Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-07-03
ron VA WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1850.

ct had descended dozen yards the roar oil lhe
smote upon their ears and cloud of smoke and dust was
driven violently up the shaft, and filled the galera' "hen
cleared away the faces of all present were seen 10
with horror.
"You villain !" cried the director to Gomez; "what is
the meaning Of this 2"
NUpon nv life-as am Christian-the rope shook 10
nv hands," replied Gomez, whose teeth chatteed and
whose whole frame seemed to remble with nervous aga-
ton while his eyes carefully avoided those Of the director
The latter did not waste another word upon hi' ou'
sezing shovel he spang into the bucket along WIN '"o
of the miners, and quickly lowered down the
Here they set about removing rapidly and carefully as
possible the pile of earth and stones with which 'e eA
nosop had filled the bottom Of the shaft not doubling tha'
thew should find the manged remains of the poor malcn
lighter beneath them.
While they were thus engaged in fuitless Search let
rs follow the actual course Of Manuel's proceedings lie
had lust lighted the matches, and was on the point OF step
nino into the bucket when it suddenly drawn up
conviction of the overseers perdy instantly flashed upon
him. and with it sense G the horror Of his position But
Manuel was as the director had said, quick wtted iel-
low He knew that the workmen employed in the Shalt
had few days BEFORE come upon small side-cut OF pass
"NNJ
that on tracing it to its termnaon was found to lead 10
an immense chamber in the old mine of San Adan lhiS
famous mine, as is well known, worked shortly alter
the conquest of Mexico, and having yielded immense
wealth TO its propetors abandoned about Inc enc OF
tho sixteenth century, on account of the difficulty expert
erced in its DRAINAGE The workmen who had explored
the passage had reported that the chamber was nearly u
of water and was so large that the light OF their canaeS
did not penetrate 10 the further extremity Inc recoec
,ion of this discovery now occurred 10 Manues mnd ana
seemed to offer him chance Of escape. Looking eagerly
oound he observed the opening about three feet above MS
head, and gaining by desperate spring, he drew nm
self nm by the hands and plunged into the passage urged
by the dread of the coming explosion ne rushed eagerly
onward and inst as the roar Of the blast filled his ears, he
fell headonr forward into sheet Of water, VIII spread
about three feet below the extremity OF the passage e
sank beneath the surface and when ne rose, confused ana
breathless it was find himself floating IN utter darkness
without the slightest idea of the point by which he ad ell
tered and with hardly chance of discovering 'he opening
which Law so high above the water more honoie su
a,on can hardly be conceived STILL even in this eX're-
~ hone did not desert him. After some reflection he hx-
ed upon the direction in which Judged the passage
and swan carefully towards it, lie was soon coh''"oeu'
by the space passed ove that he was mistaken In MS uog
men but considering il better TO keep on un' e 'u''
the wall than to vast his strength in swimming aoou'
random he proceeded steadily forward Tor os'alce' Dc
he iudoed of nearly two hundred yards AT engh ne ell"
coun,red the wall which rose perpendlculay lar ABOVE
his head as he found by the splash of the water which ne
threw AGAINST it, Coasting along it, and occasionally
,ouchnr it with one hand headvanced for about hundrea
, lie nh
and epumbed in the cold water, and his heart had al
ros, failed him. But he was not destined to perish thus
He suddenly came upon passage, the opening Of "c'
was little lower than the surface OF the water IL was
evident from this fact well as from the size OF Inc pass
are that it could not be that by which ne hao eu'eeo
However it offered him at least respite from oea'i'' ai'
be nromp,y avaed himselfo After sitting motIonleS
for time to recover from the exhaustion oi Ills ieceh' e
Ss he rose. and proceeded TO explore the passage
od n, be sort yauted chamber about his own height
a INC; wide enouph for him to touch lis sides with his
,,ro,cbed hands soul-cheering idea suddenly flash
ed upon his mind. There was tradition o' al a'oe"
socnbon or adt which had been driven at vast expense
brouoh the mountan to OBJECT the drainage OF the OLD mine
of San Andran When the mine was abandoned, the ao
f course was no longer attended to- It's external opening
became closed up and in the space OF more than two nun
dred wears which had passed. its precise ocaty-indeed
,v thing but the mere fact of its eXistence-was forgot
,on Manuel we'll remembered 10 have one day heard dor
1,vme s,v 10 Mexican gentleman, who accompanied hiu
IN Grmer visit to the mine, that he should consider Inc
discovery of the old socabon an nesmaoe SERVICE as
would probably save the company an Immense expense III
drainage in their new works.
The further the miner advanced the more assured he BE-
came of the truth Of his supposon Inc adi' was-a
from lis situation il be-of great length and Manue
walked as he supposed nearly five hundred yards oeofe
reachnu the extremity The water all the way just up
his ankles and he thought he could perceive at nmes ina
il had sliobt current in the direction in which he was 60
nc The MASSAGE was closed he had anticipated, by
sd mass Of earth and stones which he at once set about
removing Making good use OF his long knie' nc "o'Ne'
ndefagably than an hour. At last he s''ucA '"'
roots of tree, circumstance when assufeu i'''h ''a "
was approachng the surface The conviction gave ''l
renewed strength. He cut with his knle, anu aug WI"
his torn and bleeding hands, until, at ength |uchy Pue
oosened large stone which was enclosed oe"ee" '"o VI
the roots of the ree 1t fell forward and the bright rays
heaven poured in upon his dazzled and enchanted VISION
file fel, thrill of delight such one enonbed before Ills
time might experience when the doors OF his sepuicle Nc"
outward and gave him back once more TO warmth anu '
With little additional labor he enlarged the aperture I'll"
til he was able to force himself through it. But wha' was
his astonshment when at length he stood under the open
skv TO find that he was in the exact spot in which ne hau
taken his noon,de meal only few hours before
moments consideration cleared upthe mystery ihe
fountain was not natural spring, but simply Inc Pa't
of exit for the waters which slowly accumulated III ''e
mne and percoaed through the mass of ocks eaf' "'O
vereta,op that closed the entrance Of the ad 30 exact
however was its resemblance 10 an ordinary spring. '"a
this was no doubt the main of the locality oi 'he oi0
socabon having fallen into oblivion since nobody OF
dreamed of looking for it in the vicinity ofa fountain
was clear TO the youno miner that he had made discovery
Of great importance TO the company WIN 'hiS ''O'"
his mind and eager to inform his friends Of hlssSonoeu