New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-29

the better towns Of New-Espiand and New York
Hsllecke poem vac far more truthful than CampbeV,
which was purely imaginative, and without adherence
70 truth in ts historic well IL scenic features
Now, the bfu1 OF f~,h population Of eod-miners,
bostm.n and spectators mingled with the old Yankee
ard German eemeo.s viii make the spot more pro-
sale than ever end It viii eventually be only larger
Nauch Chunk or Pot;syiLe
All the valley east OF the river full Of coal in
places mined BY galleries running into the ryerbank,
Just above high water where ali the capital employed
il in sedge and pair Of mules TO draw out the coal
ard dump II into barge but it is generally mined
from peru4rdoular shafe Of 100 to 300 feet deep,
from which galleries out along the coal-stratl.
The baltimore mine is the mort extensive, and by
the kipduess of Mr.. Gray, the Superintendent, was
shown through il. The stratum Of coal worked ia -
10 30 feet thick, with only few thin Of slate
dividing IT, and its removal has left galleries halls and
chambers Of cyclopesn proportions, AID more than
Egyptian dsrkress such mig dream of better
ii an imagine while waking. We were more than an
hour in walking through them The slate roof is al
most as smooth as a "hardfnished ceiling, aud
slopes at an angle of sometimes 20 degrees, being the
declivity which all the strata have from the mountain
toward the valley. The galleries have Il Of rails
run through them, and On each side, as we passed,
were constant openings into crosshals or galleries,
some .lopng downward, some upward, in which the
lamps in the workmen caps moved about like wil-o''
the.wisps as the men were picking and breaking the
coal Every few minutes came the report Of blsstia
some remote gallery followed instantly by the crash Of
the loofsned masses and, altogether, the place re-
minded us Of the very chambers Of the Pit itself eI
eept that il was cool and comfortable. Few remains OF
plants are noticed here at Scranton ad those seen
were far less distinct and beautiful than had received
from Csrbonds,e. which, being jetbsck in every leaf,
and on brown reddish slate, formed specimens -
perfect ard beautiful those of an herbsrum. Mr..
Gray pointed out as we came to the mouth of the
mine single round and upright tree trunk standing
In the coal remaining witness 10 the vegetable orr
gin Of this immense mass Of fossil fuel.
From Wilkesbarre, we took coach for the Gaia
wims Railroad, passing over the eastern mountain.
For part of tho way, our read accompanied the rail-
way track over which the coal is hauled TO the Le
high, at whitehsven. The inclined planes are like
that once in the Albany and Schenectady
Road, but, instead Of rope, the cars were drawn ~
by fiat straps ribbons of roh IKE she leather belt
log used to drive machinery in mills; but they were
composed of three or four separate straps lying side
By ride, each one perhaps six inches wide and one
eighth of IN inch in thickness. This cohtrivance
would seem to insure safety.
We passed, part way up the hill, the cOnelomerate
rock which underles all the coal, here tilted up at
high angle against the mountain side and saw under
it, in the cliffs and cuttings along the road the thick
mass of red sbse which lies beneath. After a two
mile walk up the ascent we were repaid by magnih-
cent view of the whole Wyoming Valley its inclosing
nomtains and beautiful river but on remounting the
COACH our road led through very different scenery
poor and stony soil supported scrubby forest Of
pitch pine and email oak with thick underground Of
weeds and shrubs; among them were conspicuous the
sweet fern Comptonia with its graceful foliage and
aromatic odor, the sassafras and the frutaden bear
berry. Three or four kinds Of gay yellow Aowers
were in abundance and in full blossom, and gave =
CLEAN of beauty to this desolae tract for eighteen
miles continued with the sterile and msnotonous
character. 1t was over this same forbidding region
that the settlers driven frsm Wyoming made their
way. One Of our passegers, man OF some SIXTY
years, was of family resident in the valley at that
period and told us several local legends of that dsas
trous day. His grandfather and great grandfather
were slain in the action, his athernlaw was born in
the woods the night after and of his aunts France.
Slocum) carried away, an infant, few years before
adopted among the Indians Of Western New
York where she lived TO old age When in advanced
life she sought out by brother, who identified
her by scar on her hand made by himself accident
ally with an Ak, when both young children; but
she refused to accompany him TO civilized life, pre-
ferring to remain with her adopted people.
Dining at Drums Tavern, passing the fertile and
cultivated Conyngham Valley, and ascending the long
forest covered ridge of Buck Mountain We rolled on
through the same pny country which we saw in the
morning until we noticed the conglomerate rock again
appearing by the road and drove into the little village
of HazetOn while the screech Of the locomotive and
the sight Of the tall, black, barn-like buildings, with
their usual timber slope, and frames, warned us Of
our entrance upon second coal field. Not far beyond
was Evansville, another mining settlement, with rows
Of uniform dirty -hOutes and unfenced streets
full of pigs geese dirty children and slaternly women
Among the struggling pines doomed up the huge coal.
work with the usual ,team pus arising from It's CHM
ney. In another mile We came to huge brick hotel
and boarding most unlike the other villages in
lis substantial appearance but silent and seeming
hardly occupied, the seat Of German mining sssocia
tion which said to have spent large sums and OBJ
tanned only an unproductive property.
Going or over halfmade and unsafe road, we
came to a lonely station the Catawissa Railroad
called SUM- just north Of the road passes through
long tunnel cut through the white and massive con-
clomera.e rock, and we watched its black mouth for
half an hour until the downtra emerged from it and
stopped for US. We were thence whired rapidly
southwark along descending grade scarped into the
hillside, and affording fine views of the wooded val
lev until the appearance of the track, baased with
coalubbsh, indicated our approach to another coal
field. Soon the conglOmerate strata appeared tilted
ND in the hillside hundred yards beyond was
md in her
were in the Village of Tamaqua, in the Pottsville