Schacht II Oranje Nassau I mine

Initially, the Oranje Nassau I mine was a two-shaft mine. Both shafts were deepened as early as 1898. Shaft I would become the so-called pulling shaft and shaft II the retracting shaft. By means of a large fan, the used and polluted air would be sucked out of the underground tunnels via shaft I. Fresh air then flowed back into the underground tunnels via shaft II. When the third shaft became operational in 1912 (shaft III), it was to become the retracting shaft. In shaft II, which had been the retracting shaft until then, a fan was also to be built, so that it would suck the used air out of the mine together with the existing fan of shaft I. Due to the existing buildings around shaft II, this fan could no longer be realized right next to the shaft building. This fan was therefore built next to the shaft building of shaft I, about 28 meters away and was connected to shaft II by means of an underground fan duct. This fan duct was located about 8 meters below ground level. After the demolition of the mine, the duct was covered on the fan side with a rectangular, concrete cover and on the other side the duct in the still existing shaft was bricked up with bricks.

As early as 1974, preparations were made for the new building of Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on the former mining site. The remediation of the old mine site was still in full swing. The two oldest mine shafts, shafts I and II, were still on the site, waiting to be demolished, although they had already been badly damaged by the demolition hammer. The hoisting building containing the original, steam-powered steam engine (later converted to compressed air) from 1897 was also still there. This building was also half demolished and badly damaged. Nevertheless, it was decided to preserve one shaft frame, shaft building and associated hoisting building as mining monuments. Because shaft I would be too close to the new building, shaft II was chosen, although the shaft building had already been demolished because of this shaft. It was then decided to demolish the shaft building of shaft I brick by brick and to rebuild the adjacent shaft II. This renovation project also included the shaft II hoisting building, which was badly damaged.

The hoisting building was to be rebuilt using the old, original blueprints. For example, the rectangular windows installed in the 50s would be replaced by the authentic arched windows, as they were still in the shaft building of shaft I. After the new construction of the CBS building was completed, work began on the reconstruction of the shaft and hoisting building and the steel headstock of shaft I was to be demolished. However, some parts of this headstock were used that the headstock of shaft II lacked, such as the staircase. The scaffolding on the roof of the headstock, with the well-known neon letters "ON" on it, was also moved. These would be given a permanent place on the headframe next to it and would be restored to their former glory.

Incidentally, the two shaft wheels of shaft I were placed in the so-called Nulland shaft of the former Domaniale mine in Kerkrade. In this shaft, the original shaft wheels were removed during the demolition of the Domaniale mine in 1969. In Kerkrade, too, it was decided to preserve the Nulland shaft. The large fan, which stood next to the shaft building of shaft I, was also moved from Heerlen to Kerkrade, together with a large number of underground coal wagons.

Michel