The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-10-16
A Mining soene under the Sea.

Tho following are among tho thrilling OK.
periences'of some travellers, who went dowr
the great Botallock copper mine, which cx
tends under tho sea on the coast OF Corn.
wall:
"Thc miner tells us to keepa strict silence
and listen. We obey him, sitting speeches
and motionless.
After listening for few moments, o dis.
tant, unearthly noise becomes family audible
IA long, low, mysterious moaning, that
never changes, that is felt on the ear rs well
MS heard by it--a sound that might proceed
from some incalculable distance; from some
far invisible height-a sound unlike any.
thing that Is heard on the upper ground, in
tho free mir of heaven-a sound so sublimely
mournful and still, so ghostly and impressive
when listened to in the subtcrranean reccsses
of the earth, that we continue instinctiyely
to hold our peace, as II enchanted by It, and
think not OF communicating to each other
tho strange awe and astonishment which ii
has inspired in us both from the very first.
At last, tho miner speaks again. and tells
us that what we hear Is the sound OF the
surf lashing the rocks hundred and twenty
feet above us, and of tho waves that nre
breaking on the beach beyond. Tho tide Is
now at the Aow. and the SEQ is in no extra
ordinary state of agitation: so the sound is
low and distant just at this period. But,
when storms are at their height, when the
ocean hurls mountain alter mountain Of
water on the cliffs, then the noise is ter.
rife; the roaring heard down here in the
mine is so inexprcssibly fierce and awful.
that the boldcst men at work are afraid to
continue their labor-all ascend to the sur
face, to breathe the upper air and stand on
the firm earth dreading, though no such
catastrophe has ever happened yet, that tho
sea will break in on them If they remain in
the cavcrns below.
Hearing this, wo get up to look at tho
rock above us. We are able to stand up
right in the position wo now occupy; and
narinc our candles hthcr and thither in tho
darkness, can SEQ the bright, puro copper
strcaking tho dark ceiling Of the gallery in
every direction. Lumps of oozc, Of tho
most lustrous green color, traverscd by u
natural network of thin rcd veins OF iron,
appear here and there in large irregular
patches, over which water is dripping slow.
" and incessantly in certain places. This is
the salt water pcrcolating through invisible
crannics in the rock. On stormy days It
spirits out furiously in thin, continuous
streams. Just now over our heads VIC OBJ
serve 3 wooden plug Of tho thickness Of u
man g leg; there is hole here, and tho plug
Is all that we have to keep out the sea.
Immense wealth of metal is contained in
the roof of this gallery, throughout its whole
length; but it remains, and will always 70.
main untouched; the miners dare not takoit,
for tits partand great part ,ot the rock which
forms their only protection against the sea
and which has been SO far worked away here
that its thickness is limited to an average OF
three feet only between the water and the
gallery In which wo now stand. No ono
knows what might DO the consequence OF
another days labor with the pickaxo on any
part of it.
This information Is rather startling when
communicated at depth ol four hundred
and twenty feet under ground. We should
decidedly have preferred to receive 1t in tho
counting house. It makes Us pause for an
instant, to the miners infinite amusement, in
the very net of knocking away about an
inch of ore from the rock, as mcincnto OF
Botallock."