Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-04-05
Down among the Coal.
From the Philadelphia Saturday Evening

From the Philadelpha Saturday Evening Post.
None but those who have visited the Goa
lands of our State can form any idea of tn
immensity of the mining operations. The
are stupendous' They swallow up every busi
ness thought. Coal is the great staple it il
hardly paradoxical to style it the bread O
life. During the last year the profits aceru
ing to the State from the mines were upward
of nineteen millions Of dollars; in coming time
when the number of capitalists is increased
and the facilities for operations become great
er, who can calculate the wealth that will poul
from these Golcondas of coal Schuylkil
county is the present great theater of action
| visited the place short time since to wit
ness the operations.
Pottsvile, the principal town of the coun
ty, was at one time the scene of very extensive
works they are now worn out, and opera.
tions are proceeding further into the interior
The city is snid to be completely undermined
As the veins are followed, small settlements
become formed along the route as they give
out, the villages die away, and new settlements
are formed at the next scene of operations
Eor this reason the great coal works are found
at short distances from the city in time they
will be moved further into the State, and in
time, again, perhaps, (though should the world
exist forever, it can hardly be, they will die
away altogether / visited one of these set
Elements, called st. Clair for the purpose of
being initiated into the underground myste-
rieS of smoke and fame, and to see the men
that work in it all the time. There are nine
or ten mines in extensive operation here the
entire population of the place consists of the
miners and their families
Having obtained the advice of an experienc-
ed person, as to the most safe and interesting
of the works, prepared with friend cou-
pie of guides, to make the descent
was deferred for time by the remem-
brance of fearful accidents, which occur al
most daily in the mines-by the thought of
the terrible fire damp, which may burst from
the mountain of coal at any moment but fin
ally curiosity prevailed over every other feel
ing, and my fears being somewhat lessened by
the assurances of the guides, jumped with
more boldness than might be expected into
the little car. There are several ways of max
ing the deScent-the method We chose vas by
means of the inclined plane. With all my de-
sires and oil my boasted assurance, felt de-
cidedly uncomfortable The yawning chasm
into which we were to pass looked gloomy
enough. / paid particular attention to the
iron cable (as thick as my ARM attached to
the car, and felt perfectly satisfied in my own
mind that it was not sufficiently strong and
my foreboding feelings were in no wise lessen
ed by seeing the guides jump into the car, with
a number of little lamps, one for each of us.
This hiuted fitfully of what was to come
/ shall never forget the awful thump that
my heart gave, when our guide shouted to the
engineer, " Now then !" And we began to
roll slowly into the gaping abyss. The speed
was increased by degrees, until we were be-
ing whirled along with the utmost velocity
The sensation experienced on leaving the sur
face, and all bright things, thus to be dashed,
as it were, into the very bowels of the earth,
is overwhelming and cannot be described
felt as if q tremendous weight was placed on
my chest, causing my respiration to become
labored and heavy this weight became light
er, but was never entirely removed during my
stay in the mine.
Down Down Down I thought the old
car would never stop. Should the chain
break 2" / scarce dared whisper to myself
At last, after what must have been little
time, but which, seemed to me great while,
the speed slackened and the car stopped as
we rode on to level here the party step
ped out on the ground. / could now see clear
ly the path We had travelled The slope was
about four hundred yards long, and sunk at
an angle of forty-fiye degrees-looking up from
the bottom the entrance seemed little patch
of light, so far off aud so small that | felt as
if were in the middle of the earth.
Where the car had stopped was an open
space, some twenty feet square. In the cen
tire Of it, opposite the opening, stood blaz-
ing four sided CRATE. holding five or six bush
els of coal | was Informed that this fire was
kept burning to produce greater draft in the
mine. Branching off from this central position
were various galleries or passages pointing in
every direction. These follows the courses of
various veins. Railways are laid through the
entire length of each, which all connect at this
mine proper The coal is forwarded thither
from the distant working grounds, and from
thence to the surface. The whole of the ar
rangemeuts are very beautiful The loaded
cars arrive with the utmost regularity from
the various gangways, are shipped to the sur
face with the rapidity almost of thought, and
again and again return, ever insatiate We
were taken into one of these passages called
the "great chestnut" vein, and explored it to
its utmost limits This vein proceeded over a
quarter of mle-othcr veins were of con-
siderable length. The entire passage ways in
the mine extended between four and five miles
Think of this in the heart of the earth, where
every piece must be knocked away by the blow
of pick.
There seems to be regular system of streets,
that is to say, an irregular system, for they
cross and re-croSS each other at every imagi-
nable curve, 'and angle. and through them
troops of mules with loaded and empty cars,
are seen passing continually. When once a
mule goes into the mines he stays there for
life. He had best take long look behind
him when he is put into the fatal car, for it is
the last time he'll see the sun. Stables are
prepared for them, (Which they don't occupy