Uranium Council

The Uranium Council is an entity created by the Australian Government in 2009. Chair Mark Chalmers has described it as "a combined Australian Government, Industry and Stakeholders committee (represented by BHP Billiton, ERA, Heathgate, Cameco and Paladin Energy) organized to review and remove impediments to Australia’s uranium exploration and development policy." It contains representatives from Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, the uranium industry and the Northern Land Council.
History.
The Uranium Council was preceded by the Uranium Industry Framework Implementation Group (UIF), which was established during the Howard Government in August 2005.
Minister Ian Macfarlane formed the UIF in order to "advance the uranium industry in Australia at the highest possible standards." Its founding chairman was Dr John White FTSE, who was also a founding member of the Nuclear Fuel Leasing Group. The Government of South Australia was represented on the UIF by Paul Heithersay and the Minerals Council of Australia was represented by Mitchell Hooke. Ian Hore-Lacy from the Uranium Information Centre was also an original member of the UIF. The group's recommendations informed uranium mining and nuclear industrial development policy which was announced in April 2007.
In 2009 the Australian government undertook a review of its Uranium Industry Framework Implementation Group (UIF), and subsequently replaced it with the Uranium Council.
Mark Chalmers served as Chair of the Uranium Council and was previously a member of the UIF. In 2011, Chalmers described the Uranium Council as "a combined Australian Government, Industry and Stakeholders committee, organized to review and remove impediments to Australia’s uranium exploration and development policy."
Vision and objectives.
As of 2015, the Uranium Council's official vision is "to contribute to national well-being through the progressive and sustainable development of the Australian uranium exploration, mining, milling and exporting industry in line with world's best practice standards." Its objectives are:


Eurasia Insurance Company

Eurasia Insurance Company () is a Kazakhstan-based insurance company, established in 1995 and headquartered in Almaty. , Eurasia Insurance company maintained its position as the largest insurance company in Kazakhstan in terms of assets, insurance reserves, equity and authorized capital, as well as the volume of insurance premiums.
As part of its overall business strategy, Eurasia Insurance places emphasis on the geographic diversification of risks and developing partnerships with companies around the world to achieve a good spread of premium income and exposure. Eurasia reinsurance portfolio has spread its risks so that it is located over 150 countries. , Eurasia underwrote 49% of the total reinsurance placements in Kazakhstan insurance market, and about 97% of the total reinsurance placements from abroad. The premium income of Eurasia in 2013 amounted to KZT27.238bn, claim payments totaled to KZT12.057bn, with retained earnings of KZT4.016bn.
History.
The company was established in 1995 and was licensed to provide all types of covers under compulsory and voluntary insurance classes in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 2008, Eurasia was appointed as an approved reinsurer for the Ariane Space Programme. In connection with this class of insurance, Eurasia has paid the following claims:
On 18 August 2011 Eurasia paid KZT747m as a reinsurance compensation for the loss of Ekspress-AM4 spacecraft. Ekspress-AM4 spacecraft was launched by Proton-M carrier rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport in August 2011, but it was placed in an unplanned orbit.
On 15 January 2012 the company paid US$3.4m in respect of the loss of the Russian spacecraft Fobos-Grunt. The spacecraft burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere, its unburned fragments fell into the Pacific Ocean. Property interest of Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Center for operation of ground-based space infrastructure" is reinsured by Eurasia, which within its share of the responsibility made a claim payment of about KZT500m
Eurasia has paid KZT1.5bn (US$10m) in respect of total loss of the telecommunication space satellite Telcom-3 owned by PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia. In August 2012 rocket Proton-M with the upper stage Briz-M and the spacecraft - Indonesian Telcom-3 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, but the boosters required to place it in its final orbit malfunctioned due to defects resulting in the satellite being placed in an unplanned orbit. The satellite was designed to provide telephone service communications and the broadcasting in Indonesia and Indochina.
Ratings.
On 14 March 2014, rating agency A.M. Best affirmed its "bbb+" financial strength rating and "B++" credit rating for Eurasia Insurance Co. The outlook for both ratings is stable. This credit rating is the highest among insurance and reinsurance companies of CIS countries and Central Asia.
On 27 May 2014, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services affirmed its "BB+" insurer financial strength and counterparty credit ratings.
International and national memberships.
Eurasia is a member of the following organizations:
Major social events.
In October 2004, for the implementation and the development of the youth policy and the state insurance program, not only in Kazakhstan but also in CIS countries, Eurasia Insurance Company organized the Annual International Scientific and Practical competition for the best work in the field of insurance "Just One Step from Idea to Implementation". The main purpose of the contest is to promote the insurance industry, to inspire the best business ideas and the search for the potential staff among gifted students from within the Republic of Kazakhstan and the CIS countries.
From 2005, Eurasia Insurance Company is a permanent organizer of the Annual International Risk Management Conference, a spring event which is held in Almaty. Over the past years the conference has attracted such influential speakers as Andrei Illarionov - former economic advisor to President of the Russian Federation who is now a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, the late Yegor Gaidar - former acting Prime Minister and Director of the "Institute for the Economy in Transition", Nouriel Roubini – economic advisor of President Obama; David Waldron - known London lawyer, who serves on the problems of corruption and bribery; Ruslan Grinberg – Director of Economics Institute of RAS; Tali Sharot - the head of the acclaimed research project The Optimism bias, Marcos Prado Troyjo - director of Research Center BRICLab at Columbia University, as well as representatives of Government agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the leaders of the major international rating agencies, including popular international economists. The moderator of these Conferences is the leading TV journalist – Igor Vittel.
In April 2006, the radio program "Two Lives After", part of an international collaborative media project, produced by Evgeny Bychkov and Eurasia Insurance Company, took to the airwaves. The author of the programs is Evgeny Bychkov - an Almaty native, professional musician, musical critic and radio-journalist, who currently resides and works in Toronto, Canada. In 2007 the program was recognized by connoisseurs of music and was awarded Popov's International Prize in the category "Best Music Radio Program" in Russia.
In May 2009, Eurasia Insurance Co. participated in the Cannes International Film Festival not only as a guest but as an insurer also. The world movie and sports stars and other celebrities, including Mark Webber, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, President of Hugo Boss Fashions - Roberto Carlos, and others were among the guests.
In October 2009, Eurasia Insurance Co. and Oakeshott Insurance Broker published a two-volume collection of insurance, reinsurance and risk management papers, under the title, "Let's talk with you".
In May 2010, Eurasia launched a new radio series "The 9th Archipelago", on the key personalities in the history of rock with issues in detail of the life and works of such artists as John Lennon, Paul Simon, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the bands The Doors, Procol Harum, The Hollies and others.
On 14 December 2010, Eurasia Insurance Company organized the Annual Film Festival in Kazakhstan CinemaFest "StrahOFF!" as part of its efforts to improve financial literacy of the citizens. The film festival is devoted to the fascinating explanation of the nature and characteristics of insurance and risk management through the movie.
On 18 October 2011, Dr. Umanov gave a lecture on the topic of "Kazakhstan and Central Asian insurance/reinsurance market" in the Old Library of the New Lloyd's of London Building. The Insurance Institute of London requested Dr. Umanov to give a lecture for the members of Lloyd's and other participants in the international reinsurance market. More than 150 persons attended the lecture, including senior managers from Lloyd's syndicates, international insurance/reinsurance companies, brokers, major international rating agencies, and others, this being the largest attendance of such an event there.


Prince of Wales Colliery

The Prince of Wales Colliery, was a coal mine that operated for over 130 years in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was permanently closed in 2002 after geological problems were found to make accessing remaining coal reserves unprofitable, and most of the site was later converted for housing.
History.
The colliery was developed from 1860, but coaling operations did not begin until 1869, with full production underway by 1872, when over was being brought to the surface per week. It was sometimes referred to as "PoW" or as the "Ponty Prince", Ponty being short for Pontefract, the town that it was in. In 1885, the underground viewer, general manager and the owner of the mine (Alderman Rhodes, the Mayor of Pontefract) were prosecuted for not ensuring that the pit was adequately ventilated. A regulation stipulated that the air sections should be a minimum of wide, but those at the PoW were only , and . The underground viewer and general manager were fined, with the mayor being told to ensure the safe working of his mine. In 1896, the mine was acquired by Lord Masham, who owned other collieries at Featherstone.
Throughout the 1890s, the mine was subject to strike action on two counts; firstly, the amount that miners were paid for producing coal from the Silkstone Seam, which they believed, should be on a par with other collieries producing coal from the same seam. Secondly, Rhodes had introduced a type of fork for moving the coal from the face into the tubs known as "riddles", which meant that smaller pieces of coal slipped through the tines and was less efficient as a shovel. As miners were paid by the amount they mined per shift, this led to another set of strike action.
In the 1950s, the colliery was providing employment for over 2,000 men. In 1986, a year after the miners strike, the pit was producing over per week, which was above the average of per person on one shift. Despite the breaking of production records, overtime was not available and 400 miners at PoW were threatening to go on strike.
In March 1979, Radio One DJs Simon Bates and John Peel, broadcast a programme live from the colliery, with the first song requested being, appropriately enough, Shaft. By 1981, the colliery working had been transformed from a deep mine, into a drift mine operation, and despite being in Pontefract, was listed as being in the NCBs North Yorkshire region.
A drawdown of the number of pits in the 1990s, led to a suggestion that Prince of Wales Colliery should be merged with nearby Kellingley Colliery, with the output being brought to the surface in just one location.
In 2001, geological problems with the mine were discovered which led to an investigation paid for by the Department of Trade and Industry. This revealed that the cost of extracting the remaining of coal was too expensive, and in January 2002, UK Coal announced the closure of the mine for later in the same year. The company had been trying to develop the "Went Edge" reserves, and the inability to do so, meant the writing off of some £15.8 million in its initial investment. After closure in August 2002, equipment recovery took two months.
In 2013, the site was remediated and by 2018, almost 400 homes have been built on the site with planning permission for up to 900 homes. The remediation yielded over of coal, which was sent to power stations to generate electricity. There are plans to erect a steel memorial to the miners who worked at the colliery on the new housing estate built on the site.
In 2014, Alkane developed a methane plant at the site which burns the gas drawn from underground to turn it into energy. The site is rated at 2 megawatts.


Tash-Tau mine

The Tash-Tau mine is a large copper mine located in the south-west of Russia in Bashkortostan. Tash-Tau represents one of the largest copper reserve in Russia and in the world having estimated reserves of 111.7 million tonnes of ore grading 8.63% copper.


Nostell

Nostell is a village in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, near Hemsworth. It is in the civil parish of "Huntwick with Foulby and Nostell", which had a population of 90 in 2001, and 164 at the 2011 census (including Wintersett). and is the site of an Augustinian priory which received its charter in 1121.
Nostell Priory is an 18th-century Palladian historic house, with interiors by Robert Adam and furniture by Thomas Chippendale. The house was owned by the Winn family and is now in the care of the National Trust.
Coal mining at Nostell began in the 9th century and continued until 1987. Nostell Colliery was known locally as 'the family pit' due to the welfare schemes introduced by the Winn family far in advance of similar schemes prior to nationalisation. In 1880, terraced houses were built close by to the colliery and the settlement was nicknamed 'Cribbins Lump' after the builder by the inhabitants. The settlement was later renamed 'New Crofton' by Lord St Oswald but the nickname remained until the houses were demolished in the 1980s. Nostell Colliery closed in 1987. As with the other closed pits in the Wakefield area, many of the miners took transfers to the new Selby Coalfield on closure. A full history was written in the same year by the pit's manager at the time of closure: "A History of Over 850 Years of Mining at Nostell" by Bryan Fraser.
Nostell also has a Cricket Club, established pre 1897, located opposite the Priory.


Verkhnekingashskoye mine

The Verkhnekingashskoye mine is a large mine in the north of Russia near Norilsk in the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Verkhnekingashskoye represents one of the largest nickel reserve in Russia having estimated reserves of 484.6 million tonnes of ore grading 0.44% nickel. The 484.6 million tonnes of ore contains 2.16 million tonnes of nickel metal.


Kholodninsky mine

The Kholodninsky mine is one of the largest lead and zinc mines in Russia. The mine is located in south-eastern Russia in Buryatia. The mine has reserves amounting to 519 million tonnes of ore grading 0.65% lead and 3.99% zinc thus resulting 3.37 million tonnes of lead and 21.2 million tonnes of zinc.


Retsof Salt Mine


Harridge Wood

Harridge Wood is an area of woodland in Somerset, England.
From about 1300 AD part of the wood was the scene of coal mining, which continued until around 1800.
The traces of mining have been well preserved, and are now a scheduled site.
The woodland is now part of the Harridge Woods Nature Reserve.
Large areas were planted for timber in the mid-20th century, and this continues to be harvested.
The nature reserve is steadily reintroducing the original flora.
Environment.
The Harridge Wood mainly lies on clay slopes dissected by streams.
It is thought to be very old, although large areas of the original broadleaf coverage was cleared in the mid-20th century and replaced by poplars and conifers.
Remnants of the early forest are found in isolated patches, on the edge of the woodland and in wet areas.
These include areas of old hazel coppice and low pollards (known as "stoggles") of ash, pedunculate oak and alder.
There are diverse woodland flora in the less disturbed areas, including ferns in the wetter parts and woodland herbs in the dryer areas.
In some places there are cow pastures beside the woods, which attract foraging bats, while other bats forage along the woods and streams.
Mine workings.
In Harridge Wood and Edford Wood the coal seams outcrop at the surface and there are many remains of pre-18th century mining.
The medieval and post-medieval coal mining remains in Harridge Wood and Edford Wood South were made a scheduled site under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as of 17 May 2000.
The site includes Edford Wood South, all of Harridge Wood East and part of Harridge Wood West.
The site covers parts of the parishes of Ashwick, Stoke St Michael and Stratton-on-the-Fosse in the Mendip district of Somerset.
The coal mining workings are examples of medieval and post-medieval coal mining that have been very well preserved by being incorporated in the woodland.
They show a variety of mining methods employed before the 19th century.
In the early days miners excavated the coal using bell pits, where they dug a shaft down to the coal, then excavated as wide an area round the foot of the shaft as was safe, giving it a bell shape. They then moved to a nearby location and repeated the process, spacing the shafts close enough to minimise wastage.
52 bell pits have been found in Harridge Wood East, the largest with a diameter of .
Adits have also been found, horizontal passages for accessing the mines or draining waters, and leats that carried water to power machinery or drained water.
There are mounds of excavated material and the remains of shafts.
The coal field was active from around 1300 to 1800, although some small working continued longer.
Nature reserve.
Location.
The Harridge Woods nature reserve is owned and operated by Somerset Wildlife Trust.
The nature reserve includes five sites: Home Wood, Limekiln Wood, Harridge Woods West, Harrdidge Woods East and Edford Woods South.
There are two nature trails with stops where points of interest are described.
The Mells River runs through the western part of the reserve.
The woods are a managed woodland, and lumber is extracted.
The Cerberus Spelæological Society controls all cave and archaeological related activity in the reserve.
Flora.
Trees include various species of alder, ash ("Fraxinus excelsior"), hazel ("Corylus avellana"), Norway Spruce ("Picea abies"), pedunculate oak ("Quercus robur"), silver birch ("Betula pendula"), spindle ("Euonymus europaeus") and wych elm ("Ulmus glabra").
Fungi include fly agaric ("Amanita muscaria"), King Alfred's cake ("Daldinia concentrica") and scarlet elf cup ("Sarcoscypha coccinea").
Other plant species include bluebell ("Hyacinthoides non-scripta"), enchanter's nightshade ("Circaea lutetiana"), hart's tongue fern ("Asplenium scolopendrium"), lesser celandine ("Ficaria verna"), meadow saffron ("Colchicum autumnale"), nettle-leaved bellflower ("Campanula trachelium"), Solomon's seal ("Polygonatum multiflorum"), toothwort ("Lathraea squamaria"), wild garlic ("Allium ursinum"), wood anemone ("Anemone nemorosa") and yellow archangel ("Lamium galeobdolon").
Fauna.
A dilapidated cottage has been restored as a bat house.
Bats include brown long-eared bat ("Plecotus auritus"), greater horseshoe bat ("Rhinolophus ferrumequinum") and lesser horseshoe bat ("Rhinolophus hipposideros").
Other animals include Eurasian otter ("Lutra lutra"), European badger ("Meles meles"), hazel dormouse ("Muscardinus avellanarius"), roe deer ("Capreolus capreolus") and wood mouse ("Apodemus sylvaticus").
Birds include common kingfisher ("Alcedo atthis"), Eurasian bullfinch ("Pyrrhula pyrrhula"), European green woodpecker ("Picus viridis"), silver-washed fritillary ("Argynnis paphia"), song thrush ("Turdus philomelos") and white-throated dipper ("Cinclus cinclus").
The comma ("Polygonia c-album") and common brimstone ("Gonepteryx rhamni") butterflies may be seen.


Apedale Heritage Centre

The Apedale Heritage Centre was created at the site of Staffordshire's Apedale Mine and is run by volunteers. It is located just outside the village of Chesterton near Newcastle-under-Lyme in the Apedale Community Country Park.
Attractions include mine tours and a museum which concentrates on the area's history, concentrating on industrial heritage. Opening times are 10:30 to 16:00 daily with the underground tours taking place at weekends and bank holidays.
The site is also the home of the Moseley Railway Trust's collection of narrow gauge industrial locomotives. A selection of locomotives can be viewed in the heritage centre museum and the trust holds open days for the public. Work is under way to construct a separate museum and railway for the collection.


Pudozhsky mine

The Pudozhsky mine is one of the largest titanium mines in Russia. The mine is located in Republic of Karelia. The mine has reserves amounting to 516.7 million tonnes of ore grading 8.1% titanium, 1 million oz of platinum and 2.4 million oz of gold.


Black Orlov

The Black Orlov is a black diamond, also known as the Eye of Brahma Diamond. It weighs . The diamond—originally —is said to have been discovered in the early 19th century in India. It supposedly featured as one of the eyes in a statue of the Hindu god Brahma in Pondicherry, until it was stolen by a Jesuit cleric. According to legend, this theft caused the diamond to be cursed.
In 1932, diamond dealer J. W. Paris reportedly took the diamond to the United States, and soon after committed suicide by jumping from a skyscraper in New York City. Later owners of the diamond included two Russian princesses, Leonila Galitsine-Bariatinsky and Nadia Vygin-Orlov (after whom the diamond is named). Both women allegedly jumped to their deaths in the 1940s. The diamond was later bought by Charles F. Winson, and cut into three pieces in an attempt to break the curse; the 67.5-carat Black Orlov was set into a brooch of 108 diamonds, suspended from a necklace of 124 diamonds. The diamond was purchased by diamond dealer Dennis Petimezas in 2004; Petimezas said he was "pretty confident that the curse is broken". The Black Orlov has been displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Natural History Museum in London.


Horning, Pennsylvania

Horning is a neighborhood in the borough of Baldwin in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the residence of miners of the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad and Coal Company #4 Mine, which had a racially integrated workforce, unusual in that era.
"D" Mine (Pittsburgh Terminal Coal Company #4).
Horning was founded at the opening of a coal mine along the West Side Belt Railroad by the Pittsburg Terminal Coal Company around 1903. In 1905, Philip Murray was elected president of the United Mine Workers of America local in Horning.
On February 3, 1926, 20 miners were killed in an explosion in this mine. It was the scene of armed labor unrest in 1928. The mine was closed October 5, 1939.


Kirkmuirhill

Kirkmuirhill is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It borders Blackwood, near Lanark and is sited near Junction 9 of the M74 motorway. Its postal sector is ML11 9.
History.
In 1810 John Begg, husband of Robert Burns youngest sister Isabella, became the land steward for Mr James Hope Vere MP on his estate at Blackwood. On 24 April 1813, after nearly three years at Blackwood, John met his death when his horse reared and fell on him, crushing him to death. He was returning from his regular trip to Lesmahagow market on a horse that he had been asked to ride because it had become fractious due to lack of exercise. Isabella was left a widow with nine children with ages from three to eighteen. For a while Mr James Hope Vere paid her a small annual grant however to make ends meet she opened a dame's school in Kirkmuirhill which she ran for four years before moving to Ormiston.
Education.
There is a single primary school Bent Primary on the outskirts of the village, but a large proportion of pupils also attend Blackwood Primary School in the neighbouring village of Blackwood. There is also the denominational St. John's Primary there, which is a Roman Catholic primary school which has Kirkmuirhill within its catchment. When children reach secondary education, they normally attend high school in Lesmahagow, or Holy Cross Hamilton in the case of Catholic pupils from St. John's.
Traditional industry in the village was mining, but this has long since declined.


Jack Jones (novelist)

Jack Jones (24 November 1884 – 7 May 1970) was a Welsh miner, Trade Union official, politician, novelist and playwright.
Background.
Jack Jones was born in 1884 at Tai-Harri-Blawdd in Merthyr Tydfil, the eldest son of David Jones, a coal miner, and his wife Sarah Ann. He was educated at St David’s Elementary School, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. He married Laura Grimes Evans in 1908. They had four sons (two died young) and one daughter.
Career.
In 1896 he joined his father to work in the mines aged 12. In 1901 at the age of 17 he joined the army and was posted to South Africa with his regiment the Militia Battalion of the Welch. However he was very unhappy there and ended up deserting. Once recaptured, he was transferred to India. When he eventually returned to Wales he went back to working in the coal mines. In 1914 Jones was summoned back to his regiment and sent to the front lines in France and later on Belgium. After suffering shrapnel wounds he was invalided home and appointed as recruiting officer for Merthyr Tydfil. He became honorary secretary of his local miners lodge. In 1923 he was appointed as the full-time secretary-representative of the miners at Blaengarw. In 1926 during the General Strike as part of his job as a miners agent, he travelled around South Wales urging miners to continue supporting the strike. In 1927 he resigned from his full-time post with the miners union. In early 1928 he was employed by Liberal Party headquarters as a speaker. He continued in this job until 1930. By 1934 he had started to earn a living as a writer. He went on two lecture tours in America and the European battlefronts during the War of 1939–45.
Politics.
In 1920 Jones became a member of the Communist Party. He attended a convention in Manchester on behalf of his local miners lodge with the purpose of establishing the party; at this meeting he was chosen to be Corresponding Secretary for the South Wales Region. He later founded a branch at Merthyr Tydfil. In 1923 he left the Communist Party and joined the Labour Party. He undertook a number of speaking engagements for the party including speaking in support of Labour leader Ramsay MacDonald at Aberavon. In 1927 he produced his first article for the press entitled "The Need for a Lib-Lab Coalition". He was becoming disenchanted with the Labour party and its support for nationalisation. He was drawn to support the Liberal Party through its new policies on coal and power. and had joined by the beginning of 1928. Liberal leader David Lloyd George who had been impressed by his rhetoric, recruited him to the Liberal headquarters speaking staff. He travelled around Britain speaking in support of the Liberal party's new industrial policies. In May 1928 he was selected by Neath Liberal Association to be their prospective parliamentary candidate. Neath was a safe Labour seat that the Liberals last won in 1918; at the last election in 1924 the Liberals had not run a candidate. He stood as Liberal candidate for Neath at the 1929 General Election and polled nearly 30%;
He did not stand for parliament again. He was retained by Liberal headquarters as a speaker for another 12 months after the election. During the 1930s he made another political change and was a speaker for Oswald Mosley's New Party. In the 1945 election he supported 'National' candidate Sir James Grigg.
Writing career.
During his 20s Jack Jones began to educate himself and develop his love of the theatre and writing, often taking part in local dramatic productions. In 1926 he successfully entered a short play he had written entitled "Dad's Double" into a competition in Manchester.
He began writing seriously during a period of unemployment. His first novel, "Saran", was never published, but a reduced version of it appeared as "Black Parade" (1935). By 1939, he had written the novels "Rhondda Roundabout" (1934), and "Bidden to the Feast" (1938), a play, "Land of my Fathers" (1937), and his first autobiography, "Unfinished Journey" (1937). The London stage version of Rhondda Roundabout was acclaimed. He wrote the dialogue for the film "The Proud Valley", in which he also had a minor acting role. During the Second World War he was a speaker for the Ministry of Information and the National Savings Movement. He wrote "The Man David" (1944), a life of David Lloyd George.
After the war he wrote two volumes of autobiography, "Me and Mine" (1946) and "Give Me Back My Heart" (1950), three novels, "Off to Philadelphia in the Morning" (1947) made into a BBC drama of the same name in 1978, "Some Trust in Chariots" (1948), and "River Out of Eden" (1951), and a play "Transatlantic Episode" (1947). His later works, "Lily of the Valley" and "Lucky Year" (1952), "Time and the Business" (1953), "Choral Symphony" (1955) and "Come, Night; End, Day" (1956) were less well received. In 1954, he married his second wife, Gladys Morgan. He was elected first President of the English section of Yr Academi Gymreig. Until his death in May 1970 he continued writing; these works remained unpublished, including a biographical novel, "A Burnt Offering", based on the life of Dr William Price (1800–1893), Llantrisant, pioneer of cremation.
Honours.
In 1948 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the community and to literature. In February 1970 he won an award from the Arts Council of Wales for `his distinguished contribution to the literature of Wales'. Jack Jones died on 7 May 1970.


Itomuka mine

The Itomuka mine is one of the largest mercury mines in Japan and in the world. The mine is located in Hokkaido. The mine has estimated reserves of 0.95 million tonnes of ore grading 0.35% mercury.


Denbighshire Coalfield

The Denbighshire Coalfield in the county of Denbighshire in north-east Wales is one of the smaller British coalfields. It extends from near Caergwrle in the north, southwards through Wrexham, Ruabon and Rhosllannerchrugog to Chirk in the south. A small part extends into Shropshire around Oswestry. Beyond Caergwrle the coal-bearing strata continue northwards as the Flintshire Coalfield. Together the two coalfields are known as the North Wales Coalfield.
History.
The shallower parts of the Denbighshire Coalfield were worked extensively in the early nineteenth century, most of the coal being used in the iron industry. In the mid-nineteenth century, much deeper pits were established and a network of railways was built in the Wrexham area to transport the coal.
A report on the North Wales Coalfield in the 1950s found that the reserves of coal were running low and that in the Denbighshire Coalfield, the geology of the coal-bearing strata dipped rapidly rendering it unlikely that the coalfield could be further developed. The last deep mine to operate in the coalfield was Bersham Colliery which closed in 1986. Prior to this time, as many as 38 collieries had been in operation across the area, with a peak output in excess of 2.6 million tons, and giving employment at the height of production to some 12,000 men.
Coal seams.
Several coal seams are named in the sequence. All of the seams occur within the Bettisfield Formation with the exception of the Morlas which occurs in the Coed-yr-Allt Formation. The seams are listed stratigraphically with the uppermost (youngest) at the head of the list and the lowermost (oldest) at the foot.


Cadeby Main pit disaster

The Cadeby Main Pit Disaster was a coal mining accident on 9 July 1912 at Cadeby Main Colliery at Cadeby, at Doncaster, now in South Yorkshire, England, killing 91 men. Early in the morning of 9 July 1912 an explosion in the south-west part of the Cadeby Main pit killed 35 men with 3 more dying later due to their injuries. Later in the same day after a rescue party was sent below ground another explosion took place killing 53 men of the rescue party.
Disaster.
Opened in 1893 the Cadeby pit was owned by the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company, 5,000 men worked in Cadeby and at the related Denaby pit. The King and Queen had been visiting mining villages in the area so the number of men below ground was less than usual following celebration the day before. Only about 200 men were in the pit when an explosion occurred at about 02:00, in the direct area of the explosion 35 men were killed. News of the disaster soon spread around Conisbrough and district and women and children rushed to the pit head. Men who were not at work also turned up to help with the rescue but nothing could be done at first due to the fear of afterdamp.
Soon volunteers entered the pit to search for bodies and these rescue teams were hampered by heavy falls of coal and stone and by 08:00 only six bodies had been brought to the surface. Further explosions occurred while the rescue team were at work, killing some of the rescuers. A total of 53 men were killed in the later explosions including W.H. Pickering the Chief Government Inspector of Mines for Yorkshire and the North Midlands and Charles Bury the manager of the colliery who died the following week from his injuries.
Aftermath.
The King and Queen who were visiting mining villages in the area went to the pit the following day to ascertain the situation and give support to the families. This fact was mentioned in the 1977 film "The Price of Coal", during a discussion by the managers of the colliery.
Two colliery deputies were awarded the Edward Medal first class as well as three second class medals for gallantry during the disaster.
Memorials to remember the 91 dead were unveiled at cemeteries in Conisbrough and Denaby on 9 July 2012, 100 years after the deadly event.
Report.
The Chief Inspector of Mines issued a report in May 1913 detailing the accident, he concluded that a fire which had started some years before had never really been put out and had caused a small explosion in the same area in January 1912. The circumstances on the day encouraged the larger explosion. The inspector did criticise the rescue effort and although many men were trained in rescue work other unauthorised men had also entered the mine to help, which increased the death toll from the second explosion.


St. Nicholas Breaker

The St. Nicholas Breaker was a historic coal breaker in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Description.
The St. Nicholas Breaker was located between Mahanoy City and Shenandoah in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the southern part of the Coal Region. The breaker was once the largest of its kind, being the size of a city block and capable of processing 12,500 tons of coal per day. It has been described as having a "hulking, asymmetrical facade."
The St. Nicholas Breaker was constructed using 3,800 cubic yards of steel and 10,000 cubic yards of concrete. It contained of conveyor lines, of pipes, of conduits, of wire, and of rubber belting. The construction required half of the village of Suffolk to be relocated.
The St. Nicholas Breaker was described as sounding "like thunder" during operation. More recently, Kurt Zwikl, the executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, described the breaker as "fantastically unique building", but in "bad shape." It was divided into two sections that were capable of operating independently. Coal took 12 minutes to be processed by the breaker.
History.
The St. Nicholas Breaker first became operational on March 11, 1931. It was the second breaker in the area to be named after St. Nicholas; the first was built in 1861 and torn down in 1928. When the new breaker opened, it was the "crown jewel of a relatively safer, more modern anthracite industry". However, the breaker stopped operating in 1965.
In the early 2000s, there were proposals to make the St. Nicholas Breaker a historical site. However, such a plan was found to be prohibitively expensive, costing tens of millions of dollars. As of 2013, the breaker was owned by the Reading Anthracite Company. In 2013, part of the breaker was demolished.
As of mid-2017, the St. Nicholas Breaker was being dismantled piece by piece. The work has been ongoing for several years, but the bulk of the structure still stood. The breaker was the last remaining large-scale coal breaker in Northeastern Pennsylvania; there were once many area facilities with similar scale including the Huber and Locust Summit breakers. In 2015, numerous people came to visit the breaker before a round of demolition work began.
The St. Nicholas Breaker was demolished in a controlled explosion on March 15, 2018.


Absolom Gant

Absolom Gant Jr. (October 30, 1832 – May 2, 1897) was an American politician from Texas.
Gant's parents, Absolom Sr. and Mary, lived in Martin, Tennessee, at the time of his birth on October 30, 1832. The younger Gant attended schools in his home state, and in 1853, served as justice of the peace in Wayne County. Gant completed a degree from Cumberland University in 1859, and moved to Tarrant County, Texas to become a schoolteacher.
Gant served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as a third lieutenant in Company A of the Ninth Texas Cavalry Regiment. Following the Siege of Corinth, Gant was promoted to captain. Due to medical disability, Gant resigned his commission and returned home before the war ended. He then partnered with a physician from Weatherford, Texas, in the pharmaceutical trade. Over the years, Gant acquired property as a real estate dealer, and became the largest landowner in Parker County. Gant married Minerva Raines in Rusk County on December 18, 1867, and the family later moved to Graham, where Gant operated a salt mine. Following the resignation of William Edgar Hughes from the Texas House of Representatives on March 1, 1871, Gant was sworn in as a Democratic state representative based in Young County on October 31, 1871. Gant served until January 14, 1873, and died on May 2, 1897.


Boundary Red Mountain Mine

The Boundary Red Mountain Mine of Whatcom County, Washington, United States, consists of six patented lode claims survey in 1902 and patented under patent number 39545. The property is privately owned. The lode claims include Rocky draw lode, Klondike lode, Mountain Boy Lode, Glacier Lode, Climax lode, & Climax Ext No. 1 lode. Located in Whatcom County, Washington, U.S.A., the mine is approximately ½ mile south of the Canada–US border. It is within close approximation of the currently active Lone Jack Mine.
Geology: The gold veins of the Boundary Red Mountain Mine are mainly fissure quartz veins.


North Skelton Mine

North Skelton Mine was an ironstone mine in the village of North Skelton in North Yorkshire, England. The mine was the deepest of the ironstone mines in Cleveland and was also the last to close, which came in January 1964. Some buildings still exist on the surface as well as spoil heaps.
Due to the mine being developed further north, the name of North Skelton Mine stuck, even when it was moved south east of Skelton village.
History.
During the rush to extract iron for the smelters of Middlesbrough, North Skelton was developed in 1865. Land was leased from Squire Wharton, the owner of Skelton Castle. The location of the ironstone seam at Skelton was below sea level, and so a great deal or preparation work was undertaken to ready the site before mining could begin. Originally the site was developed nearer to the settlement of Marske, but as a greater density of ironstone was found elsewhere, the shaft was sunk further south, but the original name of North Skelton stuck, which is why the mine site lies to the south east of the village of Skelton. The mine was commissioned in 1872, after some difficulty and expense in sinking the shafts to over . Additionally, the means to transport the ironstone out of the mine rested upon the North Eastern Railway providing a rail link to the mine site. This involved the spanning of Skelton Beck near Marske, which was achieved by the building of Upleatham Viaduct, which was long and high.
As the site of the mineshaft was remote from the nearest villages, a new settlement was created (North Skelton). The company (Bolckow, Vaughan & Co), built 236 houses at a cost of £80 each in 1871. The main shaft of the mine went down as far as , which was below sea level. The amount of water increased with the depth, so much so that at down, the pumps were having to deal with over per minute. To combat this water and because of possible flooding, the mine was equipped with three turbines capable of moving per minute.
In 1880, production at the mine reached , but later in the decade, the ironstone mines across Cleveland suffered a drop in productivity which was connected with a downturn in the iron and steel markets. At North Skelton, some miners left Cleveland to go and work in mines in America.
From 1954, iron was also sourced underground from the remnants of the Lumpsey Mine, but was brought to the surface at North Skelton.
The mine was most productive between 1875 and 1920, when the average mined in a year was . Records show that in 1910, North Skelton was forwarding four full freight trains per day to the smelters on south Teesside. In 1929, the assets of Bolckow, Vaughan and Co, were acquired by Dorman, Long & Co. The second owners held the mine until January 1964, when it was closed. After closure, the site was used for various above-ground industrial concerns.
Between 1876 and 1949, 36 men died in the mine through various accidents such as crushing injuries, roof falls, explosions and limbs being removed by passing trains. There were even recorded instances of boys dying after they had trespassed on the site.


Shymanivske mine

The Shymanivske mine is a large iron mine located in central Ukraine in the Dnepr Oblast. Shymanivske represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Ukraine and in the world having estimated reserves of 834 million tonnes of ore grading 32% iron metal.


Clayton Tonnemaker

Frank Clayton "Clayt" Tonnemaker (June 8, 1928 – December 25, 1996) was an American football player who played center and linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1950 to 1954. Tonnemaker was an All-American at the University of Minnesota, where he played center linebacker. In 1980, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Early life.
Tonnemaker, weighing in at 11 pounds, was born on June 8, 1928 on a farm near Ogilvie, Minnesota, to Anna Nelson and Frank Clayton Tonnemaker. After his father died when Clayton was 7, he and his mother and sister, Lucille, sold their farm at auction and moved to the town of Rush City, Minnesota. The family later moved to Northeast Minneapolis, and Clayton attended Edison High School.
Football career.
Youth.
Tonnemaker lettered in football at Rush City High School as an 8th grader. After moving to Minneapolis, Tonnemaker played center for the Edison football team, serving as captain and winning All-City Honors. He unofficially played for the Minnesota Gophers while in high school, even scoring a touchdown during a 1946 spring season scrimmage. It was not legal for a high schooler to train with a college team at the time, so the Gophers didn't acknowledge this.
College: University of Minnesota.
Tonnemaker officially began playing center linebacker for the Gophers during his freshman year, 1946, when a World War II-era ruling made it legal for freshman to play in the Big Ten. Before the war this was not allowed. He became part of a group of Gopher players known as the '49ers, their year of graduation. He was a regular from mid-freshman year, with the Gophers winning 23 out of 30 games, and a "win-loss edge over every Big Ten rival except Michigan". Along with Leo Nomellini, Tonnemaker was part of a defensive line that allowed "an average of less than nine points a game in the '49ers’ final season".
Professional: Green Bay Packers.
Originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, his pro contract was transferred to the Green Bay Packers after the All-America Football Conference merged with the NFL in 1950 and the rules changed. The Packers made him their number one National Football League draft pick in 1950 (4th in the NFL overall), and paid him $8,000 a year, the top salary on the team. Tonnemaker played center and middle linebacker.


Jocky Wilson

John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson (22 March 1950 – 24 March 2012) was a Scottish professional darts player. After turning pro in 1979, he quickly rose to the top of the game, winning the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, then again in 1989. Wilson competed in all major darts tournaments of the era and won the British Professional Championship a record four times between 1981 and 1988.
A contemporary and rival of Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson and John Lowe, Wilson's ungainly appearance and rough-hewn lifestyle belied his prowess in the sport. He was dogged by health problems, however, and suddenly retired from the game in December 1995. He withdrew from public life, and was rarely seen in public or gave interviews before his death in March 2012.
Early life.
As a child, Wilson's parents were deemed unfit to raise him and Wilson spent much of his childhood in an orphanage. He began playing in a local pub in Kirkcaldy where the landlady supported his interest in darts by giving him a used board to practise on.
Wilson served in the British Army from 1966 to 1968. He also worked as a coal delivery man, fish processor, and also a miner at Kirkcaldy's Seafield Colliery. However, it was a spell of unemployment which was to prove the catalyst to Wilson achieving darting greatness.
In 1979, during this period of unemployment, he entered a darts competition at Butlins, Ayrshire, which he went on to win, claiming the top prize of £500. His success in this tournament convinced him that he should turn professional.
Career.
Peak.
In 1981, Wilson beat world number one Eric Bristow and Cliff Lazarenko of England in the BDO Nations Cup final. His Scotland teammates in the 5–4 win were captain Rab Smith and Angus Ross.
His greatest achievements came in the World Championships, first in 1982 where he beat Lowe 5–3 in the final, and then seven years later, when he beat his other great rival Bristow 6–4 in a classic match, where Bristow had recovered from 5–0 down to 5–4 and 2–2 in the tenth set. This was to be the Scot's last taste of success in a major event although the odd final appearance still came over the next few years.
His record at the World Championship was one of great consistency. From his debut in 1979 until 1991 he managed to reach at least the quarter-finals on every single occasion. He was quarter-finalist eight times (1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991) and three-times a losing semi-finalist (1983, 1984, 1987) in addition to his two World titles. In 1992 and 1993 he suffered first round defeats for the only time at the Lakeside Country Club.
He made several guest appearances on television including the popular darts themed quiz show "Bullseye" hosted by Jim Bowen, on 28 November 1982, produced by Central Television.
In the television documentary, "Eric Bristow: Sports Life Stories", Bristow described various psychological ploys he used against his opponents to "scramble their heads". He added that in response the only two opponents who would look him in the eye at the handshake at the start of a game were Wilson and Lowe, saying that like himself they had "no fear". He also referred to Wilson's unorthodox style such as a tendency to jerk his shoulder on throwing the third dart. Bristow commented that it seemed to have no detrimental effect on the accuracy, describing Wilson as "a one off". Bristow stated though that Wilson's sporting demise was due to the increasing volumes of alcoholic spirits Wilson would consume remarking, 'At the end he was doing a 40 oz bottle'.
Darts split.
Wilson joined the other top professionals who split away from the ruling British Darts Organisation in 1993 to form the WDC (now Professional Darts Corporation). He was not able to recapture the form that took him to two world championships however, and only participated in two PDC World Championships, failing to win a single match. He lost both group games in 1994 (to Dennis Priestley and Graeme Stoddart) and again in 1995 (to Priestley and Lowe).
One of the highlights of Wilson's three years in the WDC was him reaching the final of the 1993 WDC Skol UK Matchplay in March 1993, which was broadcast on ITV and played on quadro dartboards. Wilson became one of the few players to have hit 240 on television during a visit to the dart board, by getting 3 darts in the quadruple 20, during his semi final victory over John Lowe. Wilson lost the final to Dennis Priestley.
Wilson reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Matchplay, losing to eventual champion Larry Butler. Wilson's final appearance in a televised tournament came in the 1995 World Matchplay. He beat Rod Harrington 8–4 in the first round, but lost to Nigel Justice in the second round. Wilson never appeared in a major televised event again.
Post-retirement.
Wilson never formally announced his retirement from darts; he simply departed from the sport suddenly on 23 December 1995. It is believed that he left after being diagnosed with diabetes, which stopped him drinking during games.
For 10 years during his darts career, Wilson had a house in Wallsend to cut down on travel expenses, but he left that to return to his home town of Kirkcaldy. In 1996, he said, "I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me. There's only one person to blame for the situation I'm in, and that's me." He was declared bankrupt in 1998, and then survived on a disability allowance, living as a recluse in a one-bedroom flat back on the council estate where he grew up. He also suffered from arthritis in his hands.
Wilson ceased giving interviews to the press and television. An "Observer" reporter tried to interview him in January 2007 on the 25th anniversary of his first title win, only to be told by his wife, "He never has (given an interview) since stopping and never will. He thinks it's all in the past, it's over with." However, Wilson talked briefly to "The Scotsman" in 2001. Despite his withdrawal from the game, in August 2009 the PDC announced a new tournament called "The Jocky Wilson Cup" in which Scotland's best players played England's best. England beat Scotland 6–0 in the inaugural tournament in December 2009.
A heavy smoker for 40 years, in November 2009 it was announced that Wilson had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Reports stated that he had smoked up to 50 cigarettes a day for most of his life. He died just after 9 p.m. on 24 March 2012 at his home in Kirkcaldy, at the age of 62. His funeral was held on 2 April at Kirkcaldy Crematorium; his rival Eric Bristow and sports presenter Helen Chamberlain were among the estimated 400 mourners.
Personal life.
In 1982, Wilson was temporarily banned from competing in darts tournaments after he allegedly threw a punch at an official during a championship. This was taken as a reaction to Jocky's being under intense pressure at the time of the Falklands War, as he was married to an Argentine woman named Malvina (the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands is "Islas Malvinas"). He was soon allowed back into professional competitions again.
Wilson was a constant sweet-eater and generally refused to brush his teeth ("My Gran told me the English poison the water"); he had lost his last tooth by the age of 28. Following his 1982 World title win, he paid £1,200 for dentures, but never took to them. They made him belch when drinking, he complained.


Jock Purdon

George "Jock" Purdon (16 November 1925 – 1998) was a British poet and songwriter.
Born in Nitshill near Glasgow, a former coal mining village whose mine had closed before Purdon grew up, by a strange twist of fate Jock Purdon spent most of his life as a coal miner in a pit in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. That occupation shaped his poems and songs and gave him the soubriquet "the miners' poet".
Purdon was almost 14 years old when World War II began, and he saw his older brother, Robert, enlist in the Royal Scots regiment, serving as a Commando until killed in France after the Normandy Landings in 1944. When it was his turn to be conscripted, Purdon's National Service number ended in 0, which meant that he would not be joining his brother in the army - he was bound for the pits (coal mines). Because of the labour shortage in 1943, 1 man in 10 (drawn by lot each week, according to the final digit of their number) was conscripted to make up the manpower needs of the coal mining industry, and Purdon was one of the first contingent designated for the mines on 14 December 1943, becoming a so-called "Bevin Boy". Ernest Bevin was the Minister of Labour and National Service in the wartime coalition cabinet.
Purdon married, stayed in Chester-le-Street after the war and worked in the pits digging coal in three foot seams with water up to his knees at times. He saw and shared the hardship of the miners; many of his songs reflect the sense of community that an embattled people develop. But it was not all doom and gloom. While "The Easington Explosion" laments the deaths of eighty one miners in one accident, "Hally's Piebald Galloway" laments the loss of the Lumley pit banner, eaten by a Galloway pony; ponies were used to haul coal carts underground.
Mining and politics are inseparable, and Purdon's verses captured his contempt for those who put profit before people. He coined the word "Pitracide", meaning "to murder a pit for economic reasons". His commitment to his ideals and the mining community saw him performing his songs for the benefit of striking miners in the 1984-85 miners' strike and appearing at the Royal Albert Hall in the "Concert for Heroes" in 1986. He is reported to have said, "For me there's three great generals - Geronimo, Alexander the Great and Arthur Scargill".
Purdon was featured on the Channel 4 "Everyman" TV series; six of his songs appear in Bert Lloyd's definitive collection of pit poems and songs, "Come All Ye Bold Miners" and he published a radical album of poems and songs entitled "Pitworks, Politics & Poetry". In 2004 the Cotia banner (subject of one of Purdon's songs) was remade and carried to the Durham Miners' Gala with pictures of Purdon and fellow miner and folksinger Jack Elliot of Birtley on the back. The banner was unfurled by Tony Benn, who was an admirer of Purdon's poetry and songs.


Valea Vinului mine

The Valea Vinului mine is a large mine in the northwest of Romania in Rodna, Bistriţa-Năsăud County. Valea Vinului represents one of the largest lead and zinc reserve in Romania having estimated reserves of 5.25 million tonnes of ore grading 0.79% lead and 2.48% zinc thus resulting in 0.04 million tonnes of lead and 0.13 million tonnes of zinc.


David Watts Morgan

David Watts Morgan, (18 December 1867 – 23 February 1933), who later in life hyphenated his name to Watts-Morgan, was a Welsh trade unionist, a Labour politician, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1918 to 1933.
Described as "[straddling] the transition in south Wales miners' politics from Lib-Labism to socialism, but ... never fully representative of either", Morgan encouraged Rhondda miners to enlist in the army in 1914 following the outbreak of the First World War, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his efforts. He initially served in the Welsh Regiment, before becoming a lieutenant-colonel in the Labour Corps. Morgan was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for bravery at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, earning him the nickname "Dai Alphabet" in South Wales.
Early life.
David Watts Morgan was born in Skewen, Wales, in 1867 to Thomas and Margaret Morgan. He was educated at Skewen Elementary School until the age of eleven, when he began work as a pit boy, helping miners with the less strenuous work such as manning ventilation doors. At the age of seventeen he was employed as a coal miner in Ynyshir in the Rhondda. In 1880 Watts Morgan became a checkweighman at the newly opened National Colliery in Wattstown, a responsible position that involved tallying the weight of coal extracted by each miner when it reached the surface. During his time at Wattstown he took evening classes to become a mining engineer. He never practised once qualified, but the knowledge he gained was useful to him in his role as the leader of several mine rescues, and gave him a practical knowledge that informed his later political life.
Trade unionism.
From checkweighter Watts Morgan rose to the position of district miners' agent in 1898, becoming a member of the Rhondda Labour and Liberal Association (RLLA). Watts Morgan followed in the political Liberalism of William "Mabon" Abraham, and began speaking at RLLA meetings and banquets. In 1899 the Porth and Cymmer seat for the Glamorgan County Council (GCC) fell vacant, and Watts Morgan was seen as a viable candidate from both Liberal and Labour standpoints, but was surprisingly defeated at the by-election by local timber merchant David Jenkins. The next year Jenkins declined to stand for re-election, but the miners' district committee refused Watts Morgan time off from his agent's duties and the seat was won uncontested by colleague James Baker.
In 1902, James Baker died at the age of 41, leaving an opening in the GCC. On this occasion Watts Morgan was permitted to advance as a Labour candidate and was returned unopposed. By 1903 he was being talked of as a possible candidate for a south Wales parliamentary constituency. He joined the South Wales Miners' Federation at its inception and by 1902 he was pushing for a greater political role for the organisation. By 1908 the Federation was making great headway in the Rhondda and was substantially improving conditions for the miners. At this time Watts Morgan was Agent and District Secretary at No.1 Rhondda District under William Abraham.
A moderate leader, he worked fruitlessly alongside William Abraham to resolve the 1910–11 Cambrian Combine dispute, after the two men were shunned by the more radical miners' leaders. Although espousing Gladstonian Liberalism and opposing the affiliation of The Miners' Federation of Great Britain to the Labour Party, Watts Morgan joined the more radical and Marxist Plebs' League and sat on the board of governors for the Central Labour College.
Military service.
On 4 August 1914, Watts Morgan enlisted as a private in the 10th Battalion (1st Rhondda) of the Welsh Regiment, one of the service battalions formed as part of Kitchener's Army. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 17th Battalion (1st Glamorgan) on 7 October, and was promoted to captain on 16 January 1916. Watts Morgan was not initially sent to France, being used instead as a strong voice in the recruitment of men from the Rhondda into the British Army. He also took part in recruitment campaigns in North Wales, where his fluency in the Welsh language was invaluable. Watts Morgan regularly made known his opposition to "peace cranks" who were "insulting the boys of whom we are all so proud." In March 1915, a committee of Rhondda figures presented Morgan with a cheque for 100 guineas to mark his contribution to recruiting, and the "Western Mail" named him "The Organiser of Victory".
On 15 May 1916 Watts Morgan transferred to a Works Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, he was promoted to major on 24 November 1916, and went to serve in France. The Works Battalions were absorbed by the Labour Corps (forerunner of the Royal Pioneer Corps) in 1917. Watts Morgan was three times Mentioned in Despatches, and on 4 May 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leading his pioneer unit in a counter-attack against German forces that were breaking through British lines. The citation for this award was published on 5 July 1918 and read:
After the armistice he commanded a demobilisation station; for his work there he received a letter of thanks from the king. Despite the "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" reporting Watts Morgan being promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 8 March 1919, his retirement from the forces, the "London Gazette" entry of May 1919 describes him as major. Until early June 1921 he is described in "The Times" and "London Gazette" as Major D. Watts Morgan, later in the month this changed to Lieutenant-Colonel Watts Morgan. On 30 March 1920 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "services in connection with recruiting in South Wales".
Member of Parliament.
In February 1918, Watts Morgan was selected as the Labour candidate for the newly formed Rhondda East constituency. As one of the "patriotic" miners' leaders, the Lloyd George coalition did not run a candidate against him, therefore Watts Morgan was elected to the seat unopposed. There was evidence that some wished to run a Liberal candidate against Watts Morgan, but nothing came of it. Watts Morgan made his maiden speech in the House of Commons in April 1919, on one of his special interests, housing. He addressed the House on the state and shortage of housing in the Welsh coalfields as "the chief cause of the industrial unrest. People have been herded together, and that is the reason why there is much unrest in our district at present".
Not a regular speaker in the House, Watts Morgan busied himself with work on various committees, dealing mainly with gas, electricity, river pollution, the Home Office and the Police Council. Despite his work on private bills and his friendly relationship with Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald he was never considered for office. In the 1922 election, Watts Morgan was forced to contest his seat for the first time when he was challenged by Frederick William Heale. Watts Morgan made it clear that he would defend the interests of ex-servicemen and those injured in industry; he opposed the temperance demand for the local veto. It was a close result for a Rhondda election; Heale lost by just over 3,000 votes. The 1923 election was a different affair, with Watts Morgan defeating Conservative candidate Alfred John Orchard by nearly 13,000 votes.
Watts Morgan was a socialist and trade unionist, but he was also a strong anti-communist and opposed "the local men of Moscow", trade unionists who had embraced communism and whom he saw as extremists. In the 1929 election his main rival was well-known local Liberal Dr. R. D. Chalke, but the biggest interest came from the first communist challenger in the Rhondda, Arthur Horner. Although Watts Morgan had been unwell for the first few months of the year, he roused himself to attend the Ferndale May Day demonstration. When he discovered he was sharing the platform with Communist Party of Great Britain members, Horner, A. J. Cook and Dai Lloyd Davies, he left the stage and joined the crowd so he could heckle Horner's speech from the floor. Watts Morgan described Horner as "the emissary of the blood-stained Comintern of Russia ... working to break down the democratic Government and Trades Union organization of this country." He had little cause for concern, and was re-elected to Rhondda East by a majority of almost 9,000. A smaller turnout in the 1931 election and the absence of a Liberal candidate may have led to Horner making a considerable advance against Watts Morgan in the number of votes polled, but Watts Morgans' majority remained substantial. Watts Morgan's death in 1933 forced a by-election, which was won by William Mainwaring.
Personal life.
Watts Morgan was married twice, first to Elizabeth Williams then to Blanche Amy Morgan. Blanche was herself a strong campaigner for miners' rights, and was among a group of agents' wives who promoted the provision of pithead baths, bathing areas for the miners at the surface. She was outspoken in her views, and once supported a political rival of her husband's party, forcing Watts Morgan to make a public apology.
Watts Morgan was a keen sportsman and enjoyed playing golf and bowls. He was a member of several organisations including the Freemasons', Ivorites' and Foresters' friendly societies and was president of the Rhondda and Pontypridd district of the British Legion. A Calvinist Methodist his local place of worship was Bethlehem Church in Porth.
Watts Morgan died at his home in Porth on 23 February 1933 while still in office. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters. Thousands of people lined the route along which his funeral cortege passed on its way to his burial at Llethr Du cemetery in Trealaw. Local shops and businesses closed as a mark of respect.


Husab Mine

The Husab Mine, also known as the Husab Uranium Project, is a uranium mine near the town of Swakopmund in the Erongo region of western-central Namibia. The mine is located approximately from Walvis Bay. The Husab Mine is expected to be the second largest uranium mine in the world after the McArthur River uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada and the largest open-pit mine on the African continent. Mine construction started in 2014. The Husab Mine started production towards the end of 2016 after completion of the sulfuric acid leaching plant.
On 1 December 2011, the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy granted license to Swakop Uranium to develop the mine.
The Husab Mine uranium is granite hosted. The mine has the potential to produce 15 million pounds (6800 tonnes) of uranium oxide per annum.
The Husab mine contains approximately 280 million tonnes of uranium ore. Mining is expected to last nearly 20 years.
Geology.
Uranium mineralisation is hosted primarily within sheeted leucogranites that intruse the rocks at various stages during the Damara Orogeny. Formation of the uranium magmatic ore body is stratigraphically controlled with the Khan-Rossing boundary acting as a redox front. The abundance of iron oxides and sulfides provide reducing conditions for uranium to be oxidised and precipitate in the form of uraninite which is the primary ore mineral that is mined at Husab.
Swakop Uranium.
Swakop Uranium is an entity established in 2006 by Extract Resources, an Australian company listed on the Australian, Canadian, and Namibian stock exchanges, to explore, evaluate, develop, and produce uranium oxide. In April 2012, Swakop Uranium was acquired by Taurus Minerals Limited of Hong Kong. Swakop Uranium head office is located in Swakopmund. Taurus is a subsidiary of the China General Nuclear Power Company (CGNPC), Uranium Resources Co. Ltd. and the China-Africa Development Fund. Taurus owns ninety percent of Swakop Uranium. The remaining 10% is owned by Epangelo Mining Company, the Namibian state-owned mining company. CGNPC's investment in Swakop Uranium is one of the biggest investments in Namibia since its independence, and by far the single biggest investment by China in Africa. More than US$100-million (in excess of N$1-billion) was spent to reach the construction phase. A further amount of approximately US$2-billion (more than N$20-billion) was spent to bring the mine online.
Environment.
Flora and fauna.
Swakop Uranium has an environmental management plan committed to caring for all species of fauna and flora found near, or within, its exploration and mining areas. Welwitschia mirabilis, an ancient plant, grows in areas around the mine. Carbon dating shows that medium-sized plants can be as old as 1,000 years.
Water.
The Husab Project is challenged to ensure that limited nearby water resources are not adversely affected by mining operations. The Namib Desert is a hyper-arid desert with an average rainfall of between 0–50 mm at Swakopmund and Gobabeb. Long-term records from the Rössing Uranium Mine, situated 5 km north of the Husab mine, show an annual average rainfall of between 30–35 mm per annum.
A hydrogeology report commissioned by Swakop Uranium concluded that the mining activities will have an effect on water levels. Although there are no farmers or settlements in the area, Swakop Uranium has drilled a number of groundwater monitoring holes around the pit, the waste rock dump, the tailings storage facility, the Welwitschia fields as well as the Khan and Swakop Rivers to measure the effect of mining activities in the area. All the boreholes have their water levels measured monthly and strategic boreholes are sampled every three months for water quality.
Air quality.
In order to reduce the dust produced by mining operations to acceptable levels, the Husab mine will employ a number of dust suppression methods such as using water, extraction fans, chemicals, and other suppressants. A dust suppressant will be used on the pit, dump haul roads and other gravel site roads. The use of alternative suppression techniques has the potential to save up to 90% of the water that would otherwise have been required to achieve the same level of control.
Community.
Swakop Uranium plans to engage in local procurement and recruitment where possible. The company grants bursaries for promising Namibian university students on an annual basis and has funded the construction of a new school. The company has also established a trust, called the Swakop Uranium Foundation Trust that will focus on training and education, the environment, infrastructure, health, and entrepreneurial development. The trust has donated N$100,000 to the Namibian government's Drought Relief fund.
Safety.
Swakop Uranium has instituted a radiation management plan. This plan has been submitted to the National Radiation Protection Authority and is regularly audited to ensure compliance.
Ida Dome.
Ida Dome is another deposit located in the western part of Namibia in Erongo Region. The Husab uranium project includes the Ida Dome 20 km south, with 9600 tU inferred resource at 0.02% (contiguous with Reptile's Ongalo).Ida Dome has estimated reserves of 53 million tonnes of ore grading 0.018% uranium.


Djebel Onk mine

The Djebel Onk mine is a large mine located in the Tébessa Province. Djebel Onk represents one of the largest phosphates reserve in Algeria having estimated reserves of 2.8 billion tonnes of ore grading 24% P2O5.


Goa Carbon Limited

Goa Carbon Limited is an Indian petrochemical company and is engaged in the manufacture and sale of Calcined Petroleum Coke. It is a public company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange and is the second largest producer of Calcined Petroleum Coke in India. Other specialty consumer segments include titanium dioxide and other chemicals. The company's calcination plant is located approximately 40 kilometers from the Mormugoa Port. It was incorporated and established on 22 June 1967. It has manufacturing facilities in Goa, Paradip and Bilaspur. Total capacity is 240,000 MT per annum.
Achievements.
Goa Carbon's plant is ISO 9001:2008 certified by Bureau Veritas. It is also 14001:2004 certified.


Jiajika mine

The Jiajika mine is one of the largest lithium mines in China. The mine is located in Tagong township, Sichuan province, central China.
The Jiajika mine has reserves amounting to 80.5 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 1.28% lithium thus resulting 1.03 million tonnes of lithium.
Environmental issues.
The Jiajika mine has polluted the environment. It has killed fish in Liqi River and killed yaks in the nearby grassland. The contaminated water also killed people.


Annathill

Annathill () is a small village located near Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, although closer to Glenboig. The name "Annathill" is thought to be derived from a patron saint's church. Annathill is on the banks of the Mollins Burn, a tributary of the Luggie Water.
History.
Annathill was primarily famous for coal, as it was home to Bedlay Colliery. The majority of miners from Bedlay Colliery came from Annathill and there were three "Miners' Rows" of houses along with various shops, a butchers and a pub which were all built around the same time Bedlay Colliery was sunk in 1905. On December 11, 1981, Bedlay Colliery was closed by the then Conservative government and was left abandoned until 1982 when it was filled in (or "capped") and the complex demolished. Post-closure, in the 1990s, the land on which Bedlay Colliery sat on (owned by the National Coal Board) underwent an operation to restore the ground to what it looked like before the colliery was sunk. This operation is still underway.
Population (1991 Census).
According to the 1991 Census, Annathill had a population of 237.


Pendlebury Colliery

Pendlebury Colliery, usually called Wheatsheaf Colliery after the adjacent public house, was a coal mine operating on the Manchester Coalfield after 1846 in Pendlebury near Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England.
The colliery, sunk in 1846, was owned by Andrew Knowles and Sons and had two ten foot diameter shafts 24 yards apart.>
The colliery originally had pitch pine timber headgear and a winding engine supplied by John Musgrave & Sons of Bolton that operated until 1944.
The colliery was ventilated by furnace until the 20th century when ventilation fans were installed. Wrought iron boilers to raise steam for powering pumps, air compressors and haulage were originally sited near the bottom of No.2 shaft, the upcast shaft. The shaft bottom was reached at 1,775 feet. The colliery accessed several coal seams including the Rams, Crumbouke and Doe mines.
In 1896 the colliery employed 640 men underground and 165 surface workers while in 1923 there were 563 underground and 172 surface workers.
The colliery became part of Manchester Collieries in 1929 and the National Coal Board in 1947. The colliery was connected by tunnel to Newtown Colliery in 1957 but closed in June 1961.
The colliery was situated on the north-east side of Bolton Road (A666), Pendlebury between Carrington Street and City Walk on what is now the Wheatsheaf Industrial Estate.
References.
Notes
Bibliography


Nant Gwrtheyrn

Nant Gwrtheyrn is a Welsh Language and Heritage Centre, located near the village of Llithfaen on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, in northwest Wales.
It is sometimes referred to as 'the Nant' and is named after the valley where it was located, Nant Gwrtheyrn ("Vortigern's Creek"), which lies in isolation by the sea at the foot of Yr Eifl. The centre is built within the structures of the former quarrying village Porth y Nant, which was abandoned midway through World War II after the cessation of quarrying.
History.
The quarry named Nant Gwrtheyrn opened in 1861, and was serviced by a village called Porth y Nant, on the site of the current language centre. Nant Gwrtheyrn produced setts used for road surfacing. The community lived an isolated existence, with product shipped and goods shipped out mainly via the Irish Sea, resulting limited contact with the outside world.
The quarry closed early in World War II, partly due to a drop in demand and also to transport difficulties. The hillsides of the Nant, through their landscape scars and the ruins of quarry structures, testify to this former existence.
After the quarry was closed, the community dispersed and the cottages fell into disrepair. Occupied by hippies for a time during the 1960s, the site was the subject of several plans for redevelopment, including as an approved school, when it was acquired by a local trust set up to establish a Welsh language centre there.
There followed a £5 million redevelopment, including £3.8 million of European and Welsh government grants, to create a new Welsh language centre, including a heritage centre, conference facilities and 4-star accommodation. It was officially opened by Wales' First Minister, Carwyn Jones, in March 2011.
The BBC Radio 4 programme "Any Questions?" was broadcast from Nant Gwrtheyrn on 15 February 2019. It included a question asked in Welsh.
Language centre.
The centre specialises in courses for adults who want to learn Welsh as an additional language. Courses are held throughout the year at a variety of levels from absolute beginner up to Higher and Proficiency levels, with learners' weekends and other activities to strengthen understanding. Course participants usually are offered one or two cultural experiences as well as formal teaching. Accommodation for students is available in the village, which consists of two terraces of former workmen's cottages, Trem y Mor (Sea View) and Trem y Mynydd (Mountain View).
The centre is used in addition for weddings and conferences, and as a residential site for Writing students at Liverpool John Moores University. The countryside surrounding Nant Gwrtheyrn is known for its outstanding natural beauty, and frequented for this by writers and photographers.
Landscape.
The nearby beach can be seen from the village and it is accessible via an unpaved path. The views take in Porth Dinllaen and on a clear day South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey can be seen.
Access and transport.
The remote character of the centre means that it is difficult to access. The original road down into the village was very steep and full of sharp bends, and was unsuitable for nervous or inexperienced drivers, or for bad weather conditions. It was for this reason used as a "corkscrew" testing ground by many international motor firms. British Pathé characterised driving up the road as "Climbing the Unclimbable" and filmed a car successfully ascending it. The road has now been improved, and has passing places.
The nearest bus stop is in the nearby village of Llithfaen, and the nearest rail stations are in Pwllheli and Bangor. Walking to the centre from the top of the valley is also possible, but the walk down can take over forty minutes, while the strenuous walk up can take over an hour.


Felix Pedro

Felice Pedroni (April 16, 1858 – July 22, 1910), known best to Americans by his Hispanicized alias Felix Pedro, was an Italian immigrant whose discovery of gold in Interior Alaska marked the beginning of the 1902 Fairbanks Gold Rush.
Early life.
Pedro was born April 16, 1858 to a family of subsistence farmers in the small village of Trignano administrated by Fanano. This village is in the Apennine Mountains into the Province of Modena. He was the youngest of six brothers. Pedroni fled home in 1881 following the death of his father. He arrived in New York City and quickly assumed the name Felix Pedro.
He traveled to New York City, Ohio, Washington, British Columbia, and the Yukon, working in each place until he earned enough to travel again. Once in Alaska, Pedro panned for gold in the Fortymile, the Piledriver Slough near present-day Salcha, and various other waterways, including the "Lost Creek" in which Pedro and his partner Tom Gilmore claimed to have found a sizable amount of gold in 1898, but were forced to abandon due to food shortage. Despite marking the spot and searching the next three years for it they were unable to find it again.
Gold.
On August 26, 1901, prospector E. T. Barnette and Captain Charles W. Adams ran the steamer "Lavelle Young" aground up the Chena River which they mistakenly believed to be a distributary which would allow them to detour upstream from the unnavigable Bates Rapids to their intended destination in Tanacross. In accordance with their agreement, Barnette, his wife Isabelle, five hired hands, and 130 tons of supplies were unloaded onto the riverbank. The crew quickly built two log cabins and a series of tents, establishing a trading post named Chena City.
Adams returned downstream, and Barnette had his first visitors only hours later. Pedro and Gilmore, still in search of the Lost Creek, were perched on a nearby slope and had seen the plumes of smoke from the departing steam-boat. They stumbled into the camp, bought supplies, and headed northward into the hills. At the request of James Wickersham the camp was renamed Fairbanks, after Senator Charles W. Fairbanks (R-Indiana), in March 1902.
Felix Pedro discovered gold in the Tanana Hills northeast of Fairbanks on or about July 22, 1902 in a small unnamed stream (now known as "Pedro Creek") northeast of Fairbanks, prompting him to exclaim "There's gold in them there hills", and triggering a full-scale gold rush.
Business was booming for Barnette, but he wanted more. He sent letters to Dawson City, which arrived in the dead of winter and were published in the "Dawson Daily News" January 3, 1903. This triggered an influx of over 1,000 more prospectors in temperatures. Fairbanks continued to grow, and by 1908 it was the largest city in Alaska.
Death.
Felix Pedro died July 22, 1910 at age 52 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Fairbanks, reportedly of a heart attack. However, this was disputed by his business partner Vincenzo Gambiani who denied that Pedro was suffering any heart problems, and suspected Pedro's widow Mary Doran of foul play. Years later on his own death bed, Gambiani was asked once again about the death of Pedro. Unable to speak, he wrote only two words ("wife-poison").
Pedro's body was embalmed and shipped to San Francisco and buried in nearby Colma. On October 12, 1972 Pedro's body was found, exhumed, and moved by Cortelloni Amato to Italy where an autopsy was performed, and the hair samples reportedly supported the conclusion that Pedroni was murdered. His remains were buried again in a small cemetery in Fanano.
Legacy.
In 1947 a Felix Pedro monument was erected at mile 16.1 of the Steese Highway near Pedro Creek. His original claim site, where the marker is located, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Alaskaland park in mid-town Fairbanks was opened in 1967 to commemorate 100th anniversary of the Alaska purchase. However, on July 22, 2002, the presumed 100th anniversary of Pedro's gold discovery (noted in Alaska as "Felix Pedro Day"), the Alaskaland park was officially renamed Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park's annual "Golden Days" festival at Pioneer Park includes a Felix Pedro look-alike contest.
Also on this date, Fairbanks and Fanano became sister cities.


Reptile project

The Reptile project is an exploratory development of uranium deposits in the Erongo Region of western of Namibia run by Deep Yellow Limited. It includes prospecting areas known as Tubas-Tumas and Tubas Red Sand. Tubas-Tumas has estimated reserves of 22.7 million tonnes of ore grading 0.03% uranium. Tubas Red Sand has estimated reserves of 90.8 million tonnes of ore grading 0.012% uranium.


Central Mine Historic District

The Central Mine Historic District is a historic district located off US 41 in Upper Michigan. The mine itself was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958, while the surrounding district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Description.
The Central Mine Historic District covers the remains of the nearly abandoned mining town of Central. The district includes around 20 frame structures from an original 130, as well as scattered ruins. Most remaining structures are frame, two-story company houses on stone foundations. These houses all have gable roofs, porches, and lean-to additions. The district also contains the well-maintained Central Mine Methodist Church, which is in nearly original condition.
History.
In 1854, John Shawson, an agent of the Cliff Mine, discovered native copper in the bottom of an ancient pit (apparently dug by Native Americans) several miles from Cliff Mine. The Central Mining Company was organized in 1854 for the purpose of mining copper in the Keweenaw. Mining began in 1856, and the mine's lode proved so rich that Central became was able to turn a profit in its first year of operation. Between 1856 and between then and the end of the 19th century the company built over 130 structures for the mine and the community of workers. At the peak of production in 1868, the town of Central was home to over 130 people, primarily immigrants from Cornwall, England. The mining industry eventually contracted, and by 1887 the Central Mine was the only fully operational mine in Keweenaw County. In 1898 the mine ceased operation, and residents began leaving the town. The last permanent resident left in 1952, although some structures in the area are still used as summer cottages.
Central Mine and Village.
The Keweenaw County Historical Society owns 38 acres of the old Central site and operates the Central Mine Visitor's Center which features exhibits about the mine and village. Some of the residences can be visited or are being restored.


Silver Glen

The Silver Glen lies approximately to the east of the town of Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, and takes its name from the silver that was mined there in the early 18th century. The deposit, the richest deposit of native silver ever found in the British Isles, was discovered just as the Jacobite rising of 1715 was breaking out, and its owner, Sir John Erskine, left to join the rebels, leaving his wife in charge of the mine. Some 40 tons of ore were raised and buried in barrels in the grounds of Alva House at the foot of the Ochil Hills, about 10 kilometers east of Stirling, whilst the richest of the ore was smelted and the ingots concealed under floorboards inside the house. The mine was then filled in during the aftermath of the failed rising, but its existence was revealed to the government by an employee of the Erskines. Samples of the ore were analysed by Sir Isaac Newton and found to be very rich. Sir John was later able to secure a pardon for his role in the rising, on condition he revealed all he knew about the mine, and gave a tenth of the proceeds to the government. Mining resumed a few years later and the remainder of the deposit was extracted. Later, in 1759, a vein carrying erythrite, an ore of cobalt, was found and gave a new lease of life to the mines, but it was soon exhausted.
Many of the old mineworkings can still be seen, but the new landowners, The Woodland Trust, have installed locked gates on the more extensive workings, as there are unprotected shafts within.
There is not much trace of silver to be found now, as the dumps have been well worked over by mineral collectors. Some fine examples of crystallized dendritic silver were found in the 1980s.
There are other mine workings at Carnaughton Glen, on the west side of Alva (just above the golf course), which are often confused with the Silver Glen. These are barren trials from the 1770s. Again, there is at least one shaft, this time water-filled, so casual exploration by the inexperienced is not advised.


Kiruna mine

The Kiruna mine is the largest and most modern underground iron ore mine in the world. The mine is located in Kiruna in Norrbotten County, Lapland, Sweden. The mine is owned by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), a large Swedish mining company. In 2018 the mine produced 26.9 million tonnes of iron ore. The Kiruna mine has an ore body which is long, to thick and reaching a depth of up to . Since mining began at the site in 1898, the mine has produced over 950 million tonnes of ore.
In 2004, it was decided that the present centre of the city would need to be relocated to accommodate mining-related subsidence. The relocation would be made gradually over decades.
On May 18, 2020 an earthquake of approximate 4.9 Mw was triggered in the footwall of the mine. The earthquake was not natural but induced by the mining activity.
Geology.
The ore.
The ore is predominately magnetite and disseminated interstitial apatite, with an average of 0.9 % phosphorus. The ore body has the form a large sheet inclined about 60° to the east. In many places the ore transition to apparently disorganised ore veins in the country rock. Apatite is by far the main gangue mineral while other gangue minerals are tremolite-actinolite and calcite. Apatite is at places evenly distributed in the magnetite ore, but occurs also as veins and bands. Diopside and biotite are also gangue minerals that are common but occur only in vary small amounts. For reasons related to ore processing the ore is in Kiruna Mine is divided into two quality types based on chemistry, phosphorus-poor B-ore and phosphorus-rich D-ore, the latter being more common closer to the surface.
Footwall.
The waste rock at the footwall of the ore is syenite porphyry. At places this syenite porphyry has nodules variously filled with actinolite, apatite, titanite and magnetite. At some locations next to the ore what is thought to be beds of metatuff has been found, these beds vary in thickness with the thickest ones being up to thick.
In some rare cases nodules are filled with zircon. To the west the syenite porphyry borders the Kurravaara conglomerate which underlies it stratigraphically.
Regional geology.
The ore deposit at Kiruna is part of larger province of iron ore province stretching wes-east from Kiruna to the Finnish border. This province include thus also the ores at Svappavaara and Pajala. Malmberget is a large notable southward outlier of this province. The largest ore bodies in the province are of iron oxide-apatite type yet skarn iron deposits exists at Masugnsbyn and Hindersön. The iron ores that lie closest to the Kiirunavaara are Loussavaara, Henry, Nakutus, Rektorn and Lappmannen.
Origin.
The origin of the Kiruna ore has been the matter of a protracted scientific debate, with the main point of contention being whether the ore is solidified magma or not.
The Kiruna mineral deposit was formed following intense volcanic activity. One theory holds that the ores are the result of magmatic differentiation. Iron-rich solutions precipitated the iron on to a syenite porphyry footwall. Then the ore bed was covered by further volcanic deposits, quartz porphyry, and sedimentary rocks. Later the whole body was tilted to its current dip of 50 to 60°.
In the 1973 Tibor Parák pointed out a series of problems with the magmatic origin theory and proposed instead that the ore originated as a sediment in a volcanic environment.
History.
In 1902 the Kiruna Narvik Railway was completed, allowing the shipment of ore through the ice-free port of Narvik.
In the beginning, surface mining was used, but the mine has been mined with the sublevel caving mining method since the 1960s. In 1985 reserves for the Kiruna Mine were 1,800 million tonnes grading 60–65% iron and 0.2% phosphorus. As of 2018 the Kiruna Mine had Proven and Probable Reserves of 683 million tonnes grading 43.8% iron.
Until 1999 the deepest level of the mine reached , but after 1999 mining went deeper, reaching a depth of . The level could support iron ore production until 2018. On October 28, 2008 LKAB decided to go even deeper, with the mine reaching a depth of by 2012 at a cost of US$1.7 billion.
Moving the town.
The re-development of Kiruna is a reconstruction project, as the Kirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, undermines the current town centre. The town centre is to be moved to the east. 21 of the most important buildings are to be moved.
In 2004, it was decided that the city centre would need to be relocated to accommodate mining-related subsidence. The relocation would be made gradually over the coming decade. In January 2007 a new location was proposed, to the northwest at the foot of Luossavaara mountain, by Lake Luossajärvi.
The first physical work moving the town commenced in November 2007, when work on the new main sewerage pipe started.
In the same week, first sketches for the layout of the new part of the town became available. The sketches include a travel centre, the new locations for the city hall and the church, an artificial lake and an extension of the Luossavaara hill into the city. The location of the new section of the E10 is still uncertain, as is the location of the railway and the railway station. A more official sketch was published early in the spring of 2008, which was then discussed with various interest groups before a further version was to be produced.
In June 2010 the city council decided that the town would be moved eastwards (to ), in the direction of Tuolluvaara, instead of the proposed northwestern location. The town move was started in 2014 in a process that will continue to 2040, with the centre-most part of the town re-established by 2022. White Arkitekter AB based in Stockholm and Ghilardi + Hellsten Arkitekter based in Oslo together with researchers from Luleå and Delft Universities won the contract to design the new city, which envisages a denser city centre with a greater focus on sustainability, green and blue infrastructure, pedestrians and public transport rather than automobiles.


Vincent Saint John

Vincent Saint John (1876–1929) was an American labor leader and prominent Wobbly, among the most influential radical labor leaders of the 20th century.
Biography.
Vincent St. John was born in Newport, Kentucky and was the only son of New York City native Silas St. John and Irish immigrant Marian "Mary" Cecilia Magee. He had a sister two years younger named Helen.
The family moved frequently, Silas going wherever he could to find employment as a clerk or bookkeeper. St. John worked as a miner from the age of seventeen, moving to Telluride, Colorado in 1897. In 1900 St. John became president of the Western Federation of Miners' Union Local 63 at Telluride. He led the 1901 strike in that mining camp to a successful conclusion, gaining a standard minimum wage for the miners.
He was shadowed by Pinkertons hired by the Mine Operators' Association, stalked by gunmen, had a price on his head, was arrested and charged with crimes he never committed, and was condemned by the anti-labor press as a "murderer."
Bulkeley Wells, a Telluride mining company president and manager who was "born to privilege... [and was] convinced laborers were beneath him," was intent upon hanging St. John. Wells conspired with others, including Pinkerton manager James McParland, to accuse the head of the WFM local of conducting a "reign of terror" — and in particular, of murdering William J. Barney, a mine guard who had left his post. There was one significant complicating factor: Barney was not dead, but had merely failed to notify anyone that he had left.
On 5 November 1907 St. John was shot in Goldfield, Nevada by a conservative member of the Western Federation of Miners. The two bullets in his right wrist shattered the bone, crippling his hand. St. John was an organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World and in 1908–1914 he led that union as the General Secretary. In January 1915 he retired to a small copper claim in New Mexico, but was later arrested for a May 1918 mass trial as the federal government brought sweeping indictments against 101 IWW members. St. John was not a member at that time, but the blanket indictments of hundreds of Wobblies brought blanket convictions, and St. John was sentenced to federal prison at Leavenworth. He was freed by President Warren G. Harding in 1923.
Vincent St. John died in San Francisco in June 1929 following a protracted illness. He is buried in Oakland, California.