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WIELICZKA

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 622 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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WIELICZKA , a See also:

mining See also:town in See also:Galicia, See also:Austria, 220 M. by See also:rail W. of See also:Lemberg and 9 m. S.E. of See also:Cracow. Pop. (1900) 6012. It is built on the slopes of a See also:hill which See also:half encircles the See also:place, and over the celebrated See also:salt-mines of the same name. These mines are the richest in Austria, and among the most remarkable in the See also:world. They consist of seven different levels, one above the other, and have eleven shafts, two of which are in the town. The levels are connected by flights of steps, and are composed of a See also:labyrinth of See also:chambers and passages, whose length aggregates over 65 m. The length of the mines from E. to W. is 21 m., the breadth from N. to S. is 1050 yds. and the See also:depth reaches 98o ft. Many of the old chambers, some of which are of enormous See also:size, are embellished with portals, candelabra, statues, &c., all hewn in See also:rock-salt. There are also two large chapels, containing altars, ornaments, &c., in rock-salt, a See also:room called the dancing See also:saloon (Tanzsaal), where the See also:objects of See also:interest found in the mines are kept; the Kronleuchtersaal, and the chamber Michatovice are also See also:worth mention. In the interior of the mines are sixteen ponds, of which the large See also:lake of Przykos is 195 ft. See also:long, rro ft. broad, and 10-26 ft. deep.

The mines employ over 100o workers, and yield about 6o,000 tons annually. The salt of Wieliczka is well known for its purity and solidity, but has generally a See also:

grey or blackish See also:colour. The date of the See also:discovery of the mines is unknown, but they were already worked in the lrth See also:century. Since 1814 they have belonged entirely to the See also:Austrian See also:government. The mines suffered greatly from inundations in 1868 and 1879, and the See also:soil on which the town is built shows signs of subsidence. See E. Windakiewicz, Das Steinsaizbergwerk in Wieliczka (See also:Freiberg, 1896).

End of Article: WIELICZKA

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