Pyne Mine
Encyclopedia
The Pyne Mine was a vertical shaft
iron ore mine
operated by the Woodward Iron Company
and located near the Lacey's Chapel community outside Bessemer
, Alabama
in Shades Valley. It was, along with Woodward's Songo Mine, one of only two shaft mines dug in the Birmingham District
, and the last ore mine to operate in the region, closing in 1971.
's Muscoda mines. The slope mines
built near the ridge of Red Mountain were depleting the most accessible parts of the Clinton formation ore seams. Pyne was built over a "down dip" in the seam, beyond the lower extent of the Muscoda tunnels.
Operations ceased after only a few years of production due to the post-war drop in demand. The shaft was left to flood and the surface works closed down. With the renewed demands of World War II
the mine was reopened in 1942.
was erected over the shaft to operate two hoists
, one for ore skips and another for men and materials, riding in double-decker cages. The hoist cables were fed from massive cable-drum winch
es located inside two red brick hoist houses situation directly behind the headframe. Nearby was an ore-crushing and screening plant and a plant for pressing the crushed ore into briquettes (built in the 1950s, now demolished). The miners' bath house, designed to accommodate a work force of 500, contained a rack system so that clothes buckets could be suspended out of reach near the ceiling. Other surface works on the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) site included an electrical substation, a lamp house, a compressor house, a machine shop, tool shed, boiler house, pay house and office.
for delivery to area iron and steel furnaces
, but later was trucked to Woodward No. 3 Mine for loading. When the mine reached a thrust fault
which would have required enormous efforts to overcome, the decision was made to cease operations. The pumps which kept the shaft from flooding were idled and the shaft itself was capped off.
, made by crushing mine tailings
from the site.
Shaft mining
Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom....
iron ore mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operated by the Woodward Iron Company
Woodward Iron Company
The Woodward Iron Company was founded on December 31, 1881, by two brothers, William & Joseph Woodward. William was the company president and Joseph was the company secretary. The company operated mines, quarries and furnaces that were connected by a private industrial railroad in Bessemer,...
and located near the Lacey's Chapel community outside Bessemer
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
in Shades Valley. It was, along with Woodward's Songo Mine, one of only two shaft mines dug in the Birmingham District
Birmingham District
The Birmingham District is a geological area in the vicinity of Birmingham, Alabama where the raw materials for making steel, limestone, iron ore, and coal are found together in abundance...
, and the last ore mine to operate in the region, closing in 1971.
Operation
Drilling began for the mine's 1280 feet (390.1 m), concrete-lined vertical shaft in 1918 a few miles south of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad CompanyTennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company
The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company , also known as TCI and the Tennessee Company, was a major American steel manufacturer with interests in coal and iron ore mining and railroad operations. Originally based entirely within Tennessee, it relocated most of its business to Alabama in the...
's Muscoda mines. The slope mines
Slope mining
Slope mining is a method of accessing valuable geological material, such as coal. A sloping access shaft travels downwards towards the coal seam. Slope mines differ from shaft and drift mines, which access resources by tunneling straight down or horizontally, respectively.In slope mining, an angled...
built near the ridge of Red Mountain were depleting the most accessible parts of the Clinton formation ore seams. Pyne was built over a "down dip" in the seam, beyond the lower extent of the Muscoda tunnels.
Operations ceased after only a few years of production due to the post-war drop in demand. The shaft was left to flood and the surface works closed down. With the renewed demands of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the mine was reopened in 1942.
Equipment
A 163 feet (49.7 m) tall headframeHeadframe
A headframe is the structural frame above an underground mine shaft. Modern headframes are built out of steel, concrete or a combination of both...
was erected over the shaft to operate two hoists
Hoist (mining)
In underground mining a hoist or winder is used to raise and lower conveyances within the mine shaft. Modern hoists are normally powered using electric motors, historically with direct current drives utilizing solid-state converters , however modern large hoists utilize alternating current drives...
, one for ore skips and another for men and materials, riding in double-decker cages. The hoist cables were fed from massive cable-drum winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
es located inside two red brick hoist houses situation directly behind the headframe. Nearby was an ore-crushing and screening plant and a plant for pressing the crushed ore into briquettes (built in the 1950s, now demolished). The miners' bath house, designed to accommodate a work force of 500, contained a rack system so that clothes buckets could be suspended out of reach near the ceiling. Other surface works on the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) site included an electrical substation, a lamp house, a compressor house, a machine shop, tool shed, boiler house, pay house and office.
Production
Despite emerging sources for imported ore, Pyne was one of the most productive ore mines in the Birmingham District, removing as much as 1 million tons of ore per year. Innovative mining methods, custom-designed equipment and an efficient surface layout kept the facility competitive. The ore was originally loaded onto trains on the Atlantic Coast Line RailroadAtlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
for delivery to area iron and steel furnaces
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
, but later was trucked to Woodward No. 3 Mine for loading. When the mine reached a thrust fault
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
which would have required enormous efforts to overcome, the decision was made to cease operations. The pumps which kept the shaft from flooding were idled and the shaft itself was capped off.
Road aggregate
After the mine was closed the site continued to be used for the production of road aggregateConstruction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
, made by crushing mine tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
from the site.