IDRIJA, ANTHONY`S SHAFT; A PNEUMATIC CHAINSAW

About the sound

ŽAGANJE CIMPRA S PNEVMATSKO ŽAGO/
SAWING OF ROOF SUPPORT WITH A PNEUMATIC SAW

By replacing a hand saw, a pneumatic saw facilitated the work of the miners. Pneumatic saws of various manufacturers were used in the Idrija Mine. The recorded sound is the sound of Compagnolla Atta 100 saw, used by the miner in making timber support to reinforce the tunnel.
Zaradi lažjega dela si danes rudarji pri manjših delih, če je potrebno zamenjati samo del cimpra ali pa določeno oblogo v rovu, pomagajo z baterijsko brezžično verižno žago znamke Makita DUC 400.
Pnevmatska žaga je nadomestila ročno žago in tako olajšala delo rudarjev. V idrijskem rudniku so bile v uporabi pnevmatske žege različnih proizvajalcev. Na posnetku lahko slišite žago Compagnolla Atta 100, s pomočjo katere rudar pripravlja leseno podporje za utrditev rova.
IDRIJA MERCURY MINE
According to legend, the origin of Idrija Mine dates back to 1490, while the oldest thus far known written source is from 1493. The oldest surviving entrance to the mine is Anthony's Tunnel from 1500. In the 16th century, Idrija Mine was one of the deepest mines in the world. After 1600 and up to the end of the First World War it was among technically best equipped mines in Europe.
The city of Idrija with the longest mining tradition in Slovenia was built above one of the largest mercury ore deposits in the planet.
Producing more than 13% of the world's output, the Idrija Mine was, by its quantity of extracted mercury, the second largest mercury mine in the world. Over five hundred years, 145,000 tons of precious metal were extracted.
The Idrija pit was comprised of 15 horizons (levels), the deepest reaching a depth of 380 m. The total length of galleries and shafts was about 700 km.


Sound recordist: Boštjan Troha
Photographer: Katarina Batagelj
Video: Irena Marušič, Katarina Batagelj