Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-09-24
Facilities for Escape.

Facilities for Escape.
When we come to refectupon the late
terrible disaster in the Avondale coal
mine, Pennsylvania, whereby los hardy
miners were consigned to a lingering
and terrible doom, all through not being
provided with a means Of escape, We
are inclined to consider wherein our
own miaes are superior in that one i'm
portant respect. Tho Arondals mins
had but n shaft. This was a double
one, that is to say, it was divided by g
wooden partition so as to perform the
work of two separate shafts, also facili-
tating an air circulation by inducing u
current down one compartment aud up
the other. Some distance from the
bottom of the shaft was a furnace, con-
nected with the shaft by q brick fus,
also for tho promotion of air circulation.
At first it was supposed that the IRE
was caused by sparks from the furnace
setting irs to the partition of the shaft,
but this theory was upset by the discov-
cry that the middle portion of the shaft
from seventy-6ve feet below the surface
was not burned at all, and therefore the
FIRE must have started near the surface,
and the small portion burnt at the bot
tom wss therefore from blazing debris
falling from the top. The doomed
miners at once realized that there was
no chance for them to escape through
the burning outlet, and knowing full
well that tho FIRE was fast consuming
tho very oxygen so necessary to sustain
the breath Of life, they retired into the
galleries and chambers Of the mine
and made Intellectual attempts to
barricade the foul air out, which
vas 20 fast taking the place Of the
good, and penetrating toward them.
Tho testimony elected at the Coroner's
inquest goes TO show that the FIRE was
the work Of an i~ncendiary, and proba-
bly, the work Of sone disafeeted person
who wished to stop the mine from being
worked, as it will be recollecied that
the miners had been on a strike, there
fore the mine had been lying idle three
or four months, and had just got TO
working again. The witnesses exam
ined testify to a positive belief that it
was set on FIRE, ono stating that he be-
lievsd something was thrown on the
brettice or partition for that purpose.
Whoever the %incendiary was, it is Diff
cult to believe be committed the horrible
deed with the intention Of sacrificing
human life, but If he be among the liv-
ing, the ghosts Of his los victims will
haunt bis miserable existence, aud drive
him to q welcome refuge in the grave.
A similar occurrence transpired last
summer at the time the Chollar-Potosi
works were accidentally destroyed, to-
ge,her with the upper part of the shaft,
aud had there been no other outlet or
mode ofegress from the mine, fatal con-
might have ensued, the same
as in the case Of the Avondale disaster.
/. 90 happened, however, that there
were only four m.n working below, and
these, by means Of the ladders in the
pump compartment OF the shaft, were
eusbled to climb down to the ~l,loo-fost
level, and escape through the Hale &
Noreross mine adjoining, by means
of q drift connection which had
been made only two or three
previously. The mines along
the Comstock are, as a general thing,
pretty we'll situated as regards facility
for communication with each other, and
chances of escape in case Of disasters
similar to the above; yet there is still
plenty Of room for improvement in that
respect, ON idea fully appreciated by all
efficient su%perindents who are, as they
should be, good mining engineers. The
mines Of Gold Hill should all DO con-
pected with each other by drifts,
especially at the lower levels, thus to a
vast extent reducing the cost Of drain
age, aud doing away with numerous
surface a%ir-blowers, BY Gre
atiug stronger, greater and q thousand
times better aud more efficient air cur
rents and ventilation throughout the
miues than can be induced by any
other a Thereby a far healthier
atmosphere would be giveufor miners to
work in, asids from the most important
consideration of ~all-good opportunities
for escape in case Of danger or disaster.
The same may be said of the mines at
Virginia. The most of our mines, 1t is
true, are connected and tolsrably well
provided with methods Of escape, but
no, sufficiently so by any means, as may
be realized some day in a more terrible
manner, If possible, than has yet been.
In illustration Of the above it is
hardly necessary to speak of the awful
calamity so recently occurring in the
mines Of Gold Hill. The Yellow Jacket,
Kentuck and Crown Point mines are
connected, and it is true that this very
connection was fatal to many in the
two last mentioned mines, as well as
resulting in much more extensive dam
age than otherwise would have been,
vet fire-proo: d%oorvays, easily opened or
shut, constructed at comparatively little
expense, at the dividing line of each,
would have saved nearly all, If not all
of those lives, and confined the damage
TO the Yellow Jacket niue alone. Bar.
ricades against FIRE or bad air are not
easily constructed on such occasions,
neither was there in this case any time
for it, but there was plenty OF time 10
open or shut doors. In the course of q
few weeks or months drifts will be
completed whereby miners can pass
from the 1850. foot level of the Impe-
rial Empire shaft through the 9oo-foot
levels Of the Yellow Jacket, Kentuck
and Crown Point and out through the
Belcher mine. This will be n most
excellent and mutually beneficial ar-
rangemsnt in the way of air circulation,
ore extraction and development, but 1t
also affords much greater facilities for
escaping miners than exists at present.
A iuudicious system 10 that line, gener-
ally followed out in accordance with
the suggestions Swallowed forth above,
would add greatly to the security and
safety of both mines and miners.
TEE FAxIR OF yrsHSu.-This famous
~ no.roma,cer who has