movement and less controls.
But that's another story...

Don, I hope you have acquired the "panettone" for the Easter holidays. We eat it at Christmas; at Easter we prefer the "colomba" (= dove) which is made with the same pasta.

Receive very warm greetings from Tuscany.
Sante

[vic rzonca]

A few contemporary mining artifacts. Millisecond delays with cap and detonation cord, used. One, 50 lb. bag, empty, of blasting agent. Many tons of which goes in the holes to make collecting very difficult in one way and easy in another, at the same instant. The 6" drill bit is now a lawn ornament.

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Vic.

Thank you for your interesting contribution.
I'm quite sure that other collectors have some items related with the mining activity. It would be nice if they share them here.

My best regards. Stay safe.
Sante

[Michael Shaw]

[Tony L. Potucek]

Part of the room my wife calls the man cave, which included a natural outcrop of limey sandstone which the foundation is built over the top. Ideal location to put mining artifacts I collected underground in the western USA while working in exploration geology.

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Michael.

Thank you for your addition.
These are three very beautiful objects, and very well conserved!
I had never seen that kind of candlestick: I really like it.
If you have more artifacts, please, show them here.

Cheers. Stay safe.
Sante

[vic rzonca]

You win, Tony. Rock outcrop in a collection room is not very common. No blasting agent on hand for the build?

[Sante Celiberti]

Hello, Tony.

This is a very impressive location for your mining artifacts! Better than a museal display.
And what an assortment of nice items (included the hand detonator and jackhammer).
The foundation rock looks somewhat translucent: what is it, calcite?
It would be nice if you show your stuffs in detail.
My best compliments.

Greetings from Tuscany and take care.
Sante

[Tony L. Potucek]

Hi, Vic and Sante and the rest,
No, I did not have to use any blasting agents to get this work done, but the contractor built the foundation over the outcrop. I have attached a work in progress photo when I covered the cement foundation with local quartzite slabs Anasazi style, except it is more than the dry stack the ancients constructed. I used mortar. The dark brown pegs resembling old wood slats and poles are actually locally collected Cretaceous age petrified limbs. I then laid down slabs of Supai sandstone as a base on the top of the cement ledges. Fun stuff. A geological engineer playing with rocks and construction! Oh, this windowless man cave is where the nectars of the gods is kept--single malt scotches and vino, Vic! Along with all of my minerals which never see the light of day unless I am in the man cave. I keep the room at 55 degrees F except when I am there to preserve the vino.

[Sante Celiberti]

[Michael Shaw]

A few more mining artifacts.