Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-10-14
THE CORNISH MINER.

/ THE CORNISH MINER.
The employment of the miner is very liza
Bile to accident he has not only TO descend TO
his labor. aud 10 ascend after i, is over, every
eight hours. but lie has 10 traverse levels a
grea, distance below the surface before he
Teaches his place of work; and SO deep airs
the mines. that it frequently costs an hour TO
reach the surface after his labor is done. Few
have an idea of tie magnitude OF a Cornish
mine OF the more extensive kind but some
knowledge may be formed OF the vas,ness of
The workings, when we state thai those of the
Consolidated Mines alone extend 63 miles
under ground. or $4,000 faihoms. The ascent
and descent are by ladders. which were for
merry perpendicular 10 The sides of the mine,
and fifty feet long; but as The mines have
been worked deeper. the ladders have been
shortened TO half tina, length, and placed as
sloping as possible. 10 ease the miner, whose
weight is thus rendered more dependent upon
his fee, Than il was before, and less upon his
hands. Notwithstanding The great ncon-
veniences OF working much below ground. the
Cornish mine. is by 40 means an abieci being.
In Cora"ai. the miners Ink together the diff
I ferent laborIng classes; and the farm lahorer
often imbIbes. from ming'ing with the mi
ners and fishermen. spirit and acueness a.
Kin 10 Independence. not observed 10 the rus.
tic of other countries. The miner is generally
possessed of great personal courage. AT least
one.ihIrd of the crew of Captain Fellows
(Lord Exmouth's) ship. that fought The gal
liant action with the Cleopatra French friga,e,
the first naval action in the last war, were Cor
nish miners, who had never been at sea IN
ship before; ard almost all on board were
fellow connirymen of PeIlow. Indeed cour.
age is required in many situations IN witch
the miner is placed Thus, a, Bo,alack mine,
at the extreme west of the county, few miles
from The Lands End and close to Cape Corn
wall, shore dashed by the full fury of the
Atlantic. the workings are upon the verge Of
the cliff, and, descending beneath the sea. are
carried out $50 feet beyond low water mark
and IN some places not eighteen feet is Jeff be-
tween the workings and the sea. Al every
flax and reflux OF the tide, the waves are heard
breaking in thunder over head wonderfully
high as they ron, and tremendously loud as
they roar, from over an ocean hundreds of
leagues broad; the large pieces of stone roll
log backward and forward upon the bpach du.
ring storm can be distinctly heard above,
grailsh "harsh thunder" Several parts Of the
lode being rich, were followed 10 within a few
feet OF the water, when in stormy weather the
noise became SO Tremendous, that the miners
intrepid as they are, deserted their labor once
or twice, lest the sea should break in upon
them. VI
The nature of the work of The Cornish mi
nor may be further estimated from The facts of
tn shaft alone of one mine being together
twenty miles in depth beneath The surface. and
some 1862 feet deep, or nearly five times the
height of St, Paul's from the cross TO the
from side 10 side Of the county, measures more
than thirty miles including lis branches and
in some paris il is 400 feei below the surface
OF the ground The largest branch Of this a.
dit is i've aad half miles. and it opens into
The sea above l.gh water mark at Resironget
creek. This is tunnelling of some character,
and eyinces abnodan'ly the perseverance,. in.
genuity. aud hazardous nature Of these under
takngs. we'll as the character Of those who
plan aud carry them lnto effect
Tue Botalldck mine a. 81. just is not the
only s:upendous undertaking, part Of The
workings of which Cornwall exhibits. or has
exhibited. above ground. We have mention.
cd the Carciaze lin mine, worked for 400
years open TO The day. Near Penzance there
was al extraordinary undertaking, called the
Wheny mine, Of which the mouth opened in
tub sea the HItHt Wdc commenced I2U Ieet
from the shore. and the miners worked 100 feci
beneath. A steam engine was erected on the
shore. which communicated by rods with tho
shaft and so pumped up the water The rods
passed by The side of plalfpm or wher-
~, lifted upon piles. A vessel in storm was
once driven against the platform and carried
away portion of il. The upper par, Of the
shaft consisted OF eaisson, which rose twelve
feet above the ocean level. aud stood in the
mldsi Of the monnd of rubbish excsvs,ed from
the mioe. The miners descending through The
sea 10 their labor, the water continually drop
ping from the ROOT OF the nine and the roar Of
ihe waves being distinctly percepsibe below.
he undertaking was adventurous beyond ex-
ample. aud was ultimately given up from The
expense exceeding the profit. The ore raised
was lin some OF which was mingled With py.
ritOus copper, and portion Of u was Of very
good qnslI1y. England IA the 19h Csnfpyy.
AuDusos, the American naturalist, nov so
years of aye. is native Of New Orleans
His present family residence Is 10 The city OF
New York. A writer who had an imervie"
with him at 81. Loeis in April gives this se-
count Of bis appearances and personal habits:
Mr.. Audubon is msn about The middle
stature, his hair is white with age, and some
what thin he combs it back from an ample
forehead his ace being sharp al the chin; his
utec yrbiskers an aauiline nose, aud hazel