Greenlaws Firestone Level Dig - Slow Work in the Shaft, (05/06/10).

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Since my last visit, the branch junction towards the shaft collar has been concreted even more and this time round was looking more like a Vieille Montagne Zinc Company spill way. The shaft has progressed a bit more, but not as much as Pete would have liked. At the shaft bottom, it is very wet with water dripping everywhere, which is not freely draining away. Due to the height, there are now two pumps being used to drain the bottom.

Bringing spoil up from the shaft bottom now requires two stages, and uses two sets of man powered winches. From the bottom a kibble is hauled up to the first staging platform via a pully system. The kibble is then transferred over to the first winch and then taken up top. This operation now requires an extra man on the job. On a positive note, Melvin came over today with an 1.5kW electric motor he had picked up, which he will be using to make a powered winch - oh how that will make life easier!