File:Transactions (1871) (14765708315).jpg

Identifier: transactionsmining56amer (find matches)
Title: Transactions
Year: 1871 (1870s)
Authors: American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
Subjects: Mineral industries
Publisher: New York (etc.)
Contributing Library: Gerstein - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ions and from these it isconcluded that the work dates back to at least the beginning of the 15thcentury. The first undoubted reference to the mines by a European isby Symes in 1795. Crawford in 1827 estimated the output of silver fromthe mines at $600,000 anually. At about the middle of the 19th cen-tury the rebellion of the Chinese Mohammedans in the neighboringChinese province of Yunnan so weakened the power of the Chinese thatthe incursions of hostile tribes (Kachins) made work extremely dangerous.The mines were finally abandoned by the Chinese about 1868. Theclosing down of the mines was probably not entirely due to outside causesbut may have been influenced somewhat by the increasing difficulty ofhandling the water, as the workings gradually descended below the waterlevel of the district. Several attempts were made by the Burmese kings,Mindon Min and Thebaw, to resume operations, but because of a * Bawdwin—from Burmese: baw = silver and dwin = well or mine. A M, H. LOVEMAN 171
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Fig. 1.—Map op Burma Showing the Location of Bawd win Mines 172 THE GEOLOGY OF THE BAWD WIN MINES, BURMA, ASIA combination of diseases and lack of mining skill such efforts provedunsuccessful. During the course of the long occupation by the Chinese, an immenseamount of work was done and the amount of rock removed would cer-tainly total well over 1,000,000 tons. The attention of Europeans wasfirst attracted in 1901 by the extensive slag dumps which lined the valleyfor a considerable distance north and south of the mine workings. Duringthe removal of the slag, prospecting work was started on the orebodiesthemselves. The multitude of Chinese workings proved a drawbackrather than a help as they were the cause of impounding great bodies ofstanding water which made the reopening of the mine a dangerous under-taking. It is only within the last 3 years that this difficulty has beenovercome and the orebodies have been developed. Topography The State of Tawng Peng is extremely rugged and cove

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