The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-10-16

subterranean Wonders.

A writer for the Turf, Field aud Farm
gives the following account OF the zinc
mines near Lanark, in the vicinity OF
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Three miles
from Lanark is the celebrated Lehigh
Valley Zinc Mine. The carbonate,
silicate and oxide are all found here,
and the purest zinc ore known is OBJ
tained from the shafts and tunpels. The
deepest shaft is two hundred and sixty
feet In depth, but the drifts run in every
direction. This part of the valley is
fairly undermined. Huge openings are
found in the earth, looking as if some
grand convulsions of nature had taken
place, instead Of being the result Of the
steady labor OF men in search OF wealth.
The greatest obstacle found in getting
out the ore was the accumulation OF
water in the drifts. To 30 great an eI-
tent did this interfere that after period
of heavy rains work was suspended.
To obviate this difficulty the company
some two years since erected the largest
pumping engine in the United States,
il not in the world. The cylinder Of
this engine is one hundred and ten
inches in diameter, with ten feet stroke.
The enormous iron castings were princi-
pslly run in Philadelphia. The great
est trouble was experienced in getting
the huge walking beams over the noun
tain to their final destination in the
valley. These were doubled on each
end OF the cross head OF the piston, and
each one weighed twenty-six tons, max
ing the total weight OF the walking
beams alone one hundred and four
tons.
The sections were transported on
wagons made by using car wheels and
axles, and forty-fve mules furnished
tho strength required to cart each one
to the mines. This huge piece of ma
chipery, in It's entirety, gives one a
greater idea OF the power Of steam than
ANYTHING we have yet looked at. Stand
ing a. it does q hundred feet above the
surface OF the ground, this huge beam
travels slowly up and down, and looks
and probably would be, irresistible to
ANYTHING that sought to interfere with
it's action. The whole OF this gigantic
machine workes noislessly and slowly.
Tuenty.seven pounds Of steam was
sending the enormous piston, whose rod
vas at least eight inches in diameter,
no and down 10 the cylinder, which
was ca large as an ordinary bed room,
without noise or creak. To look at the
en,ine. we little thought of the enor-
mons work it was capable OF until We
leecs ndei to the outlet OF the waters,
Tar below the ground upon which the
engine ie erected.
Going under the ground, in tunnel =,
for q hundred feet the earth showed up
ty whole trunks OF trees in mining fash
ion, We approach nearer and more
near the outlet Of the forced up waters
from their imprisonmeptin the buckets
Of the pump. The roar and rush Of
the waters increase as we draw more
closely, till We can hear nothing save
the gurgliug, groauiug splash Of the
saters as they come, dsshing into drops,
from the bowels OF the earth. Each
separate drop seems to shrek as it is
torn from it's fellow, and the darkened
air resoupds with its groaning. Conver-
saiion is impossible, and we hasten TO
DAYLIGHT once again, glad to leave this
abode OF murdered water sprites to it.
self We draw frser bresths as We
emerge into the sunlight, and thank