Mechanically-powered Flashlight - 'Steel Mills'

'Steel Mills'

The first mechanically powered portable illumination was the 'steel mill', used in coal mining during the 1800s. These consisted of a steel disk, rotated at high speed by a crank mechanism. Pressing a flint against the disk produced a shower of sparks and dim illumination. These mills were only used in coal mines, where a risk of explosive firedamp made candle lighting unsafe. These mills were troublesome to use and were often worked by a boy, whose only task was to provide light for a group of miners. One of the first of these mills was the 18th century Spedding mill, the Spedding family having a long association as the agents for the Lowther family of Westmorland and the Whitehaven collieries.

Steel mills went out of favour after the introduction of the much brighter and simpler Davy and Geordie lamps from 1815.