The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-15
THREE DAYS UNDERGROUND,

The sun on Friday, April 2, had risen
brightly on the mining-village of Car
bonoir, and the dull and dismal March
days, with their raw, rainy, inclement
weather, looked long way back since
the genial sunshine had frightened our
dispositions and dried our roads.
The miners had d" struck" the pre-
vious day, and the inside workings and
breakers were deserted, except by the
engineers and firemen. We-that is,
the superintendent, the "inside boss, !"
and mine engineer or surveyor-had
decided to take advantage of the cessa-
tion of work and make trip inside, in
older particularly to look at one of the
"breasts, in which "roll" had been
met, and in general to view tie appear
ance of the mine to see that none of
the doors had been left open by which
the inside air would be vitiated for
our mines were not free from fre-damp;
to observe the timbers, for in parts of
the mine there had been Indications of
a "squeeze ;" and also to notice the
workings of our two-inch steam pumps,
which were strained to their utmost
working as they were under the
high pressure of ninety pounds of
steam : to keep the mines clear of
water.
On the day before, out of curiosity,
I had measured the stream they were
throwing, and found to my astonish-
ment that their combined outputs
amounted to 5000 gallons per minute.
AS our tramp was to be an extended
one, over the whole of the mine, which
in one direction was driven for more
than mile, and had labyrinthine pas
sages that would have sadly puzzled
any one not acquainted with the work
ings, we took our dinners along in the
little buckets that miners carry, and
also bottle of oil for the supply of
our lamps.
The day previous had been some
what an idle one with me, and, know
ing the course our trip was to take, l
amused myself by taking little sketch
from the larger map of the vicinity of
the particular "breast" we intended
visiting. 1 thought nothing OF it at
the time but afterwards, as will be
seen, it became of the greatest import
ance.
We took a walk through the breaker
and the outside workings before we
went inside. There were the eight
boilers working at pressure of ninety
pounds of steam, and trembling with
the mighty force within them; but of
their safety We felt no fear, as they had
few days before been examined by the
inspector and pronounced safe to a
pressure of 40 pounds to a square
inch.
A loud kissing sound. like the rush
of waters, caused us to turn suddenly,
but it was only the steam blowing
through the safety-valve. At last, our
examination being completed, we light
ed our lamps, climbed into the cage,
and gave the engineer the signal to
lower us down the shaft slowly.
The descent in shaft is very pecu-
liar feeling to those who have never ex-
perienced it. We have all felt the odd
sensation in the back and breast when
using O forty-foot pole swing. The feel
ing there is difficult to describe, but
may be said to be as though the breath
in your body, instead of making its
natural exit, was going from the back
of the lungs to the front, and thence
out through the breast-bone.
So with the sensation in descending
a shaft. Here it is not only the breath
that appears to be leaving you, but the
blood. bones, and brain all seem to be
trying to escape through the roots of
the hair a capillary sensation which is
anything but pleasant.
We made the descent of 357 feet
in two and one-half minutes, and ar
rived safely at the bottom of the shaft
The working of our mine had been
begun on the most scientific principles,
but several layers of hard rock had
made the shaft extremely costly and
the circumstances of the company were
somewhat straitened when we had
reached the coal vein of which we were
in search.
1t is generally customary to have a
"sump," or chamber for holding va
ter, at the bottom of the shaft, so that
in case anything should happen to the