The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-04-26
Visit TO the Coal Mines.

working within the space Of a few acres, re-
sembles, more than any other congregation
of human industry, the busy anf'hiii-
There Is not much show Of life and activity
on the outside; but penetrate 1t Anew yaros'
and il is found to be swarming with intense
ly busy and laborious workers. Each miner
in his separate room, like the ant in his cell, ]
is removing by his solitary labor those
bountiful and concentrated stores of heat
and power laid up by provident and omni-
present Father, ages of ages before the
creation Of man, for the very purposes to
which his children are now devoting his
gifts. No one can enter coal mine and not
be impressed with convictions of the kind
providence of God, and feel that there was
a most wise and benevolent design in crea-
ton from its very foundations, for the hap
piness and advancement of man. The coal
vas gathered into its vast fields Of deposit
for human use through all generations, till
the day when the heavens shall pass away
as a scroll, long before the soil was formed,
OF vegetation, for mans sustenancs, was
planted in the earth. The miner labOrs in
the dark caverns of the earth, in the pres
enee Of one Of the most impressive miracles
of creation the hand and providence of
God is traceable in every step of his labor.
1t is said, "An undevout astronomer is
mad )" an unbelieving miner must be devoid
of reason and sensibility. The purpose of
the precious mineral before him, garnersd
in the first stages of creation, are unmistak-
able; it bears, in too legible characters, the
imprint of the thought and hand of Him by
whose almighty power it was condensed
from floating gases into its vast basin of sol.
id substances, to be mistaken for a product
of chance or of "the forces OF Nature" No
rational man can tread the dark avenues OF
a coal miae, and not feel that he has COM
muned with the thoughts and plans Of the
Father, when the foundations of the world
were laid. .Y
Miners labor in the constant presence Of
danger and surrounded by witnesses of Al
mighty power. A "creep" in a mine-the
rolling together of the roof and bottom,
crushing the feeble pillars that separated
them, and the bursting assunder of the rock
ribs of the superintendent hill or noun
tain, is spectacle as grand and awful as
the commissions of earthquake, though one
be produced by the mighty forces Of nature
in conflict and the other by the tiny labors
of the human ant, delving in the bowels of
the earth.
II has been remarked by all familiar with
them, that il. all their peculiar traits, miners
are like sailors, noble, generous, IMPROVE
dent and reckless. The resemblance is
formed, probably, by the similar influences
of the scenes and nature of their employ
ments. In well managed coal mine strict
obedience to regulations and orders, is as
necessary for the success of the works, and
the security and safety of all within it, as
discipline on board ship. The safety of the
property, and the lives OF all within it are
placed in the hands of each member of the
subterranean community. A change in the
compass line of his work-the careless use
of Il light amid fire damp, an accident in
the use of his blasting powder, by miner,
may send the horrible messengers of death
through every entry, and involve the mine
in irreparable ruin.
well ordered mine, like q well disci-
plined ship, affords an admirable illustra-
ton of what astonishing results thoroughly
organized labor, directed to one end, under
the guidance Of single efficient head can
accomplish. System and order with the
well combined labor of an hundred, is often
more efficient than the desultory, undisei-
plined and independent exertons OF FIVE
hundred men.
The truth of this observation was felt in a
recent visit TO Messrs Newcomb & Co. 8
Mines in Perry county, the largest now on
tho Ohio river below the Pomeroy works
In these mines there are 90 miners con-
stantly at work through the busy season,
who send out from 6, 1000 to- 10000 bushels
per day. All Of it comes out of one entry
and passes over a single screen that takes
the slack from it and delivers it into large cars
for transportation over an excellent rail,
one and half miles TO the river; the work
Of day is done in about eight hours; the
cars that run in the bank bring out 30 BUSH
els at "A load. A product Of 5000 bushels
per day requires $50 small car loads, OF
nearly one in minute for the eight hours
to be delivered at the screen. The dwarf
mule used in the bank, with bis car load
comes rushing from the bank to the tipple
IS unhitched by his juvenile driver, and nj
the animal is turning round in his tracks tc
retrace his steps the load is discharged upor
the screen, and of he starts by another entry
into the mine; one is followed by another
in quick succession, and 80 complete are the
preparations, and SO regular the proceedings
there is neither haste nor confusion, aud fol