The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-01 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH IN SWITZERLAND.

(TROY A OORDISPONDZIOT.)
HOTEL DES DIABLERETS, Atroner 22.
The tide of life poured out of London this month
is as usual flooding Switzerland, and, as it rises,
tilling the hotels and pensions up higher and higher
into the mountains. Happily the beauty of
hills and woods and lakes undergoes no change
year after year, and to enjoy those of this loveliest
land is one of the purest of human pleasures.
Nevertheless the price to be paid for the same is
mounting so rapidly, that in a short time the ro-
mantic traveller will be obliged (unless he chance
to be ad millionaire) to calculate bow many franca he
can afford to pay an hour fora view of Mont Blanc,
or a glimpse atLucerne. The Swiss nation h.isnever
been supposed to be remarkably disinterested. Dwell-
ing among the grandest scenes in Europe has not
helped them to a page of poetry in a thousand
years. But at least a few years ago we used to
find them reasonably honest and just. If they
sheared their flocks of wandering tourists, at least
they left them their skins. Ternpora mutantur, and
the Swiss have exceedingly changed along with
them. The art of making hotel bills has penetrated
to the remotest Alpine solitudes, and the grandeur
of glaciers and avalanches by no means excludes
the most careful adjustment of centimes—not to
value received, but to the probable patience and
forbearance of MM. les voyageurs. A friend has
just told me of a case in which a lady having spent
a few days in an exceedingly rough mountain inn,
very ill-fed and ill-lodged, was amazed at receiving
her " note" at the highest prices known in Paris.
Inquiry elicited the fact that the landlord, having
accidentally picked up an old hotel bill of prices
left by another traveller, bad thought it right
to model his own tariff accordingly. All the hotels
which formerly kept pensions at four or five francs
a day, have advanced their charges to six and
seven franca, while diminishing all manner of small
allowances. At present the trade flourishes, and
an incredible number of new houses have been
built and opened along the whole shores of the
Lake of Geneva ; some of them, like the " Beau
Rivage,u very handsome and well kept. The
Byron still bears, however, its old supremacy,
thanks to its lovely position, pretty shaded grounds,
and good management. English service is per-
formed there by a clergyman regularly twice every
Sunday, in • room handsomely fitted up for
the purpose. It must form a very plea-
sant residence for the winter, so perfectly
sheltered by the great mountains behind it,
and only open to the south and west to the
beautiful lake. It is said to be excellently well
warmed and adorned with flowers like a greenhouse,
the owner being anxious to attract winter visitors.
From what I know of his fairness and attention to
his business, I believe he deserves success better
than his rivals.

While Paris was enduring her 140 degrees of
heat we were here among the mountains in perfectly
agreeable temperature ; and one week, after that
memorable torrid Sunday, we were shut up
in the house, the snow falling thickly around
us, and the mountains soon bearing a cap
two test in thioknem. Such a fall had
not been known for many rears so early
in the season. The now heids, who were
still tending their cattle on the high pastures, were
in much distress, and one of them told me he had
to keep his herd in the but for forty-eight hours
without food, and much exposed to the weather—
the poor animals lowing inoessantly all the time.
After a week the snow lies still on all the moon-
.

tains, and the east is most 'beautiful of the rich
green valleys, with their brown chalets and golden
Potato of born lying beeesth these dazzling white
ridges, ant over all the bright clear blue sky of
autumn'. The temperature by day is about 53
Fahrenheit; in the evening it is inteasely cold. ,
It las anbject of much lamentation to the hotel- ,
keepers that their season for shooting chamois
only begins in September, when their visitors ,
all leave them, and their houses. built ,
with no fire plans er stoves, and full of
draw/ate d damp, become uninhabitable,.
Were It bow men) additional kinds*
of "etc Anglaiss might they mermaids to Omni '
and (as Are have heard of a Met liehaprop
renbill ) I.' live in a chum* and hunt for chalet/It
How wade a field fee devises of eztortion snob al
alteration of their lees would permit 1 Oonsideeimg
that the government lies very much in the hands t
of the hotel-keepees, it is mussing they do not re- !
peal such an unwise regulation as preserves the ./
chamois and the sportsman both. There are said i
to be still considers le numbers of &mein cm all i
the wilder mountains, but of other game very little.
The magpies teen I. have it Arlie tives ; there
are thousands of there, sad aeaselly ally other
birds greet or *mail, *wept crows. The Swiss
game Javier, peculiar. A lean awe take out •
License to shoot over hie own land • this &aims
eisWeK however, he utsty alloot over an the lends
of his lib Ors 106.1411
of his pin. As the Seim Are sessialty very
particular as to for the matt in:meat
purposes, this ren mean likely to produce
I not • few quarrels. The wretched garden
champetrts are eternally getting up "sea," or
I rather persuading people to bribe them to forbear
bringing them to trial for picking a grape, or
keeping tiny Italian greyhounds without a
muzzle, or crossing a path through a vineyard
in the vintage season. There is gradually
arising, in fact, in all ways, a sense of
being harassed and imposed. upon in Switz-
erland such as a large experience of Italy and
other lands had never given toe • and I think the
time is eat far distant when, if the Swiss persist in
their overgrowing system of extixtion, they will
spoiltlT own harvest English travellers not rich
enough pay twice as much for their food and lodg-
ing as kis worth, will in the end begin to consider
whether a little less beauty of scenery, and a much
less length of bill for wastes it, may not better suit
their arseegernents. A lady or gentleman with
single eircant now pays for living in a small base
room and sharing • table d'hate of miserable
fare and eockery, half as much again es
they would pay in many • pretty town in
England for a handsome bedroom and sitting-room
and excellent fare. Among other grievances, the
postal regulations are all abominable. Letters ars
eternally lost or stolen. No care whatever is takah
at Geneva, much less in the country, to forward
them correctly, and they have a system of weights
all their own, which enables them to overcharge
letters arid papers quite at their " own sweet will"
My Doily News, always fully paid in England,
cozen %wiled to me sometimes 10 centimes, some-
times 25, sometimes 20, with most pleasing efforts
at variety. At a neighbouring post-otos nothing
whatever is charged on newspapers properly paid
in England. Let us hope that the Swiss will mend
a few of these evil ways, and not drive away the
many to whom • sight of their glorious country is
one of the greatest pleasures of the year.

Avoca: 28.
There was a letter, the other day, in the Daily
News, copied from Oalignani, concerning the ad-
ventures of Madame d'Augeville in the ascent of
the Oldenborn. Having the pleasure of the lady's
acquaintance, I may as well state, on her authority,
that there are a few inaeseracies in the story.
Thirty_ ears ago she ascended Mont Blanc, being
the A' n who ever-seeemplished the feat.
She has sinoe from time to time ascended fourteen
of the moat difficult peaks in Switzerland, and the
week before last scooniplished that of the
Oldenborn. Her age, as she informed me,
is seventy, all but three months. When
it is known that the ascent of the Oldenborn requires
16 hours walking, the last two hours being a nearly
perpendicular climbing up a wall of ice, it will be
admitted that Madame d'Augeville's exploit at such
all age is worthy of remembrance. Placed after
Mrs. Stephen Winkworth's brave ascent of the
unconquered Yungfrau we may say that the ladies,
young and old, have this year distinguished them-
selves in Switzerland. The weather is most deli-
cious this week, and the grapes superabundant.
It is sad to see so few Americans anywhere
about the Continent, where formerly they were
sure to be found very numerously. The Russians
seem to be half colonizing Switzerland. Some hotels
and pensions are nearly entirely occupied by them.
As to the Confederates, it is no great marvel they
should not be found indulging in the pleasures of
European travel. I have been diverted by the fol-
lowing passage in a letter I received this morning
from a poor Irish girl in humble station, who dates
from Norfolk, Virginia, July 22:—" Yon know the
moat of the property here consisted of servants, and
they are all eaving their owners ; and everything is
so dear here that persons can scarcely afford the ne-
cessaries of life. I know some of the best families
here cannot get even a little milk for their tea or
coffee ; so what can they do tot me I Things are
getting worse instead of better every day."

UNION AND RHANCIPATION SOCTITY. -- At a
mimes( of the 11111011iiTh 01 the flake sad Emancipation
Society on Thureday, to join their ongratulations and
thankagivinp with the friends of freedom in America, in
view of recent victories to the Federal came, the following
amiss of regolutioes were *Denizen* adopted :—"That
the executive of the Union and Emancipation Society
hereby record their hearty sympathy with the loyal citizens
of the American republic, and cordially congratulate
them on the great success which the cause of freedom
and good goverment has achieved in the sic.
top of Gettysburg and the reduction of the Mississippifortresses of Vicksburg sad Port Hudson. That throughout
the course of the (Mt struggle which is taking place in the
North American natioent, we have watched the progress
of events with the most profound anxiety, because wrgetre::
reorasind that the defeat of the loyal party is the United
States would neeesssrily compromise the best rights and
highest interests of the human race—in the subversion of
popular government and of that personal freedom without
which popalsr government is • mockery. That whilst
deeply auxioue in regard to the momentous issues which
are at stake, we have never caned to hope
and believe that the patriotism, perseverance, and
good faith of the American people would eves.
tually surmount the difficulties which neesearily mom
when the nation was roused from the midst of its peaceful
puriuitaaad compelled to confront as armed rebellion, can.
Lowly pinned, skilfully initiated, and abundantly supplied
by ration seta of rucceedul handgun treachery, with means
for the furtherance of its deeps. That we devoutly trust
that the success of the loyal citizens of the United States
will lead to the speedy establishment of the Minn co the
only basis which can be permanently secure—the melon-
sauce of the dignity of labour by the uneonditinalsbolithe
of all property in human beings ; and that, judging from the
history of other civil modiste, we cannot believe that the
restoration of the Union is, as has been constantly pre-
dicted, impossible or unlikely, if public affairs oontinne to
be administerirdathe Federal government with mew.
iintegrity, sod w
Sr. CUM= DANZ'S RIGAITA. —First Heat :
Sidney Murray, 1 ; William King, 2 ; woe by three lengths.
Second beat : Henry King, 1 • Henry Dyer, 2 ; won by
four lengths. Final haat : Sidney Murray, 1 ; Willism
King. 2; this was • very doely emnested ran wee by
two or three lengths. The race was among amreatices, for
a wet and badge sad various prima, the mooed being 41. 4s.
end the freedom of the Thema tereesetsd by the gentlemen
of the Admiralty at Somerset-hoese.
STATUE TO RICHARD OASTLIR.—The committee
for earryiug out the propreal to erect • broom statue at
Bradford to the marry of the late Wenn Gander, well
known for his 'undoes on behalf of &dory dzildren, met
on Saturday last to inspect models net In for competition,
and have intrusted the COMMileioll to Mr. T. Bind* Philip,
of Roehampten.plan Vauxhall Bridge-road. The me-
morial will take the term of • group (the igen of the phi.
bathropist bales the centres..), sad will cost LOOK It
will be erected Fp a oonspicuoua and open position ia the
town of Rsadford.

itiibreaa of reduced duty obtained by pur-
e 6 Wag llanagweg Pan The: wry cholas al gg. id. sad 4a.
afgh /Mallard ' at 4 4d. ginlial7 41. SILL /I ih. °nil."
wigwag &Adam leggelW /swim Is war y awn Ea*/ Yla /ably—all

rEs PRITIBiI ASSuCIATIOY.
NZWOASTLE. IiosDAY.

The inhabitants at Newisal• were awoke aria
this name[ by a done et Lis, tinier, oed HAWN,
web& throws &sop is de epodes nosioos of the ono-
elation. ma owe of sense. bowers, bon loved Stow.
hichie, mad • fair per restage of the pea* of Newcastle tram
• Hem a( duty sad of mpg to the esioeistioe, were pre-
✓ia r lbs epodes of As ruins sections, od no ads-
owe we Aside is Sin ialenit with which the seressi
pope wow listssel Soatillooonst.

• Fit OM* • COAL tats
iiaythlral" ta,Maill bola which bare hue lirceght
f under the noticed the mag el i= , the roo-
•
been the issuing and almost incredible cos
i sea ttiszinee octal fields et Durham and Newcastle, there
' see ezirestel quietly emir testy-two millions of tom
I, el noels Aprepseil to willows( the lines which contributes
i its tale to del ehoemeen yield a dowel feel was re- 1
i Cutest with past falrenr, std • party of ladies ad patio-
i nip !i" Ahogt a 4591994194weeneher. 044 a gum-
melees di the opportunity of amities eon of the most re-
nerkalits of the northern mines, that of liositweartoouth. I
la mama degree of hearse alleges to the mina Its
Weeldestese deeper Om those of any other he the eariertry ;
IS Is. e MseshazimPer el beam • airy 'illsey air;" S &WI
OM *OP alas** of the wale, were ampped, he :
9t. Ifbil InVica Id WOW tad the host ka • .
es oe ell menklesies shoat 90 dirwllakesesleeled
Meshireareaseek to he alwey . cited se an
fee the favoraWirteory ci the Antonia, of • emend sod 1
unquenchable Sr. within the globe. This. wee, therefore,
just • suffieleat spice of personal Swim, cariosity, and '
novelty to give nese to the propeati 'Mi‘; and this very re- 1
niarkabie coal mine. The colliery is &aged mar the mouth 1
if the river West. 8e... its maim /he Wear flows over 1
the ea rbeeffereire reeks g what ie called the Toredge series.
The seal 1011•40111 st this spot its upon the milldam grit
series of reeks, and they are covered by the lower bow red
measles. mod segued limestose, mid In what, from its
pommel form sad fatness, is imam as • -• hug." The 1
grestent deprantin at Mrs coal bean le new Mock wear-
mouth, where the coal beds ere at • depth of 900 fathoms,
or 1,800 feet below the level .1 the sea. From this depth
the gal beds rhepoeluslly to the westward until they crop
cat, or appear eta plea celled Howes, Gill, at se elevation
of 740 feet above the level of the Ha, showing • rising
harem the extras, ci height and depth a lag leas than
2,540 fest, the basalt= al the rise being shoat 1 in 40.
The sod beds is the osighboarhood of the Wear yield that'
dendriSilice at teal kmare es the " Whose "—the high
Ingo beds of the Tyne, which originally produced the walls-
sada, herbs been for sing time worked out. There is cio.
thing clan ileitis. character about a coal mine. The
Wahl*, whisk are erected ever and around the bank or
pit's mouth are ci timber, bet all black and coidy—the
hugs beam of the pumpag eight*, which labours heavily up
and down, is black and Gaily ; the ascent up the narrow
slop, the Iliad* gage, the sham, are black sad mealy.
A cloud of Goal dust settles clerkly over the whole spot.
The smoke from the up ant shaft, and the dissegiat of air
whisk rushes towards the down oast shaft, sad the small
partake of coal duet that 1111 the air as reek " tab" pours
its ociatenteover the serum to separate the large from the
mall coal, sable upon and make everything that one
towhee Of see black. The sore air yes breathe is thick
with coal dust, sad in • short time the visitor is scarcely
distieguishabie from the miners and baainnen, who rival the
negro in the colour al their Agues. To the spot mazy
mangers of the British Association thronged on Saturday.
Bags attempting the dame the mining wardrobes of the
proprietors of the mine were thoroughly ranesehed, and such
a motley group as stood around the deg pit's mouth waiting
for the tubs *plain' s to bank to take them dews the abyss
has not often been sees. The earlier arrivals had secured
blue blooms, agars Hosea drams ; some moored a close
fitting mirier's cap, others seised upon • las-tail coalheaver'a
hat ; some °midi:sly obtain a pair of *gimp; others • pair
of huge boots ; cos rejoiced is the poenession at an old plaid
shawl, the ken of which he obtained from one of the pitmen's
wives • another considered himself tortoise is obtaining
an ol booed, which he tied over the head with •
hasdkerchist, and thus disguised, so that their most intimate
friends would not have recognised them, the amens and
their Meads merged from the office to the pit's mouth, pit-
men's wives, pitmen's children, and dapper young
viewers, in their close-fitting mining dresses, heartily en-
joying the ludicrous appearance these eathaaisetie seekers
after knowledge presented.
Arrived at " beg," or the pit's mouth, high over head is
seen • large wheel or pulley, over which revolved an food-
less chain, which wound by the stem engine brings up
the tube filled with coal, empty tuts descending another
cempartnient as the full ones are brought to the surface.
There is an iron framework called • cage, made up of three
AMU or platforms on each of which a "tub''
fitted with fanged wheels is placed. As soon as the upper
stage reaches the level of the landing place the tub is wheeled
off, and its contents, about 8 cwt. of coal, are sent thunder-
ing down over the scream into the waggons waiting below to
be loaded. The chain moves about fire feet, and the second
stage level with the hank gives up its tub, and so on till the
three stages have been cleared, and the place of tech fell
tub has been occupied by an empty one Into these
"tube," feat as they were emptied, jumped or were lifted
the visitors, two sod sometimes three in each of these
coal boxes, four fat high and three feet wide. Crouched in
these boxes, each party was pushed on to a stags,
lowered • short distance, and then came rolling on
the top No. 2 tub ; and on the top of that again was No. 3.
Between the top of one stage and the bottom of the
other the space ie somewhat lees than four Miles and if an
=happy prisoner in one of theme tubs bad raised hie head
more than two tales above the top, it would have been
sashed, or taken off as clean as by the Instrument of tt.
Guinean. The three stages being thus furnished, the living
freight descends rapidly into the deep dark mine. For the
lint fifty feet of the descent thee is a feint glimmer of
light, which dada its way through the space between the
different stages. It becomes more and more faint, till it
fades into darkomikand the glimmer of • miner's lamp which
each visitor takes with him glows like a red spark in the
unrelieved darkness Lower and still lower the stage de•
Kends for 180 fathoms, and more than five times the height
of the Monument of the Fire of London has to be traversed
before the workiap are to be explored. Two minutes are
sufficient to make the dealt, but they seem hours to the
imprisoned wale within the gloomy prison-houses. There
are some among the company, too, who know that at about
one-third of the depth there exists in the neighbourhood of
the min what is called • " feeder," and that if a
portion of the iron maim' were to yield, bat a few
inches, this "feeder" would instantly commas°, to pour
on to the devoted heads of the descending party about
5,000 gallons of water each minute ; and if by any ele-
gance they should not reach the surfs*, before this occur-
rence, this feeder would go on deluding the plate at the
rats el 6,000,000 gallons a day. And this coca/roses fairly
eases within the range of whet the s ;vane call • "possible
hypothesis ;" for on the 9th F. bruary, 1862, shortly after
lthe terrible Hartley catastrophe, the adjoining shaft coa-
need with this mine was actually fed, sad is
gill being supplied, at this rate from the boas-
teous stores of the limestone formates. Pimping
for maths has sot yet emptied the shaft and workings, and
' though you we told that the water is carefully kept back
' it is not pleasant to reflect, and somehow the notion wit.
force itself into the head, that the "fountains of the pest
' deep" might be broken up shalt R, as this particular eat il
called to diatioguish it from its more unfortunate brother D.
' By the time these unpleasant reflections have ben su9-
Meetly indulged in, the descent is suddenly arrested, and
amid the gloomy darkness unseen halide drag your pram-
house violently off its stage at one side, while beings on the
other side as violently roll oe the tub of coals to supply
your place. The stead aid third stages noses similar
tragnient, and the hotplate travellers cluster together within
thee:ogees to wait the starting of • really underground
train beam you to the face of the workings. There are
underground railways in this district the united length of
which is nearly 1,800 miles, and the Percy Main,
I believe, indulges in a railway of this sort quite as
long as the Metropolitan Railway from King'serom to Pad-
dingtoo. Near the bottom of the pit there are orominge,
and Junctions, and sidings, and there is an up and down
line, and woe to the hapless stronger who does sot carefully
mind the injunctions of the overseers as to the pleas where
' they are to stand. While waiting the etartios el the

Ayala, ow learns that the paltry into which
be We pared is but a half-way house down
Nothwearmenth, for in this deep there is a still
lower deep where the shaft le bang seek to • depth is
per as that through which be has theady teaselled.
Below the tio.ber statue at which he has bent brewed to
• ball, and looking far dove the thyme, are ems mall red
sparks—they are the lamps of the saw. who are del
carrying this shaft deeper into the bowel! ef the earth.
But the bell is rang, and the train in the underground
is ea its way. Far wady a keg mile dew this
railway rein. Talk of pothole, indeed, here are Issue
real awnseriag dieraltime. The tallow falls in its whole
length at the rate of ooe fool in six, followieg the depth of
the limestone, until the coal Is reached at • depth of 300
fathoms, or • space that would he oseaussed by piling five
Paal's Os,thedrals as the top of each other. The us-
plasma' necroses is dusemesing the shaft are sa arising,
however, to the dreary horrors of this " middle merge"
jby railway. The ewes of themes belpiewer which
comes over one is terribly oppresim. Yes are borne
by an wawa, resistlese power you hew not
where. Parries through an ordinary railway towel one
feels that, however keg, the kW willentergei oto daylight.
Not so bare. Your deelinaron is the eeal werldmp, and it
°sly by retmciag your steps that lie loth elf day sae
; again he tern. Bat how to do it 1 .What if there should
' be a earners le these lower regices.: IL Ib then should
Area t II • wheel were to cow' et? 'll the rails wise
! ace wooly laid! Yoe are indulging these by ne
tj mesas pbsoleg tiersetkrra, end just tot the tereene
the mare of the train as it genie oath way prows more
loud and still mote deafeeiap, sad you are tansies of
' something rushing wildly past. It is the up-temin on the
' other line. You would like to watch it as it speeds oe ite
way, to see perhaps the tail light. fade into darkness. Bare
your head bat • few inches and it is in-
stant death, for the roof above you is but
five feet front the greed over whisk you are travelling.
If the chain about which you are so maim should Weak
' and the train be sent headlong sad nashooked down this
! steep incline, the whole party would he dashed to aims.
No fear of that, sap the miner. The first ferriage in the
train tarries • pair of iron horns, or prosy, and the helmet
the chair gives way these 611 nee the earth and nowt the
program of the tare. Yea are &anew ales about
the return or ascending teeiev for a bestow of the
chain would be equally fatal. No ewes ler few as this
pound because in that case the horns weld wand and
bold on to the roof. They might drag down sew stases
or timber from the roof, but they would be sure to bring
op the train at last. At length the terminus is reached,
the middle puree has beau wifely made, and we have
passed the vast limestone and red seadatose formation, the
countries as 140 are told of pan creation, the
tombs of buried worlds. At every yard of our dewed an
age has flown past, and we stand amid the cool eiresurel
where no sunlight has gleamed upon their buried forests for
periods so vast that time itcelf fails to warm them. The
menthe, and years, and centuries that mark the dial face of
time give place here to spa, aid spooks, and Was.
tiros. Men of science speak of Palmer and Moto-
morphic, and primary, and ncoodore. and tertiary
sad may strange mounding taws who they speak of the
chrooology of these bytese worlds. It imam easy thing to
make the journey to whore the miners stark-naked pick Ind
hew the reeerwe el coaL The darkness is a darkness that
may be felt. The thickest midnight of math's surface is
noon-day compered with the darkness thatexists here. Shut
the eyes as closely am me may, tie • bandage over them,
try by •••I7 111114011 I. esit's power to create
darkness, and he will fad to realise the slate of
things in these regions where human mole burrows en-
cheered, save by the faint glowworm spark of him safety
lamp. The temperature, too, is about 85 depess, that of
• hot summer's noon day ; and it is • beat unrelieved by
any of three browse that make heat 'adorable on the
surface. If she coal to be extorted were as it is ie mow
places. very bard, it I. said that the meet weak' not be able
to work it, is consequence of the great heat at this
depth. As it is the men work either perfectly
asked, or with the very wailer panibLe amount of con/r-
-ing, and the perspiration pore down them Jiggly as water
poured over their bodies. •If they did sot sweat they'd
burs," was the graphic explanation of ow of the men who
accompanied the party. The men cannot writ without this
Froftlme pempiration, and ra Ma armor the grow Saint end
sick, jut as mot • few of the visitors began to feel
after they had been some time In the w
Geologists tell us that the cane. of this great beat
moral and unquenchable fire within the globs ; but I was
usable to Iwo how the the originated, or bow it has been
fed during the mutates ape that it is supposed to have
existed, et why the fire her an burned upwards and already
oonsensed the earth sad all that therein is. Be the owe
what it may, whether from a astral hint, or
from the absinthe of cooing currents of air, this at rant is
certaie, that at the deep part of the Heron seam, sear
which the visitors were eeeducled, the atanceptere was most
unpleasantly warm. The mire is not only Babb to the
irruption of water. se I have just latrines& but thew we
many ueplawant fudieetiosa of the escape of fire dairkt
Notices are posted ep at venous
- bbeyondir
the miner must not proceed without the Davy Imp, sad
into these parts of the waking' the video's were sot of
mow permitted to eater. There are many pores of the
miss too where the workings have been abandoned sad
welled up. and behind these walls the pe nowealetra,
waiting for an opportunity to rush out in its =Won of de-
stroctiou. This simple pas is fearfully potent for evil.
So small a quantity of thisinflammable gas as weld be
distilled from 14 cwt. of coal, or • bout as much as would be
somensed in a day is tea ordinary segued Au-burners, in
sufficient to cause the most frightful loos of life and devas-
tation of property. Miners hereabout tell of an explores
which took place at the Heron Colliery, where a quantity
of the gas not greater than that just mentioped exploded,
when the concussion of the air sawed thereby killed
twenty men and boys, some of whom were at a distance of
half a mile from the seine of the explosion, mod caused as
amount of damns to the works which was sot repaired fee
less than 10,0001. The destruction of life is aot simply
moaned to the spot where the explosion takes
place but other gases which ere generated by its
combustion air, travel forward with the current of
and like the destroying angel strike down every living
thin that they meet in their progress of death and desola-
tion. Some few explosions have taken place in this Moak-
wearmouth mine, but fortoostely now that have halal sto
tended with any of that wholesale destruction whirl'
has been witnessed in the Wellhead. Heron, Jarrow,
and some other mines of this district. Fire, and gas, and
water, and accidents to machinery are sot the only dangers
wheat the miser has to fear : rows fall from the roof,
timbers yield and break, sod death in a variety of its mon
repulsive forms presents itself to the poor pitmen'
sod to such an extent do the rewires
that every 100,000 toes of oral raised gevt2lll.•
surface costs the life of one man. These are
gloomy thoughts, but be who goes down to these depths
of darkness, who feels bow completely he is at the mercy of
a ttiounad accidents, canna but be impressed with the
terribly dangerous character of the miner's occupation. And
what is the return the miner.gets for thus exposing his life
to the dampen of his calling . His wogs. do not average
more than 15s, a weak. They keep op the exhaustion
nature by copious draughts of cold water, and if hurgry,
they eat a lump of dry bread, and with ft no small quan-
tity of the particles of coal which makes thick the atmos-
phere he 'matches. From the depths of this mine are mot
up • daily averse, of about 70 score tube, each " tub" ow-
taming 8 cwt. of coal, giving •a yield of sheet 11,760 mrt.,er
about 51* tons • day. With what matisfactire the visitors
heard that the op-traia was about to start I will
not attempt to describe. Safloe it to say, that the
horrors of the middle passage were trio sedans-1, and after
the ices of about two hours they again saw the light of day
at the pit's mouth. Comical as they looked before going
down, they were infinitely mote grotesque when they raw
to earth. Some who were unable to obis& • stine's
drew had gone down in their ordinary costume, sod
trousers and wsistoode which were then light in Oran.
were now black as oar. Hands sod fens were grimy,
and the white teeth, and the whites of the eyes.
the red lips, mounted strikingly with the blackened
viasges to which they belonged. Among the party
there were not a few who I will motive to
say will not again explore the deepest coal mile
in the world, and who will tell their friends who may wish
to make the experiment for themselves, that if they .bee
themselves up in a heated room, into which no draught et
air is admitted, closely bandage their eyes, and walk *boat
to the imminent danger of knookieg their shies against the
furniture, or falling into the fire-place, or coming into any
other form of conceivable mischief, be told at the time
that the foundations of the hones are insecure, that the
roof may fall in upon him at nay moment, sad be will ob-
tele • faint but wholly inadequate idea of • descent into •
coal-mine.

Coe Sunday several of the clerpmen of Newcastle masts
the visit of the asessiaticia the subject of their discourses,
sad is the enemas &peat tray person paid Tynemoeth
a visit.

NEWCASTLE, )(maw timer.
The general committee of the association have
decided in favour of Bath as the place of the next
meeting. Sir C. Lyell is to be the president.
There were twenty-seven votes in favour of Duudee,
and two for Nottingham. To-day has been kept
as quite a holiday berm

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