Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-06-28

trative Of such operations. The following
extract is offered, not as bearing on the
subject Of geological survey, bu, because
it may be interesting to your readers,
Those passages into the mountains, called tun-
neis the opening of which IL called the mouth, are
usually of sufficient height aud width for person
COW enienlly TO stand erect in them. On the
Rah.haus mountain, in the Salzburgh district,
there Is tunnel IL feet high and wide. II was
entirely hewn out with the mdlet and chIsel, an
Interesting, but costly operation. The extent Of
these tunnels is olen considerable; The one called
The George on The Hartz, extends miles in one
direction, without taking the lateral branches into
the account. IL is very seldom that you see u
mountain 'unneed entirely through. GA the Raih.
haus mountain mentioned above. the celebrated
Chrislopher's tunnel, which is 10 500 feet long,
extends through The whole mountain, 50 that man
may enter on The N. f. side and come out on the
s. W. side
Shafts are perpendicular, or more or less incli
ned passages into mountains, which might be
compared TO immense chimne,s The opening Of a
SHAFT is called the mouth, and its termination, the
pool.
There various conIrivances for ascending
and descending shafts. In most cases single, and
sometimes double ladders are used The double
which we shall learn more hereafter. In some
places stairs or Steps. cut out Of the rocks,
struced OF masonry and wood are used In the
last case strong beams constitute the steps.
There are some mines in which the stairs extend
30 the lowest depth. Al Falun, in Sweden. con-
venieni wooden steps with balusrrades extend TO a
depth Of 200 feet. IN thai suberranean chamber
the officers OF The establishment hold their meetings.
when the works are examined. 1t is ornamented
with wainscotling, furnished with seats around a
table, and from the ceiling is suspended chande.
Tier. According to an ancient custom, every king
OF Sweden was obliged 10 visit that chamber, al
least once, during his reign. The names Of many
crowned heads are here 10 be seen Even horses,
winch are employed, can securely descend and
ascend on these steps, Augustus the Third, king
OF Poland, intending 10 visit the Lezko shift at
Wielzcka, ordered fight of winding stairs Of
40 steps TO he constructed, that he might he secure
against danger and excessive fatigue. IN several of
the Ural mines the descent is also by means OF
stairs.
The descent and ascen, in shafts BY strong ropes,
or iron chains moved bv windlass steam engine,
are not so common. Al the Goa, pits near Iwlc.
hau. the miner is LEI down bv strung on "A round
piece Of wood fixed TO rope, which is wound OF
the windlass. IN Hungary. Bohemia and GaIcia.
the seat Is made Of piece Of sout heather, and
another piece serving back is attached 10 il.
In Hungary, there aie usually ihree, and in
Wiezcka sometimes as many as 10 such seats.
fastened % the rope, one above The oher rom 7
TO ii feet apart. Those hbo'ers, who occupy the
highest and the lowest seat, guide the Whole line
and particular caution is necessary 10 avoid contact
with the wood work ofle shaft for If a pro iecrng
nail or plank were TO sop their progress, it would
be d hlcn 10 prevent them from hping precipilae ed
to II depth Of from 400 TO 1000 feet. The de.
scent into the coal pits Of Iuuck and other places
IL effected in casks or in small wagons on wheels =
attached To chains. This last method is often
attended with great danger. In one Of the mines
at i.u''ick, in 1885, eight men were killed. Seven
OF Them had safely got into the cask the eighth
hastily ran up. and, contrary TO all remon>,rance
Ieaped into il, while suspended over the shaft the
rope broke, and the whole of them were dashed to
pieces ~ he bottom. IN The Swedish mines also
The woi kmen in order TO avoid the laborious de.
scent by stairs, let down in casks strong I,
hoored with iron. They display a peculiar dex
ieriiy IN 'nrning their little car from the ing
rocks, and thus prevent il from d,shing violenil,
against the walls. Women and children, who arc
employed IN the pits, are often sren standing. win
one arm round the rope, the rim OF the fra
cask. as It swings and :urns in it's descent. So
great ia the force of habit that women ply their
knitting needles without an, anxiety, during their
descent or ascent, in degree whatever appre
hencng accidents, or conscious of the danger &c
which they are exposed. A story is told Of a girl
who. in l7s5, assembled bv herself Unable lt
guide the cask, II struck against pro lerrlng rock
and turned over. The unfortunate girl was thrown
out. and fell on another projection, Al the height o
lCO feet from the bottom Her situation mus
have been horrible, but quite unalarmed, she c'un!
TO II tor half an hour. The slightest moion woult
have precipila'ed her to the awful alb, - bencarh
Finally some resolule wokmen determined 10 r,l
their lives IN the attempt to save her aud succeeded
Horses which emplo,ed 10 nork the machner,
at Falun, are let down and brought up in The SANE
wav. In some Of The Swedish mines al The deprI
OF 800 feet, there stables, and even smilh,hopS
hewn out of the solid rock for the horses Ar,
brought 10 the surface ont, few times in The year
Al Lul'ick and AK la Chappee, there are man,
horses in the coal pits which never see the light
day.
"Ihese wagons, called dogs. are employed below