Laddar...
Here you can read his interesting account of the Högberget mining field, its history, as well as the extensive investments that were carried out during the 1850s.
Further down on the page there is a link to tables showing the number of fathoms drilled at 22 of Persberg’s mines during the years 1864–72.
There you will also find information about, among other things:
number of man-days
hoisted barrels of ore
Particularly noteworthy is the figure for the year 1869. At that time drilling was still done by hand, but according to the table the total drilling amounted to as much as 129,879 fathoms, which corresponds to approximately 77,148 meters.
This gives a clear picture of the enormous manual labor behind mining operations during this period.
If we leave the Great Mine, the central point of the larger mining company, and turn eastward past old mine pits and skarn heaps, we come after a short walk to Persberg’s highest point, Högberget, where the Högberget company within a small area had its mines. From their edge we reach, down steep slopes, after about a hundred feet, the lake Yngen. – A delightful place and a magnificent vantage point. We shall linger for a moment on the crest of Högberget and capture an image of the intensely concentrated mining activity, whose outer contours we can easily follow from the plateau.
First a few words about the ancestry of the area. These mines are very old. They are mentioned in public records in the 17th century, when they were in the same state of decay as the Great Mine. But the revival and development into more modern and more intensive operation proceeds here at the same pace as in the western mining field. Högberget also receives its share of the canal’s power, as the company participates in the cost of the canal and the maintenance of the waterworks. – But the power does not suffice.
In the 1850s, mainly five mines were worked at Högberget, all of great age.
The Torskbäck Mine, which formerly had the same owner as the Torskbäck ironworks and supplied ore to it, had an established reputation as very productive and became even more valuable in the future.
The Braske and Krakbo mines, next to each other, gave varying results. The latter, which in the 18th century through Tila’s adit gained its remarkable connection with the lake, would outlive all the other Högberget mines.
The Yngshytte Mine, formerly perhaps a source of ore for the old Yngshyttan, had now seen its best days and yielded little.
The Nils Torsten Mine stood in high esteem at the beginning of the 19th century, but was now in strong decline.
In the year 1855, major changes occurred at the Högberget mines. The mine owners there joined together into a company, Högberget Mining Company, consisting of 270 shares at 1000 Riksdaler Riksgäld each. From several quarters the desirability of joining the larger company had been expressed, but this would likely have been an expensive affair for the stakeholders, since the technical installations at the mines were in poor and outdated condition and there was a shortage of housing. Therefore, the first measure was now to bring the mines into good condition under their own management. Once this had been done, the question of a merger could be taken up again.
A new board of directors is appointed. As manager and director, the works inspector at the Taberg mines in Nordmark, Carl Billman, is called, who in the autumn of 1855 assumes his new position and thereby receives the responsible task of implementing the new organization. The technical mining operations are overseen by the mining engineer, later Mining Master in Filipstad, Anton Sjögren. During the years 1856–1858, lively activity develops at Högberget. New buildings of various kinds are initiated and the stakeholders contribute 335,000 Riksdaler in capital during these years.
A new power source is acquired. A steam engine is ordered from the Hellefors mechanical workshop. It was a massive piece with enormous flywheels. The purchase cost was nearly 17,000 Riksdaler. With repairs during the first three years, the cost rises to nearly 20,000 Riksdaler. Transport alone amounted to over 2,000 Riksdaler. A machine house was then built by the lake and in the same row a dwelling house for 16 workers. In addition, pumping and hoisting installations were constructed from the engine up to the mines on the height, which together with previously noted expenses amounted to nearly 60,000 Riksdaler – a large sum at that time.
From the steam engine, power transmission thus runs to the return wheel at the crest, and from this, pumping lines are drawn to the various mine openings. The hoisting power in a separate line runs to the pivot with switchgear to the different mine headframes. This is followed by rebuilding or extensive repairs of the headframe structures, pumping and hoisting lines, a new return wheel, and the installation of new pumping lines in the mines.
An additional 20,000 Riksdaler was used for new buildings or thorough repair of old ones. But this was not all. From the edges of the Krakbo and Torskebäck mines, railways were laid down the steep slope to the lake. These required enormous filling works to create an even gradient down to the loading quay at the lake. – But the effort paid off. The ore wagons could go directly to the lake. A hoisting mechanism then handled the return up the slope. A barrel loaded with waste rock, which descended into an empty mine shaft, was the simplest driving force up the incline.
– Now it was probably intended that, once the steam engine had come into use, it would constitute the principal power source, and the canal water, over which many quarreled, would serve as a reserve. But it went with this machine as with its predecessor at the Great Mine. In the long run it was not economical. It consumed too much wood, and although a special furnace was built for drying peat fuel to supplement the supply, by 1860 it was already concluded that hoisting and pumping power should, as before, be obtained from the canal or by horse power, while the steam engine should serve as a reserve. – Thus it was soon relegated to useless inventory, and yet another costly lesson was learned about an invention that perhaps had not yet left the experimental stage.
The issue of fuel seems to have been pressing, as it is repeatedly noted that all wood waste should be utilized – indeed attempts were made to persuade workers to use peat as fuel. With what result is not known. – Economy was necessary, as Högberget, after allocation, had only one quarter of the distant Hornkull mining forest at its disposal.
The hoisting lines were extended along the old routes. The Torskebäck mine receives power from the nearby Hage hoist or from the Flintkärr hoist, while Krakbo must seek power as far back as the Great Mine hoist.
Work at the mines continued during the good years day and night with alternating shifts. – Such a routine is outlined below.
At dawn, the miners descended into the mine, dressed in their mining clothes, and were assigned their workplaces by the foreman. By the light of an oil lamp or tallow candle, the hammer then worked with short breaks for about 10 hours, and by evening a number of drill holes were completed in the moisture-dripping ore face or wall. Then blasting followed. At 8 p.m., the “night shift” came down into the mine. The “loaders” filled the barrels and signaled up to the “receiver” at the headframe. He rang to the old hoist master in the remotely located hoisting chamber. Then the hoist moves. The barrel rises above the headframe, is stopped there, and lowered onto the trolley. With this, the ore barrel is taken to the sorting house, where it is emptied. It is important to work quickly, as the valuable hoisting power must in the morning be used at another mine with the opposite working order. The ore accumulates during the night at the sorting floor, where in the morning it is handled by the “sorting workers.” At the sorting house, the ore is thus sorted in daylight. Generally, 3 women and 2 men worked here under the supervision of the “gang master.” It was no easy work that awaited. Men and women alike handled the ore hammer (8–9 kg) or the sledge (15 kg), breaking the rock into suitable pieces and separating waste rock and ore.
The waste heaps were initially placed beside the sorting house, but as space was limited on the crest of Högberget, both waste and ore were soon transported by railway down to the lake. But before the waste heaps, over centuries, had reached such magnitude, simpler methods could be applied. The unique location of the mines with the surface opening
A few meters from the steep slope had since time immemorial allowed ore dumping down the incline, whereby the ore slid directly down to the lake. The fine-grained “wash” was cleaned and sorted in the summer either beside the dressing house with the aid of mine water, or it was taken to the lake, where the women, in a long row and amid lively chatter, with incredible skill rinsed, picked, and sorted, finally throwing the useless waste rock into the lake. And these workers at the headframe or washing place were to be elderly, for it was specifically prescribed that “young women” were not to be employed as headframe workers.
While the work with the ore was ongoing both above and below ground, the “pump warden” was to supervise the long pump lines and ensure the efficiency of the pumping systems. Another small work group deserves mention in this context: the “paupers.” As far as health and strength allowed, they were permitted to pick through the year’s waste heaps in order to earn salt for their porridge.
In the 1850s, these mine shaft workers earned 75 öre in daily wages for a certain minimum performance during a 12-hour working day. At the beginning of the 1860s, wages rose to 90 öre. It appears that the company management, through various measures, managed to obtain maximum value for the daily wage. Thus, in 1858 they sought to reach an agreement with the workers on increasing the “daily quota.” Where it could not be increased, the right to perform overtime work would be removed. If a miner could not increase the number of drilled fathoms per day, he would not have the right to increase his earnings through overtime. The following year it was decided that a certain achieved payment per drilled fathom and a total annual income of 300 R:r Rmt would be required to qualify for full benefits, housing rent, and a potato plot. With this annual income, a capable worker could support his family and was still expected to make deposits in the newly established Persberg savings bank.
As a result of the modernization work at the mines, and perhaps also due to the increased daily quota, the company paid ever higher dividends. In 1859, the net profit from pure mining operations was 26,717 R:r, and it increased every year. By 1864, these sums amounted respectively to 31,184 and 38,189 R:r, or more than 10% on invested capital.
At the lake, the ore accumulated, and here the shareholders were to collect their share either by boat or, in winter, by sled. The manager handled and supervised the loading. The ore boats were large barges propelled by oars and sails. In 1859, Lake Yngen received its first tugboat, “Carl Yngström.”
Where did the Högberg ore go? Among the shareholders we first encounter:
Storfors Company, whose ore had to find its way across Lake Yngen and then onward to the Nykroppa blast furnace.
Uddeholm Company transported its ore to Mokärnshyttan, Sunnemohyttan, and Uddeholmshyttan.
Lindfors Company had to rely on winter conditions and faced difficult transport with heavy ore loads across Brattforshöjden, the 30-kilometer-long route to Hedenskog or Brattfors, where the furnace reduced the ore to pig iron before it was transported further to Lindfors.
The owners of Sälboda works had a nearby furnace at Gammelkroppa, but from there the pig iron had to be transported down to Kristinehamn and then across Lake Vänern, past Säffle via the Byälven river into Lake Glafsfjorden, northward to Sälboda.
Ironworks owner Löthner at Vassgårda, not far from Kristinehamn, had long transport distances to Qväggen furnace. More convenient was Mrs. Louise Berggren, who had her ore transported across Yngen and then by horse-drawn railway up the steep slopes down to Saxån.
Ironworks owner Wikland did not have as far to go. He transported the ore by sled or boat across Yngen to Åskagen furnace, from where the pig iron was transported 3 km to Svartsången.
Eriksson in Torskbäcken had the most convenient situation, with the furnace on the other side of Yngen, allowing easy transport both summer and winter.
How the ore and iron were transported from Bergslagen.
We have seen that heavy traffic in ore and iron moved from Yngen southward. Sooner or later, export iron would reach a Vänern port to be distributed worldwide. To facilitate transport from Bergslagen to Kristinehamn as the nearest export port, a large number of connections were built in the 1850s under the leadership of Adelsköld.
As a link between Bergslagen and Kristinehamn, the Kroppa railway was constructed in the early 1850s, with lines between Långban and Yngen (at Lervik), Yngen and the Baltic Sea, and steamship routes connecting the lakes. In this way, one could reach Sjöändan, from where a railway was built to Kristinehamn. Other routes were also available. Via the Yngen–Daglösen railway, departing from Yngen with a station at Vinternäset, one descended the steep slope at Abborrberget to Filipstad and Daglösen, from where the newly constructed Bjurbäck Canal connected to Lake Öjevättern, linking to the Kroppa railway network.
All these railways were initially horse-drawn. On the Kroppa railway, a locomotive was introduced before the Eastern Värmland Railway (now the state railway Mora–Kristinehamn) wound its way into Bergslagen and around the foot of Persberg. It followed the old transport routes and in one stroke rendered these small railways obsolete, whose remains now form idyllic elements in the varied yet beautiful landscape of Bergslagen.
Transcript TN: Original Bror Billman.