The Placer herald., 1869-10-02

and the oldest Of three shed tears Of 10Y;
but, as fate would have it. he never lived
to enjoy sgain the light Of day. Another
maddehed with thirst, descended into the
level With the water up 10 bis armpis, in an
effort to make his way through the rubbish
The youngest, who was but lad Of seven
teen, snd WAS only saved from drowning by
his companions holding him. Al one time
they heard the noise OF the ventilstor used
by the rescrr's; this they supposed WAS the
rush Of lbe waters and desp.red. The old
msn Who bad been most active 10 bis efforts
w. overcome BY them. lie lost bis hold
slipped into the water, and WAS drowned
without moving a limb or uttevirg n cry
Frozen with horror, held nolionless 10 their
2'sces, tho two Others dared not 60 down 10
his assistcDce even to raise bis head" The
man overcome with thirst went down after
wards 10 take n drink, but, touching the
dead body shrsnk back again. His feelings
similar occasion, ssid that drin ing the wafer
seemed like drinking the blood Of their
drowned comrades. At last this man wa,
driven d-ltious, but hep eventually came,
and the two living ,nsn we're rescued. They
had no sensation Of time; they thought they
had only b-en in the nine twenty-four
hour-; they did not even feel hungry. In
this they differed from another rescued mi
nsr, whose case ID recorded. Dyi0g from
hunger, he eat or rather tried to eat, bis
candles. lie only drank three times during
the nins days in which he was in the mine.
ii, was either always in dro~sy state or
buried in a sound sleep lie never des
paired Of his safety. But in all those acci-
dents there WAS wanting one element to
make tho analogy between them and our
last horror complete
At Avonda!e there ,cas Fire.
The Avopdae mine had been worked for
two years. Three months ago the miners
struck. They resumed work on Thursday
last. The mine is entered by shaft on The
hillside. This is the only entrance. Wood
en- bulldogs 100 feet high and 200 fee, long,
covered the mouth of the shaft. The mine
Was filled with long, narrow passages, from
four to ten feet high, which occasionally
open ioto immense pockets or caves. A
railroad track was laid 10 the the bottom Of
each OF these passages. The cars were flied
With coal, three quarters of a mile from the
shaft hv the miners at work. The coal.cars
were then run through the various wooden>
supported passages to the shaft. They were
then run upon platform, which WAS raised
TO the top Of the shaft. the same AS com,
moo elevator or q vertical railway When
he cara reached the eartb's surface tley
we're run oot over trsstls railway through
tue wooden buildings and dumped The
coal would fail in huge screens, where in
some eases 1t was properly assorted, and
IhSn dumped into the Bloomsburg and
Lscka~anos Railroad, by which means j,
WAS taken to market
ENTERING THE NINE.
A person wishing to enter the mine would
get into an empty coal car, which was then
run upon the elevator at the top Of the shaft
AT a given signal the empty car would drop
and 1T the same time a loaded car wouli
ascend the double shaft. As the bottom
was struck. the empty car would glide OF in.
to dark passage, and a loaded car would
tax. ils place. la an iDstan, mule would
bs htched to the empty car, which would
be drawn at rapid rate to the foot OF an
loc!losd plane. Here a train Of light cars
would be formed, which were then drawn
up The plane by the Simultaneous decent Of
train Of loaded cars.
THE LAMPS AND DARK TUNNELS.
The various veins of coal 10 the Avonrale
nine are some 0 feet thick, and have gen.
'le upward slope. A passage way is cut
along each vein. The tunnels are feaifully
dark. Their only light is tha. from the
miners lamps. These safety lamps are
worn on the miners hats.
THE BREASTS AND THE POCKETS.
The breasts" in which the mining is car
risd on sometimes Msembls huge balls and
rooms. One vein in the Avondals mine is
thirty feet thick aud the gallery along this
vein is correspondiog!y large. The mine is
simply vast network of black lsbyiinlbs,
expanding occasionally into immense pock.
els or "breasts', where larger blasts than
usual are made. The coal is cracked by
these blasts and then loossned by The pick
and shovel, after which he cars are filled
the miners work in these dark galariss in
groups OF from 1--WE to dozen men. The
cars hold about two tons apiece. La brisk
times the mines will turn out 500 tons per
day The miners proper work by the car
load and easily make s. per day. The mule
boys generally get IS per week. The men
who handle the cars aud attend the hosting
are also paid by the week.
THE DEADLY FIRE AND CHOKE DAMP.
AS there WAS but one main shaft TO tbs
Avondas mine, its ventilation was difficult
II had not been worked for some ilme and
much foul air had collected in the damp
places. Besides the bad air generated by
the men and horses, and by the burnisg of
unpowdsr. imhamabls gasses Issued from
creSicss in The coal. These gassss minge
with the foul air ofths mine, and will explode
on the approach Of . lighted candle. This
gas is the tirs damp so much dreaded by the
mners TO breathe 1t thirty seconds is sure
death.
The Ere damp is composed Of carbursttea
hydrogen. and the choksdamp Of carbonc
k,, Hat g.. =