Tilas Stoll

Be careful when you enter the mine and do not leave the walkway. The ground beside the walkway is not solid but merely a plank covering. As you can see on the profile map, image 5, it is approximately 50 meters from the walkway down to the bottom of the mine.

The adit (stoll) was named after the Mining Councillor Daniel Tilas, born 1712, died 1772. Daniel Tilas was bestowed many titles: Mining Councillor, National Heraldist, Baron, Genealogist, Titular County Governor, and Knight of the Royal Order of the North Star. Over time, Tilas became a prominent man with many assignments. Among other things, in 1737 he participated in the planning of a canal construction in Finland; in 1738, at the request of the Board of Mines, he traveled to Russia to study the mining works around Lake Onega; during the years 1741–45 he was part of the Border Commission’s work to establish the border with Norway; in 1761 he proposed to the ”Royal College” that the construction of a sawmill for the Persberg mines at the Yngshytte River be approved. In 1768, he had the honor of serving as guide for Crown Prince Gustaf on his journey to the various mining works in Bergslagen. On September 25th, the travelers arrived at the Persberg mining field, where the Crown Prince was given a demonstration of the, at that time, unique ”Fire and Air Engine.”

The reason why the ceiling height is so high at the beginning of the adit has been a matter of speculation. The explanation is that after a few years of work, in 1769, it was realized that there were advantages to lowering the floor of the adit to the highest water level of Lake Yngen. Since hoisting was done by hand and horse whims before waterpower was available, every meter of reduced hoisting height was valuable. On old maps, one can see that the adit was used for transporting ore out of the mine; it was of course also used to divert the water pumped up from the mine out to the lake.

Harald Carlborg writes the following in ”The Persberg Ore District” about the financing of the work on the adit: ”The Tilas adit in Högberget was likely the first joint undertaking carried out with funds from the mining fund, for already in 1760 it was decided to advance it in this way by one fathom per year (1 fathom = 1.78 m), after the funds obtained through the joint sale of a newly discovered deposit, Rudbeck’s vein, had been exhausted. In fact, the hope was that ’in time the mining fund would grow sufficiently to maintain the adit on its own and, at a net profit, sell as adit owner the ore veins it revealed.’ However, the Tilas adit unfortunately proved to be a complete failure as a business speculation.”

The following information about the Tilas adit is taken from ”Excerpts from the Reports on the Mines of Filipstad’s Mining District from the Earliest Times until 1880”:

• 1760: The year’s Commission proposed opening an adit, the so-called Tilas adit, for the exploration of the Högberget ore field.
• 1762: For leveling the ground, mine-experienced workers were not needed, but ordinary laborers were expensive to hire, as Filipstad was being rebuilt after the fire: ”Therefore postponed.”
• 1767: A rock ledge was broken away in front of the entrance (portal) of the adit, after which work began with mine workers from Sala.
• 1768: Red flinty rock makes the work difficult. Length of the floor: 4 fathoms (7.1 m).
• 1769: The floor lowered to the highest level of Lake Yngen, thus sunk by 2 ells (1.18 m).
• 1772: Harald Carlborg made a note that pilfering of fire-setting wood occurred at the Tilas adit.