MineArchiveEast Pool Mine shaft collapse
| Date | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Mine | East Pool Mine |
| Region | Cornwall |
| Primary type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Associated types | Flooding / Inundation |
| Fatalities | 0 (No deaths are recorded in the sources consulted, though the collapse destroyed both winding shafts and caused significant flooding.) |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
A large underground rockfall destroyed both of East Pool's winding shafts and flooded the mine; no deaths were reported, but the mine had to sink an entirely new shaft to survive.
Cause
A large-scale underground rockfall struck the mine's old workings around Michell's and Engine shafts.
What happened
In 1921, a major rockfall in old underground workings destroyed both of East Pool's winding shafts and wrecked the electric water pumps serving them, causing significant flooding. With both shafts lost, the mine's owners chose to write them off entirely and sink a new shaft — Taylor's Shaft, named for the mine manager — away from the unstable ground, beginning in 1922. By 1924 it was equipped with a new 90-inch cylinder pumping engine, moved from the nearby Carn Brea mine where it had stood unused since 1914.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- A large rockfall in 1921 destroyed both of East Pool's winding shafts and caused significant flooding. 1
- The replacement, Taylor's Shaft, was equipped with a 90-inch pumping engine relocated from Carn Brea mine by 1924. 1,2
Sources
- (secondary) History of East Pool Mine — National Trust
- (secondary) East Pool Mine — Grace's Guide
Record created: 20 August 2026 · Last researched: 20 August 2026