The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1860-08-16
From the Philadelphia Press.
"A PcrilouS Adventure,

4 y
| ing at the residence Of the superintendent
oi the Great Forest Improvement Com
| panys mines, IN the Schuylkll coal region.
he youngest was but eighteen years of
age, and bothposscssed that love OF adven
ture which appears natural to IA city belle
when relieved from the contracted and con-
inning influences vi metropolitan life Nfter
soloufning some weeks amid the wild and
beautiful scenery Of "Woodsidc,' they be-
came anxious for II novel excitement, and
! determined to-"go down into mine" The
idea once conceived, could not be reasoned
away; into mine they must 20, and the
/ deepest one must DC selected for the excur-
/ sion.
EAn intelligent and brave Scotchman,
Whose practical knowledge Of mining is 9!
| the lnost thorough character, was appealed
to, and decided that an old driji Ga drid,
reader, is an opening leading hori o;t lly
INTO the side OF Il mountain, known as the
| otto Nine was the most suitable for the
/ proposed visit. The drift extended into
! ihe mountain distance of nile and :,
ban, and had bcen worked for years The
! dangers attending the excursion were not
! concealed. but these only added zest to the
Undertaking. Two young gentlemen, also
/ from Ork, volunteered as escorts, and the
7 party WAS formed 1t was arranged that
/ ant car was to hc taken To the entrance
oi the mine, and this, drawn by mule and
| hriN'n by miner, was :" convey the party
/ INTO the earth bosom, while the Scotchman
| wa' to accompany them as guide
/ Having equipped themselves for the
journey, they departed atfiveso clock in the
a;tcrn on. aud reached the end of the mine
/ withou difficulty Here an npur was spent
IN examining the c,'l formations and the
| ~uhtcrtancan e amber, an their curiosity
elng thoroughly gratIticd they prepared
( to rot,irm. Mounted on their novel convey
! 'ncc, ia y were proceeding mcrriy along
when ouc OF the young ladies expressed n
desire to hr ak off piece OF coal as Il me
, ucm'o oi their visit The car WAS stoppcd
ana armed wi'h j stone, the lady com
mcnccd battcrin: NJ the granite-like Goa
! hiic thus employed, inner. who had
/ been stationed at the outlet of the mine.
uttered hastily, and informed the Scotch
I Guide that the earth over the passage way
/ had commenced to cruuhlc.
! This. To miners, is an almost certain in
dication that fall 7eil take place-the
! droppiug pebble being but the forerunner of
the crushing rocks and earth The car
was immediately put in motion, with the
hope that he exit might je gained before
TIE dnnScr arrived. but tier efforts were
IN vain. They had gone but few hun
! drci yarGS wE-l rambling like distant
thunder WAS hcard--a rush OF cold air blew
over thcm-and then all was sill as n
gave.
There coull be no doubt as to the cause
OF this phenomenon; the mine had caved in
! hcr male was brought to n stand, and
I he Nc"'rhman, accompanied by the miner
"hr had served as the .Ichu of the purty
! proceeded onward To make an exploration.
la = short time they returned, aud report
ed tl;t the fail OF earth and rocks was so
great that it would take at least three days
90 Dig pass agc-way out, and that there
was %r'at danger OF further falls, the earth
| bong looscned. Here was a prcdica
/ mvut
Buried beneath mountain. beyond all
( possible help for three days, with no water
or food, auI the air 81 close, tha unaccus
toned lungs could hardly breathe it-thc
heart might we'll quail at the contcmpla-
ton OF such a condition. But female he
r"I>m rose superior to the misfortune, and
the ladies o. the party stood aS those who
! champon,i humaa fears One OF them
declared that "thry could kjll the mulc.
and lrve upon that Tor three days, or until
/ ,hry could bc dug out
! Nli,r = consultation among the miners.
I 'hc scotch guide announced that there was
AN ar >htll ascending from the end of the
/ m,uy To III s.mm.i OF the mountain. and
. 4 D.. \ q. Il.
.!lord way -! c-rc>> The party there
tor" returned To the extremity of tEc drift,
'As IN" miner who had accompanied them
/ was sent W the Shaft to ascertain if it was
/ cpcn t. the surface For ear two hours
| ih" company anXioGsy awaited the return
%! their messenger. At the end of that
TIM" lac came back with the report that he
had reached the surface with great Difficult
/ ty, and that the Shaft was open, but in a
. very dangerous condition Time had rot
ted away the umbers which kept lis sides
/ from falling together, and the stones hung
loose in many places, ready to fall at the
! slightest touch. But still there was a hone
/ OF escape, aud when humanity is reduced To-
/ desperation, teats can bc ACCOMPLISHED
\ winch IN calmcr moments would be con.
~idercd impossible
/ he ai'-sha!t was less than two feet in
I diameter, and rose to height Of near six
hundred feet In some places it was per
( pend cular, and in others it was horried up
an angle. The dumpncss of years had
covered the timber, around it with slime.
and where they had rottcd away soft mud
/ oozed ont of the earth But notwthstand.
ing all these difficulties, added to the dan
gcr that a tallin, rock might wedge them
m beyond the power of escape, aud leave
them " die the lingennS death Of being
buried alive, they determined to attempt
the ascent.
/ The party consisted Of the two ladies.
the two gentlemen who acted as their escort.
'he Scotchman, who was their guide an
] two lnIners. The alIes nrnpared thcm.