The Placer herald., 1869-10-02
NUMBER 6.

a stinging noise by the force current The great
danger Is from opening peut-up reservoirs hold
ing under pressure immense bodies of gas dis
seminated through large areas OF coal or sollec-
ted in abandoned workings.
AN EXPLOSION.
When such bodies arc inflamed, the whole at
mosphere OF that portion of the mine eXplodes
and the coal dust floating through the passag q
Is Ignted. The mine is like the interior of o.
merry furnace. The flames rush through the long
corridors, causing repeated explosions. In some
cases they spring up the shaft "a II issuing from
the crater OF the Volcano, The subterrnnean
walls are frequently shaken as il BY an earth
quake. The miners ia the workings, their lights
blown out by the force Of the explosion, hasten
through the dark Passages, stumbling over heaps
| of rubbish.
| THE Fatal. FURNACE.
1t is possible that the accident at the Avondals
mine was caused by one OF these explosions Per.
sons entering the mine complain of the sulphur
Gus tunes. choking up the corridors The mine
was ventilated by furnace at the bottom OF the
shaft BY this furnace the air was made to cir
cuate through the complicated passages Of the
NINE The air Cor feeding the furnace was of
course drawn from the lower part OF the mine.
DEADLY VENTILATION.
Avondale mine has but one shaft That was
divided by an alright partition into an upcast
| and downcast. The fresh air was introduced
| by the downcast Partitions across the passages
below, caused the air to pass to any and oil de-
sired points before it reached the passage leading
TO the furnace. Ingenious cxpcdienis were ndopt-
cd TO regulate the currents of air, anl to cause
only the air which had passed through the pur-
! er portions OF the mine to feed the fire. lest the
| more impure currents should become infamed
and the explosions follow back into the most re-
mote workings. The partitions across the great
gangways along which the coal was run to the
shalt, was furnished with doors, which were OPEN
/ In Al
Thus the furnace was the sole means of yeutila-
ton.
THE PIT OF THE DEAD.
/ The cause of the disaster will never he known.
At early morn q stream OF fire shot up the shaft
with frightlul rapidi,y, and the buildings above
were wrapped in flames so quickly that the en-
gneers and others had barely time to escape,
The wood OF the shaft either qht fire from the
furnace or the rushing blaze came from the light.
ing OF fire damp within the mine. The drynes,
OF the nine favors the former suppostion but
the sulphurous gasses choking the explorers, and
the heethess Of the FIRE, would indicate an igni-
tlon OF lire-damp. In either case every soul in
the mine has perished. The telegraph has failed
to tell US who attended to the furuace, or whetb-
er any dead bodies wele found at the bottom Of
the shalt.
THE GREAT GRIEF.
ii is rather OF the bereaved than of the dead
mat one can think nationally at such a terrible
time as this. Those are beyond his symnathv
because they are beyond his apprehension. B1t
he has in some measure su ffered what these also
suiier, and be can partly feel with them But n
stroke so sudden and SO awful as this almost dis
arms an attempt at consolation to those Who
have been smitten by ii. All round him. If not
here in the crowd in the cabus hard by. are
those who last Sunday we're happy and hopeful
wives and mothers and ushters who are now
widows and childless and fatheress. know moi
whether Tins community Of grief allcviates or
aggravatcs its burdea to the Individual suffarers
but certainly 1t mpresses one with q feeling of
awe differing in kind as well as in degree fIom
the pity he might have were each stricken bv an
individual pang. Those Of these poor women
must be accou nted least unhappy who have taken
home their dead for the few hours that remain
before the hour of final parting as it seems to us.
who are incapable Of dividing body and soui
even IN our thoughts, shall have irrevocably
struck. They ut least know the very worst.
They have all that is left to watch with and IN
weep ever But those whose hearts and tbonob,s
are still cropping and darking in the mine. To-
whom each new outcome from it brings only up
anew the agonizing question, lis be ~ are In q
OF the reality can he.
read with surprise that loud walls of grief
are to be heard all over this smitten spot. Per-
haps they are, but have not heard them. This
is the third day since the calamity was known.
ana the second since hope was forbidden to hope,
gone dry. The widowed women sit on their
thresholds or just within them. in silence. and
look straight before them with stoid stone stare
as II all things in heaven and eartn were dead.
that is Infinitely more mournful than the widest
bursts OF wailing could be. Their ne ghbors glide
IN aud SIT in silence, and glide Oh. again. but
these heed not their going nor their coming. All.
ways 'he same straight and unregarding stare as
II behind 1t there were kind of wonder that the
sun should shine, and the river aow, and men AID
women 60 and come, now when all that made
life worth living Tor WAS botted ont 7 have
only seen two exceptions to this sepulchral sad.
ness: One was an old Irish woman who sat up
on the steps OF her cabin this morniuu rocking
herself TO and iro, and grooming jus; art.cuately
in time to her swaying.
-, "oh Tom Toni" Il wish it were within
the resources OF print 10 convey some far off
shadow OF the intonation she gave to these two
monosy'saoIeso ION Tom Oh Tom! Why did
you die? Why did you leave me? Oh Iom.
Tom, Toni Oh Tom Oh Tom !"
The other was young Welsh girl writhing
anu eroVellng beside the road late this afternoon,
IN spite oil the entreaes of tie other Welsh
girl who was with her, and burryug her face in
lhe art, with wild tumultuops bursts of soubiuR
anu broken calculations that she nj ght die
"hat contrast to this was that Welsh widow
VINO sat In her door, still q statute and looked
out upon but not ut the careless crowd with an
expression OF so utter woe on her handsome face
that many could not help turning from the path
to oder hei kind word or two. She made no
answer to them; but looked at .hem as it they
were giving her her due, for which she owed
them neither thanks nor notice She seemed to
ieei Wilh Queen Constance. though she could not
read her own thoughts in Saakspeare's words:
,'Io me and to The state Of lay great grief
Let Kings assemble: for nv C-ie.s 80 great
lhat no supporter hut the huge, firm earth
Can hold il up. Here aud sorrow sit.
Here is my throne; bid Kings come bow to it.n
ScRoFuLi is faint or Infection in the human
organism, which weakeps the vital forces, and
disordeN or asalranses the fanolioaa Of The
whole system. This tain. or iaiec.ion is most
usually hereditary il the constitution, bu. is may
also arise from habits Of life, uDwho.esone food,
etc. In time, if This disease does not saow itself
IN snberculous or ucerous form, it induces
those other diseases, such as consumption, ulcer
a'ions OF the liver. stomach and Kidneys, dropsy,
salt rheum. etc. The best remedy vet discovered