Page 4-5 eliminate the recovering and leave the coal uncovered. In Berguedà region the CERCS THE COAL AND ITS open casts were exploited in 1978-1985. EXPLOITATION IN BERGUEDÀ MINING Inner Mining THE COAL Underground, on the basis of galleries The coal is an organic mineral that is or shafts. The features of the Berguedà TEACHING HANDBOOKS No. 11 made of variable quantities of basin, narrow coal layers slightly carbonate, oxygen, hydrogen and inclined and separate from great layers nitrogen, and of impurities, formed by of different materials. The most the accumulation and transformation of generalised system of exploitation was MUSEUM OF SCIENCE vegetable remains in an advantageous the galleries. Although in the area of AND TECHNOLOGY OF CATALONIA atmosphere. The coal deposits began to Saldes, where the layers are very (MNACTEC) appear 250 years ago as a consequence inclined, the exploitation has always of the geologic cataclysms that been done through shafts. The mines exploited by “Carbones de MUSEU DE LES MINES DE CERCS provoked the basement of big forests under stones and a mass of sand. The Berga S.A.” with the system of galleries, pressure that the forests suffered has been characterised by a notable through millions of years, explains the and progressive system of technical transformation of the wood into the work which through time can current mineral. The coal process, synthesise in five big stages. Berguedana basin known with the name carbonise could Saldes-Vallcebre-Fígols (partial exploited be more o less intense giving rise to the by the company “Carbones Pedraforca, different kinds of coal: SA.” La Nou-Malanyeu-Catllaràs (now it is Peat: is a wet spongy substance, of a not operating). Peguera-Cercs (now it is little calorific content, in the not operating) transformation of the coal it is Catalan coal fields considered in the first step. It is used at Catalonia is a country with lack of coal. homes heating, due to its little calorific However, from the XIXth century the content. deposits of lignite, bituminous coal and Lignite: it is a variety of peat with less anthracite have been mined to the water, that points to the transition to utmost. the real stone coal. It has between 2000 and 5000 calories/gram which made it useful for industrial uses. It is found in Alt Berguedà region. Page 6-7 Bituminous coal: with a little of peat THE MINING COLONY OF but with much carbonate and less oxygen, it has between 6500 and 7000 SANT CORNELI: A CENTRE OF calories/gram. INTERPRETATION Anthracite: is the purest one with the highest calorific power. It has 7500 and The mining colony of Sant Corneli, 7600 calories/gram. located in Cercs (Berguedà) was founded at the end of the XIXth century THE COAL FIELD IN L’ALT BERGUEDÀ in order to accommodate the people With an extension near 40 Km2 who worked in the coal mines, following stretching in the south slope in the Pre- the industrial colony models that years Pyrenees. The lignite layers were ago had already been established in formed 65 millions years ago, in the Catalonia especially in the Llobregat middle of the secondary and tertiary foothold in Berguedà. The colony, like ages, over superior Cretaceous stratum Sant Josep and Consolació, were the and they are inserted between marl most important mining centres in and limestone. Although, since at the Catalonia, and the most extensive end of the XVIIIth. century the coal of mines exploitation centres, situated in Alt Berguedà was tried to use for iron, Cercs, Fígols and Vallcebre. These glass and copper forges, it was not until mines were exploited by “Carbones de 1851 the first miners societies were Berga S.A.” founded in 1911, they have built with the aim to assign the lignite worked until 1991. Nowadays, within a to some industrials uses, without much building, which first was a convent and success. The definite exploitation was then “Home of the miner” and inner of since 1895 thanks to the railway the 500 metres of St. Romà gallery, construction and in a constant solely devoted to explain the history modernisation process which we and the technological evolution of the analyse from five stages. coal mining in Berguedà, intends to To exploit the coal deposits, the become a centre of interpretation of 150 miner industries and the privates have years of life evolving around coal. to apply to the administration the The museum, local board formed by of miner concession, it means, the the council of the town of Cercs, the exploitation power of the coal, that it mining companies Carbones de Berga always needs a previous geologic and SA. and Carbones Pedraforca SA., and topographic study and the analysis of the National Museum of Science and the coal quality that determines the Technology of Catalonia. Plaça Sant Romà different test drilling. Afterward it is From Sant Corneli to the Llobregat. Colònia de Sant Corneli determined which kind of exploitation In 1974, the company Carbones de 08698 Cercs is the most suitable: Berga S.A., got its major growth. More Tf. 93 824 81 87 / 93 824 90 25 than the miner colonies there was a wide Fax: 93 824 81 87 Open cast mine zone of services too (mechanise, http://www.cercs.com It consists of opening a quarry to workshop plumber’s, storage’s, a

1 company dispensary, co-operative store, in the mine they ate, rested and worked and an alternating current generator of coal washouse, offices, etc.) situated in with the only light of an oil lamp, known 600 KW. made by the enterprise of “La Consolació” near Olano’s family old as the popular name “llum de gall” which Barcelona “La Industria Eléctrica”. From residence. Beside the miner equipment started to be made in the French miner the hydroelectric power station of Collet, there was the cement factory, the zone of Saint Ettiénne in 1830 and soon, the electricity was distributed to the building of the old heat-electric station was used in all European mines. mines throughout a three-phase line of and the new heat-electric station of “Mina de 1851 a 1895”: (The mine 5000 V, that at the foothold of the mine, Cercs. The train arrival at the foothold of from 1851 to 1895). “Betes de carbó ”: was converted into direct current of the mine in 1904 supposed the only way (The coal seams). “Llum d’oli ”: (Oil 300 V. of communication and transport up to lamp). “Estèril ”: (Sterile). “Xemeneia”: Exploitation front from 1895 to 1930. Berga. “Fígols The Mines” station turn (Chimney). “Bocamina”: (Mine entrance). “Empastador”: (Sizer). “Barrinador i “La Consolació” colony into a neuralgic Sant Esteve mine falla”: (Driller and fault). “Galeria”: centre of exploitation and all the external Sant Esteve mine, situated at 861 (Gallery). “Llum de carbur”: (Carbide and internal network of transport, the metres high, documented since 1894; in lamp). “Canal oscil·lant”: (Fluctuation company built until 1960 this network of 1914 it had two galleries of 1599 and channel). “Front d’arrencada”: (Outburst transport (railway, inclined plane, cable- 1555 metres long and despite it had front). “Galeria de direcció”: (Direction railways, and funicular) having as an electric wiring, the miners still used oil gallery). objective to connect the different lamps. Poor gas exploitation levels to the railway station. When the hydroelectric power was In 1955 a road was built which from insufficient, the coal gas station started C-1411 goes to Sant Corneli and Fígols. Page 10-11 to work, built in 1905 also supplied 1. Sant Corneli colony (Cercs Mining electricity in order to make fans work, Museum). 2. Sant Josep colony. 3. La THE PERIODE 1895-1930 which introduced fresh air into the mine Consolació colony. 4. Sant Romà mine. In 1893, José Enrique de Olano i Loizaga and to the inclined planes and to the 5. Esteve mine. 6. Sant Josep mine. bought most of the mines in the area in cable railways. 7. Wood square. 8. Police station. Cercs, Fígols and La Nou and he started 9. Fígols count castle. 10. Train station a new process of modernisation of the exploitations. At the same time the Fígols Les Mines. 11. La Consolació Page 12-13 shrine. 12. Scrubber (1931). 13. Old construction of the miner colonies of heat-electric station (1929). 14. Cercs Sant Corneli, Sant Josep and La THE TECHNICAL ADVANCES FROM 1930 new heat-electric station (1972). Consolació and the railway at the TO 1965: THE COMPRESSED AIR 15. Cement factory of Fígols. foothold of the mine were boosted. The REVOLUTION investments needed in order to make At the same time the mine the coal yielded advised Olano to create electrification was generalised in 1911 a limited company “Carbones de (ventilation, transport and scrubber) Page 8-9 Berga SA.” this new company turned the direction galleries were made safer A MAZE OF GALLERIES into the most important one in the and wider using cement and stone. The THROUGHT TIME miner sector in Catalonia. Consolació mine, became the mining Although the coal work went on centre. There, dwellings and services as manually, important advances were the main auxiliary fittings of the mine THE FIRST MINES FROM 1851 TO 1895 introduced: the oil lamp was replaced were built: the scrubbers, plumber’s, In the fist mines the most superficial by carbide lamp and the transport carpentry, the company warehouse and deposits were exploited in order to get system took a great advance. Thanks to all the outside transport network, by a direct access to the coal seams the use of the animal traction railway means of cable-railways and inclined opening the galleries which followed which carry the coal out of the mine, planes, took the coal from all the mines the direction and inclination of the once the coal was out and through a to the scrubber and to the train station. layers and hardly had more than 500 great network of inclined planes and In fact, the most spectacular metres long. The pickers pulled out the cable-railways the coal went to the advances were at the outburst and coal by hand with the only help of a scrubber where through mechanical progress front where the worker pick and they loaded it into bags to the systems, cleaned it and classified it hammers and compressed drills wagons, which were dragged first by according to their size and the demands became widely known. The fronts went men and then by mules. Out of the of the market, in four categories: beyond 50 to 250 metres propped up by mine, women, children and elderly “porgat”, “galeta”, “grana” and metallic structures, called friction piles. people classified manually the coal. It “menuts”. The large quantity of coal forced them consisted of separating the coal from During this period of time, the to rise the wagons capacity went the rest of the sterile materials and Berguedà lignite was used by the textile beyond 1750 litres and electric and classified the pieces of coal according industries, the railway engines and in diesel engines bought in Germany, Great to their size. the cement factories and pottery kilns, Britain and Asturias were introduced. The conditions of work were it was also used to make the gas which Most of the coal in the region was extremely hard: long working days, low light streets and buildings in many destined to the thermal power station wages and over all, the dangerous work Catalan cities and for domestics for the traditional domestic into the mine, with badly ventilation, consumption (heating, stoves, heaters). consumption (cookers and heaters) and dust, dampness and where there often José Enrique de Olano y Loyzaga to supply the engines of the cement were explosions and landslides. Since (Liverpool, 1847 – Barcelona, 1934) factories and for the new companies 1851 one of the big problem of the small Mining engineer and member of a Basque destined to the potash mining of Bages miner companies was the way how they family who took part in important (Cardona, Súria, Balsareny and Sallent). make the coal arrive to the consumer enterprises (naval, mining, metallurgy’s, Old thermal power station in Cercs centres, as the train did not reach in Alt textile) attained to totally modernise the The coal increment production made Berguedà until 1904. Since then, the mining in the region. In 1900 his possible in 1929 the construction of the coal was delivered through a railway enterprise became tenth in importance first thermal power station of Cercs which with animal traction and with carts that throughout the Spanish state sector. In consumed most part of the coal in the is why only the river factories and in 1908 the king Alfonso XIII visited the region and had 14 MW. of power. The Berguedà colonies got it. A very little mines and the king granted J.E. de Olano building was an initiative of the most market which only used coal when the the title of count of Fígols. important electric companies of free hydraulic power the Llobregat Central of “Collet” Catalonia, “Riegos y Fuerzas del Ebro”, provided, lacked. In 1906 started the construction of the “Energía Eléctrica de Cataluña” and In The Sant Josep mine hydroelectric power station of Collet, “Compañía Barcelonesa de Electricidad”. The miners went into the mine at 6 in the situated in the Llobregat river. In 1912 it Exploitation front from 1930 to 1965 morning and got out at 6 in the evening; worked with a Francis turbine of 680 CV. “Martell d’aire comprimit”: (Compressed

2 drill). “Front d’arrencada i d’avenç”: Rescue teams (1943) (Polonia and South Africa). From the (Outburst and progress front). “Piles de Despite technical advances and safety station, the energy is distributed into four fricció”: (Friction piles). “Gàbies de controls, the mine work was hard and lines to Llavorsí, Sant Celoni, Berga, Vic, fusta”: (Wooden cages). “Vagonetes de dangerous, in berguedan mines there is Alp and Ribes de Freser. 1750 litres”: (Wagons of 1750 lts.). firedamp which causes big explosions. Characteristics of the new thermal “Locomotora dièsel”: (Diesel engine). The berguedana mining history is full of power station of Cercs Scrubber dramatic events, the most important Coal origin: Berguedà and others. Coal The construction of the thermal power ones were in 1943 in the mine “Clara” of supplies: about 10.000 tones. Water station obliged “Carbones de Berga SA.” l’Aspà (Saldes) with 36 dead people, and consumption: 500 m3/hour which the to modernise the scrubber inaugurated in in the Consolació mine (Cercs) in 1975 third part is recovered. Coal 1931, situated at the foothold of the with 32 casualties. The cause of this was consumption: 2.500 tones/day. Ash: train station of Fígols-The Mines. always the same, a firedamp explosion. 1.200 tones/day. Chimney height: Cements factory of Fígols, S.A. 120 m. Refrigeration tower height: In 1961, the company “Carbones de 103 m. Maximum production: 160.000 Page 14-15 Berga, S.A.” and the group March built, KW/hour. Power: 160 MW. Diesel boiler: at the mine foothold, the factory 520 t/h. Siemens turbine: 64 Kg/m2. THE MECHANISATION FROM 1965 “Cementos de Fígols, S.A.” which using 500C. Siemens current generator: 10,9 TO 1976 the sterile stone of the mine and the KW nom. In 1963 the mechanic outburst system gases that leaked out from the furnace of started being introduced by using the thermal power station made, between brushing machines operated by 1962 and 1986, 120.000 annual tones Page 18-19 compressed air engines parallel of cement. displaced through 250 metres of MINER COLONIES outburst front pulling the coal and the materials from middle layers off; THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE meanwhile a conveyor belt capable of Page 16-17 COLONIES carrying 50 tones of weight, carried all THE DEFINITE MECHANISATION SINCE The isolation of the mine from any near the materials directly to the gallery. 1976 AND THE CRISIS population centres, the lack of The outburst front and the galleries The last great effort to mechanise and communications and the need to have a were lit with lamps of 60 W placed modernise the mine with the objective steady labour, drove J.E. de Olano to every 6 metres. The miners, well to make competitive the coal price, build dwellings and basic services for equipped (mining suit, gumboots and started in 1976 introducing the outburst the miners. The businessman did not helmets) wore electric light fixes at the fortification fronts known as of shield, hesitate to put into practise in his mine top of the helmet. widespread in the mines of Germany, the already developed model used in The introduction of these modern meanwhile old diesel engines and the the textile colonies, in Berguedà and in outburst machines obliged to replace wagons which carried the coal outside other places of Catalonia since 1858. the old fortification systems by new the mine were definitely replaced by the Giving to the miners and their families modern ones; into the galleries the conveyor belts. The open cast mine dwellings and the most essential metallic fortifications became exploitations were also started in order services (baker’s, canteen, church and widespread and in the outburst the to access to the superficial layers. school) achieving to end with the lack pneumatics piles were introduced Nevertheless, the coal crisis in the of work typical in that rural zones and which moved forward at the same time Berguedà was more than announced from the mountains where the miners, of the front, and wooden cages as the although the new thermal power station like in other miner zones in Spain, were sterile material now went together with consumed all the coal of the Berguedà also farmers, and shepherds. the coal out of the mine. basin. In 1975 the first important water The starting point was Sant Corneli, The mechanisation of the fluents were found and had to be taken at an altitude of 960 m. where there exploitation front notably affected the out through mechanic systems of were the first galleries and some workers, who had to adapt to the new pumping; the flooding in 1982 flooded buildings: a small Romanic church machinery and the new work system: most of the 40 Km of galleries, specially devoted to Sant Corneli, a flour mill the two shifts of work were expanded to the ones below the Llobregat river level; some miners dwellings and a canteen a night shift, who was in charge of from then on the miners had to share (greengrocer’s, daily products and machinery repairing and maintenance, their usual work with the pumping. The wine), a small group of dwellings at the at the same time the conditions of work combustible (petrol, gas) competition “Serrat dels Bous”, today called “Els and safety improved. The need to make and the increasing use of hydraulic and Tilos”. From this first population centre, the exploitation profitable, in a period nuclear energy, added to the exhaustion Olano started to project with the help of time that the coal was already of the richest layers, the long distance of his engineer, the Asturian Suárez del beginning to suffer from the oil until the front (as far as two hours) and Villar, the colony of Sant Corneli. competition and from other energies the strong competition of the third Between 1901 and 1904 his private (gas and nuclear), made in 1963 the countries accelerated the crisis. On the residence was also built, far from the inauguration of the cement factory. In 31st. December 1991 the company mining colony, but at mines base, near 1968 the new thermal station started to Carbones de Berga, S.A. closed down the train station “Fígols-Les Mines” and be built. Through this process, the and the period of the most important at the baroque sanctuary of the electric company FECSA became in 1969 coal industry in Catalonia ended. Consolació. The building, a medieval the main shareholder of “Carbones de The definite mechanisation since 1976 castle, has been one of the most Berga S.A.” “Fortificacions d’escut autoavançables”: Coal destination of the company (Self-balanced shield fortifications). emblematic buildings of the mine. “Carbones de Berga S.A.” in 1965 “Cintes transportadores blindades”: In 1918 and 1920 the services Thermal power station; 37,5 %. Textile (Reinforced conveyor belt). “Direcció a la buildings were inaugurated: the industry: 17,5 %. Domestic uses: 12 %. galeria central fins a la bocamina”: company store, the offices, the theatre Cement industry: 10%. Glass and (Direction to the central gallery until the –then the cinema–, the school and the ceramic industry: 9 %. Potash: 5 %. entrance). “Més de 5000 m”: (More than nun residence, today museum central Paper industry: 4,6 %. Chemical 5000 m.) office. This building, which industry: 3,7 %. New thermal power station of Cercs. accommodated the school rooms, the The mechanisation from 1965 to 1976 Built in 1972, above the cement factory dinning rooms and the nuns residence, “Raspall”: (Brush). “Piles pneumàtiques of Fígols and near the Consolació mine, was converted in 1931 into the “Mining autoavançables”: (Self-balanced the new thermal power station used up House” assigned to services and leisure pneumatic piles). “Fortificació metàl·lica the whole coal from Berguedà, it also (café, library, school, home manager, de secció semicircular”: (Metallic burns lignite from other origins (Terol and cinema, barber’s and gaming room and semicircle section fortification). Mequinensa) and imported soft coal conference hall).

3 At the same time Sant Corneli was The washing place of the colony the photos taken by the reporters being built, Olano planned two more Near the church, were women and enlightened very well the arrival of the colonies construction: Sant Josep and children met during the summer and civil guards in Sant Corneli and the La Consolació. Sant Josep is near the winter and all the year on, they washed transfer of the arrested ones. mine entrance with the same name at the miners clothes. an altitude of 700 m, in 1908 it was Miners coming out of the mine after The strike in 1997 inaugurated. La Consolació, near the their closing in 1977 In 1977 the company “Carbones de station, got the supplies next to Ca The miners demands of “Carbones de Berga, S.A.” agreed a reduction in its l’Estanís where the shop, the baker’s Berga S.A.”, accomplished the solidarity staff which affected to 429 workers from and the canteen were. Some dwellings and the support of the whole region, the a total of 1.400. On the 7th December were also built for the colliers, a labour union, and from the political 1977, 225 miners closed themselves up company store, the dispensary and the parties. into Sant Josep mine, the Consolació most important area of the mine, and El Collet and the committee becoming, since 1924 the centre of THE TIME OF THE DISTURBANCES accomplished the miners started a exploitation. The colony was a lively village, that was strike. Under the slogan “closed mine, Miner colony in 1950 pulsating at the sound of the feast of finished region”, the region solidarity SANT CORNELI Santa Bàrbara, the miner’s patron saint, lived the closure and they achieved to 1. Sant Corneli church. 2. Public utility- when the mourning filled the hearts retire the crisis dossier and open the room. 3. Vice-chancellor’s office. during the tragic accidents, and when negotiations. It was the last and the 4. Baker’s. 5. Cinema-theatre. the time of the disturbances and the most important strike in Berguedà coal 6. Company store and shops. 7. Miner work claims arrived. With these hard field. house. 8. Community clinic. 9. Sant work conditions is natural to imagine Romà square. 10. Sant Romà mine. that the coal field like all the rest in the 11. Scales. 12. Market garden. state, made, through its history, Page 22-23 important episodes of work and social claims. The most remarkable which VOCABULARY Page 20-21 have marked the history of the regional mining claims, it is worth to emphasise Propping-up: Maintenance of the mine LIFE IN THE COLONY two: the Alt Llobregat disturbances and roof formed by supports, picks, Life in mining towns was hard, due to the 1977 strike. timbers, girders and helped by walls of their isolation and to the fact that all sterile materials of bricks, concrete and their inhabitants depended on the mine The Alt Llobregat disturbances in 1932 also by metallic arches made to and the miner company. Until the civil Since the beginning of the XXth. century measure. war, despite the isolation, the colonies the municipal population growth in Explosives expert: Miner responsible strongly live the political and social Cercs had been spectacular: In 1900 for preparing the gunpowder or demands: the constant confrontation there were 532 inhabitants in 1920 there dynamite charge and blasting them. with the company, the fight for working were 1.445 and in 1930 there were 1701; Framework: Metallic bars destined to and social demands, the anticlericalism, this growth was concentrate over all, in held on the mine roof. the power of CNT-FAI labour union the mining colonies. The miners work Mine entrance: Overture used to go cannot be sorted out from its history. conditions were qualified by the media into from the outside to the main Since 1939, the situation changed as the hardest in Catalonia, it is logical gallery of the mine. notably, the political and ideological to understand, the miners were hopeful Oscillating channel: The coal repression was applied severely, and of the new Republic govern. Having transport system from starting the paternalism implicit in the system legalised the labour union, the CNT-FAI mechanism front to the gallery, of industrial colonies reached its became into the major trade union activated by an alternative movement, highest points. The religion calendar (1.451 members) to the coal field, with given by an electric engine, moves the ruled over the feast time and Santa the rest of the shops stewards in mineral helped by a pendent. Bàrbara, the miner’s patron saint is kept Berguedà and Bages, were 23.186 Timber: Miner responsible of the as the main feast with the major feast in members and an own weekly magazine construction and the maintenance of a September. Sant Corneli parish “El Trabajo”, which spread the orders of gallery fortification. organised many acts and the “miner the liberal communism. The trigger for Sterile: Are the materials which go house” the cultural centre of the colony the miners disturbances of Alt Berguedà with the coal layers which needed to took care of the rest. In this centre was the confrontation between the be separated. They are used as a piece where the school was, and also the bar, labour union CNT-FAI and the owner, of of rubble in order to fill again the a cinema-club was run and a library and the textile colony Carme (the colony mining cavities or they go as a dumping gaming room (table-tennis, table- was the property of the miner company site. football, snooker table, etc.) were where the wives miners work) which Exploitation: Activities applied to the organised. did not respect the agreement signed in mining company operation and During the immediate years to the the trade agreement of this sector. specifically it is known as a mineral coal civil war, when unmarried miners The strike in the textile factory outburst. coming from the minefields from spread to the mine and it was used to Faculty: Officer below mining throughout Spain arrived in the claim better work conditions and also engineer, responsible of exploitation Berguedà seeking for work in the mines, better salaries. On the 26th January techniques. many dwellings consisting of kitchen 1932, as a drop of oil, the miners of the Underpinning cage: Pieces of wood –dining-room, lavatory and two or three potash in Sallent, Súria, Cardona and superimposed with a square shape bedrooms were filled with subtenants. most of the textile workers in the which are used to hold the roof that is They worked at night shifts so that Llobregat field joined it, but specially already exploded. when they came out form the mine they the miner colony of Sant Corneli. The Principal gallery: It is the one which could sleep in the bedroom belonging reply of the Republic govern did not connected with the exterior and where to the members of the family who wait: the army and the civil guard the miners come into and go out, where lodged and fed them exchanging for appeared at the disturbance centre and the mineral is transported and where all money and left the room empty. These without any resistance disarmed and the secondary galleries of exploitation were years of poverty and difficulties, controlled the strikers. Among 140 come together. from miserable salaries and absolutely arrested (41 were from Cercs and Firedamp: Gas mixture produced in starving and feeling scared. The cinema Fígols) 188 were taken to Guinea. The many coal mines and with air contact in the colony and football were the stir the disturbance had in Catalonia made an explosive of high power. principal hobbies for people during the and in Spain was very important the Firedamp detector: It was able to fifties and sixties, when in Sant Corneli press made an accurate coverage and detect the degree of firedamp into the there were up to 3.500 people living.

4 mine in order to avoid any explosions. SECONDARY POWER SUPPLY, PETROL, stablishing the suitable relation with Safety lamp: Flashlight-producing GAS, URANIUM, ALTERNATING- the use for this production, light from a flame which is covered with CURRENT GENERATOR, Evolution of the coal production since a wire netting cylinder that prevents the TRANSFORMATION, POWER SUPPLY, 1895-1917: Year. Metric tones. 1895- firedamp explosion. CONSUMPTION. 12.930. 1899-19.418. 1903-36.376. 1905- Carbide lamp: Light producing a The pad offers you maps, drawings 63.411. 1912-100.000. 1917-120.000. bright flame in order to burn the gas and photographs of the miner colony Make a bar chart with the produced by the carbide and during the and its spaces when it was fully information of the miner population XIXth. century until 1959 it was used to inhabited and depending on the evolution in the region of Berguedà light galleries. company Carbones de Berga S.A. Today (1940-1994). Connect this bar chart with Helmet light: Fix-light at the front part this has changed although most of the the technical evolution of regional of the helmet and got supplies by an buildings are kept; which made miner since 1930 to nowadays, you electric battery, held at the miner’s belt. reference to the services has nearly must not forget the technical advances Pneumatic drill: It is used to make disappeared. When did Sant Corneli and the problems made by the coal holes and to pull out the material and it stop being a miner village? Why? Which crisis. Year. Number of workers. 1940- gots its supplies from a compressed air social and economics consequences 1.600. 1945-4.458. 1955-3.200. 1960-3.000. compressor. has had? 1965-2.800. 1970-2.023. 1975-1.583. 1980- Support: Metallic or wooden piece From the information which is offered 1.200. 1985-878. 1990-316. 1991-166. used to hold the mine roof. to you by the permanent exposition 1994-150. Pickaxe: Tool similar to a pick, sharp- devoted to the life in the mine, choose a pointed, used to excavate hard and dry theme (the dispensary, the school, material. women work, the time of the Page 24 Square: Named to the wooden disturbances, the company, the world structures with square or rectangular of work, the flat) that you are most shape and the metallic ones with arch interested in and make an information Mines of Catllaràs shaped, used to hold the galleries roof. summarise. The mountain coal mines of Catllaràs (La Scrubber: Place where the coal that As a synthesis activity we propose Pobla de Lillet) started being exploited at came out from the mine is separated you an exercise, try to interpret the the end of XIXth century, but from 1901 from the clay dust or from any other experience of other person, since we the exploitation was in charge of the com- material through different waterline are all capable of feeling and pany Asland with the aim to obtain coal, systems, to filter (through a sieve) or understanding, although many years in order to operate the furnaces of the ce- dragging the solid particles by a fluid, have passed, the problems and their ment factory of Clot del Moro. etc. experiences. Imagine you are a boy or a Silicosis: Pulmonary illness caused by girl of 14 who lived in Sant Corneli in silica dust inhalation very common in 1932. With this unique reference you the miners. will have to invent some basic facts: Dump tip: Place used to dump the name and surname, profession, sterile materials of the mine turned characteristics and origin of your down during the mineral treatment. family, economic situation, attitude in Truck: Wagon used for the wood front of the concrete historic situation transport into the mine. of Alt Llobregat disturbances in 1932, Wagon: Vehicle of different size, etc. brought into the open and with a big Since this year, you have to rebuilt capacity, that goes by railway. your life in the colony in 1998, at the Little truck: Little wagon brought into age of 80 you tell your life to a group of the open and dumper used for the boys and girls who are visiting the mineral transport. Cercs mining museum. We suggest you dates and facts, ACTIVITIES surely they should have been very important: Alt Llobregat disturbances in Prepare an outline, summarising the January 1932. The civil war (1936-39). uses and applications of the coal The Franco period (1940-1975). 1965: starting from the information the Mechanisation of the mine. 1954-57: exercise book gives you and with the Construction of the road to Sant visit of the museum. The coal mining Corneli. 1972: Inauguration of the new and the coal consumption have thermal power station of Cercs. The negative consequences by the strike in 1977 in the coal field. environment. Which are they and why? December 1991; the closure of the mine. The coal (anthracite, soft coal and Which are the reasons that drive J.E. lignite) it is not the only energetic de Olano to build Sant Corneli miner mineral: nowadays the petrol, the colony, Sant Josep and La Consolació? natural gas and uranium are very Do you know any other industrial important despite Spain lacked of them. colonies in Catalonia? Where are they Revising the energetic applications of settled down any why? Do they look like the coal, explain which applications miner colonies? In what aspects ? have the other power supplies already Make a graphic with the information said. of the production of the company of J.E. The electricity is a secondary power de Olano from the end of the XIXth supply that needs a primary power century to 1917. After doing this you are (hydraulic, thermal and nuclear) to able to answer these questions: Which produce. Do a flow chart or conceptual are the causes of the increase of the map in order to relate these concepts: production? What relation is there PRIMARY POWER SUPPLY, COAL, between the increase of the production WATER, WIND, NUCLEAR POWER, and the conflicts of the first world war? ELECTRICITY, NUCLEAR POWER You will find information in this pad at STATION, NUCLEAR REACTOR, the same time you revise the TURBINE, HYDROELECTRIC POWER characteristics of the technical STATION, THERMAL POWER STATION, evolution of the two first phases and

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