Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-12-06
Down in the Mines.

We are now in the coal mines, says one who
has been there, and the passage we walk along
so freely was the bed of a seam Of coal long
since removed by the miners who have pushed
on into the bowels of the hill and are now at
work miles away tearing out the shining
walls that dispute their further progress. To
the right and to the left narrow chambers,
such as we are in, branch off, some on up.
ward grades, some downward.
At Intervals, we are confronted by massive
wooden doors used to control currents Of air
and secure ventilation. After walking
good mile, and seeing nothing but mules
hauling the coal cars along the track to some
place in the mysterious distance, we come at
last to the chambers where the miners are at
work. We find these chambers to be pas
sages like those through which we entered
some broad and high, some low and cramped,
all supplied with iron tracks leading to the
end At the extremites of these chambers
or workings, the miner stands, pick or bar in
hand, delying aud wrenching to remove huge
masses Of coal from the seam whose lead he is
following. Here is the coal we seek, and here
is the miner, laboring patiently by the dim
light Of his single lamp, isolated by walls of
rock and earth from the roof and standing
in pools at his feet, in constant danger, and
allotted to incessant toll. The huge chunks
Of coal, wrought out by manual force or blast
powder, fall into heaps on the floor and are
loaded by the miner or his help into car
that stands ready, then drawn by mules along
the gangway to the shaft, and hoisted by ma.
chinery to the surface aboye. This shaft is
the commencement of operations in opening
mine, and is connected by gangways with
every chamber worked, and sometimes ex-
tends hundred fathoms into the earth.
A mine many hundred feet deep is in spen-
did working order; men, boys, and horses,
filled with animation and industry, throng the
chambers the sound Of the busy hammer,
pick and car enlivens the scene, and everything
is in cheerful contrast with the gloom that
enyelops all. Suddenly, by some unseen cause,
the circulation Of air is interrupted; fire.
damp Immediately accumuates to an explo-
sve degree in some portion Of the mine, and
an unthinklng miner enters the region and
sets the whole in blaze, which suifocates and
consumes everything in reach. Such is the
force OF this conclusion and those succeeding,
that those out Of the range of fame are stunned
or prostrated by the shock. Their lights are
blown out aud the warning that the explosion
may be rolling along the chambers to meet
them, causes many to hurry to the nearest
shaft. Unusual heaps Of rubbish impede
their progress, aud they wander in the wild
confusion to uncertain alleys, and sink down,
overcome by noxious yapors, or are swallowed
up in the seething atmosphere Of fame that
may penetrate every part Of the mine.
The miners Of this region earn very high
wages the year round when they work.
Those who are sober and frugal own their
own houses and save money, The life is
rather an adventurous one, and the tempta-
tion is to spend their earnings freely. The
grocery bills Of some small families average
fifty and sixty dollars per month, the wo-
men declaring that their good men work hard
for their money, and their only comfort is in
what they cat and drink. But this UNDER
ground work is net necessarily more severe
than certain kinds Of labor done upon the
surface. Ii is seldom that a miner will leave
he works and come to tho sod to earn his
living. The mining is done at so much per
ar, and they can have their own way. and in
dry, well ventilated mine they suffer no