Torgschaktet Traditional Cache
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Size: 
(regular)
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Namnet kommer av att man i södra änden av Stens botten lade upp all malm som togs upp ur gruvan. Detta var det så kallade malmtorget.
År 1725 började man här sänka ett schakt ner till 90 meters djup. Man ville nå silvermalm som fanns i närheten av de gamla igenrasade bergrummen.
Under större delen av 1800-talet tillverkades blyhagel till skjutvapen i Torgschaktet. Smält bly hälldes genom en "sil" och hamnade sedan i ett kar på botten av schaktet. Genom det fria fallet fick haglen sin runda form. Bredvid schaktet stod den sista hästvandringen i Sala silvergruva. Den användes vid uppfordringen av blyhagel och fanns kvar fram till 1950-talet.
Även Torghandeln var en viktig del av livet vid gruvan då byn under 1500 talet var en av dom största i sverige med ca 1000 invånare mot stockholm som då hade 3000 invånare
man vet att torghandel hölls onsdagar och lördagar och att köpmän kom vida omkring för att idka handel med människorna som bodde vid silvergruvan.
Det fanns även gott om ölstugor och löskekonor i byn och flera namn på dem finns bevarade: Karin Kvädska, Sviddar Karin, Brita Kraka, Lissle Brita, Blidan, Danska Anna, Svarta Valborg och Kappakäringen
Men gruvarbetarna gjorde det bäst i att ta det lugnt med alkohol då gruvan hade stränga regler för dom som arbetade under jord, Och straffen var oftast hårda tex: Kunde man dömas till trähästen, En trähast med spetsad rygg där den straffade fick sitta långa perioder med händerna bundna bakom ryggen och tyngder på benen för att hålla han nere!
Torgschaktet - (the Square Shaft)
The name comes from the fact that all the ore that came out of the mine was deposited on the south side of “Stens Botten” in the so called ore-square. In the year 1725 they started mining a shaft down to the 90-meter level. They wanted to reach galena in the bedrock close to the old caved in caverns.
During most of the 19-th century lead shots were manufactured in the “Torgschakt” (the Square Shaft). Molten lead was poured through a strainer and fell down through the shaft to a reservoir at the bottom. Through the free fall the shots got their rounded shape. Next to the shaft was the last horse drawn wheel in Sala Silvermine. It was used to transport the lead shafts to the surface and was still there until the 1950:s
The market square was also an important part of life around the mine, as the mine village was one of the biggest villages in Sweden at the time. It had about 1000 inhabitants, compared to Stockholm that only had around 3000 people then. It is known that the market was open Wednesdays and Saturdays and that merchants came from far away to trade with the people living at the silver mine. There were also lots of ale-houses and prostitutes in the village and some names are still remembered: Karin Kvädska, Sviddar Karin, Brita Kraka, Lissle Brita, Blidan, Danska Anna, Svarta Valborg and Kappakäringen
It was however best for the mine workers to be very careful with alcohol as the mine had rigorous rules for those working below the surface. The punishments for breaking the rules were harsh, they could for example be sentenced to “the Wooden Horse” a very sharp, triangular wooden beam where the punished got to sit for hours with his hands tied behind his back and weights tied to his legs to keep him firmly down on the beam.
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