Laxey Mine ton, and this would be used to glaze lower end earthenware. During the height of prosperity of the Great Laxey Mine, the Laxey Wheel was erected. The wheel was named the Lady Isabella, after the wife of Sir Charles Hope, who at the time was the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man. During its working life the wheel was capable of pumping 250 gallons of water a minute from a depth of 200 fathoms. By the beginning of the 20th Century the yield from the mine had begun to decline dramatically. During the first six months of 1900 the
SS Ellan Vannin (1854) by the steam tug "Sampson". Once aboard the party witnessed the launch of the steamer "Ethiope", the "Ellan Vannin" then steamed up the river as far as the Ince Lighthouse to meet the "Countess of Ellesmere". The "Countess" operating under the command of Captain Street, was brought up alongside the "Ellan Vannin", at that point full steam was given and both vessels raced away towards Garston. For a short time the "Countess" gained on the "Ellan Vannin" but soon both vessels came exactly abreast of each other. The race took twelve minutes to cover the 5 nautical miles to Garston,