, 1874-07-14

tho n1odos now praotiood. Another is to sink a
perpendicular shaft to rosoh tho .gein, and
s'9 sps ~ef3 gemo t 's e sfe sse nssis hata
smnll lotumotiYo ongineB to moyo tho cars lii
of II the bert htook tdet Gun bo hetl atc purchased
.ae az 10 SRe 1y' e ss sG ee s s1i Sg Tss s
near 30 largo as those usol for trannportation;~E
and on descending grades tho driver has to nut
"spragg" in tho whoala. Tho mines arc noArly
q" on .hS samS pfnopo By ho
ono. which may norve for nj, -
THE PROSPECT slfArT,
located on tho northorn border uf this city:
Thia tract has boom worked for a long tmo In
mile and l,nlf nndor ground. TIC LohgL Val.
III t.oir intoresEloascd of Mr. john wollos ds
Ho1lcnhack tho veins supposed to exist below,
but up to that time nevor tested here IN tho con-
{! shaft is tho point Of an elevated ridge Of per-
haps 200 foot above tho loyol of the river, fho
roaAon for SOLICITING thia elevation is, thnt,
when the oonl Ia at tho surface 1t eau DO
and aa it falls, in course Of preparation
from "orackera" to screens, BY tho ttmo
1t reaches the bottom 1t Is at tho proper eloya-
tion In tho pockets to fall Into tho cars on tlo
ralroat-traok. A bron1tor, as horo undoratooa,
u
shelving beach, but structure Of heavy tin.bor
framework, ordinarily from 80 to 100 foot high,
covered with, perpendioular Notwithstanding.
When not at tho beso Of . hill the oars have to
aro two hoavy, cast,iron cylinders, with strong
teeth prof 1ootlng from tic external surface.
These reyolve towards each other, and, ~ tho
coal pnasca botwoon tlem, 1t falls into iron
screens, with various slzod meBhes to mako tho
different kinds OF coal, suoh as
"sToyE," "onATE, - " "cuEsTNur," ETC.;
wasso III Tho form Of onln which. Isl is now OWL iot t
as nnsightly moundB Of black dirt about tho
works: As tho coal passes down s!oping
slate-pickers, who pick out tho lumpa Of slate
and bono" when pasaing thon1. A Sitting
black dust is sot free in this grinding process.
The boys arc astd to bcoomo very export In tholr
profession, aelooting, tho impurities BY their
slate being much hoavior than coal.
The external opening Of tho shaft ia about IA By
45 feet divided into four sections to facilitate tho
up aud down motions Of tho cara ut the same
called "b1attico," ani . shoad-Rounoh Of cass- 4,
iron framework, not unlike tho derrick Of an
oll-wolt. 4 powerful steam engine, placed Bev-
etal rods from tho mouth Of tho pit, docs al tho
holst!ng and pumping; 4 alao drives ~ fan"
tubes to ali parts Of tho 1nlno. This Is a very
important part Of ita f,tuctions Tor, should tho
flow Of air oeaae for ehort time, tho eiroot
would bo worry disastrous to tho workinen em-
ployed In tho mine.
TIE VENTILATION nAw :
OF this State requires two openings to ovory
mlne, and tho Company arc now sinking another
about quarter Of mile distant, without which
they arc prohibited from working moro mon
than arc Just enough to driyo gangways and to
paradox, that, while ono Of tho greatest troubles
tho operator has to contend with Is m oxcoss Of
water, yet tho want Of 1t, at the sama time, is
not much loss serious; This Company has pu.
up az engine at tho river. BY which plentiful
to M Artificial basin on tho I'LL noar
tho ahaft. They must hayo p,iro wator
for tho boilors; that pumped from tho
mines would oorrodo tho iron, and destroy them
IN fow months. This SHIFT Ia ssunk on what tho
tho rock pitching both ways from ridge, thoro
was no water mot with In sinking, though It iB
noar tho river, md 800 or 400 feet below its bod
at tho bottom. The intention Of tho Company
underlying the fats on tho other aldo. In tho
minc thoro ii what ia called a "dump = that is
an excavation Of eay 90 feet wido, and Of tho
sa1no dopth, and 900 feet long, to collect and ro-
tain The water for some time, In case tho pumps
should becOmo disabled.
In this as In all doop rnineB, there Ia great
danger from
1NFLAafsIAn1E Gas.
Though q now openlng, it has already boen
fired, aud The explosions aro said to havo been
terrific. It had to bo tlllol by pumping water
order to e1tinguiah tho fire, There are various
the general name oi dainp.S 'Bla,ck- k-damp,h
or ,''choko:damp" asit is sometimes called, Is
BY men than water. Being heavier than common
air 1t einke to tho lowest Ioyols. "Ere-damp"
i8 carburctted-hydrogen gas, inodornus and
not perceptlble to the senseB, but highly indR,n-
mablo; is lighter than common alt, and asoonds
placca 1t 1ows to tho surface In a constant
stream. and may be ignlted by applying 1natoh,
whom 1t will burn with the regularity OF gas
tot for any length Of tinlo. Whom collected n
large quantity IN a. old working. i will explode
with great forco. I have seen tfmbors Of IL or
20 inches in diameter snapped Off like pipe-
Rtems by m explosion. 1ta effoct Is most fatal.
All who arc noE burned to cindor by tho.
flame a1e inevitably suffocated by tho saftor-
sa1 a IL # e. eyoys dy By the
acoidenta OF this kind, tir Humphrey Dayy ln-
yonted safety-lanp that bearr his name. This
ia lamp surrounded by screen Of wlro-ganze,
through which tho flame viii not pass, but Which
noiso. The workmon are PCT permitted to entot
their HbreaBtB till tho " fre-bosB" has tested
tho alr with Ills :" uavy."
To give some idoa OF tho
EXTENT QF TIE C0Al~DUSIHES8
I will name q few Of the 1linos iu this Immediate
vicinity; At q point miles north Of Wilkes
barro nro the two slopes OF the Riyorsido Coal
Company, from which there is talen out from
300 to 1000 tons per day; the burroughs shaft.
working two veins, half as much; Elliott alopo,
perhaps l00 Maffot'a slope. from 800 to sod
ions. Up hill Creek . short distance
Is Hillman's slope, Of 200 or 800 tons
tue Union Works Of tho Delaware
= Hudson Company, Of perhaps 1000:
is tho Pine Ridge Bhaft, of
400 or GOD toms; tho Laurel Run slope Of tho
Delaware y Hudson Company, Of 900 or 600;
Ehon the IMMORAL spring slopes, OF 900 then
comes No. 3. .alope Of the Delaware l. Hud-
son, perhaps 1,006 Nos. aud ., old Baltimore,
of the Dolawaro l. Hudson, extensive. Tho
Wtlkosbnrre Il Lohtgh have in succession the
Black Diamond tunnel and shaft, the two slopes
of the Hollsnbaok, tho Kilder slope, tho old
Empire HIlnft, and tho large works no1t below
producing perhaps, 5000 TONS tlay, These works
are all on strip Of territory about miles
onE ana loss than q wide. on tho east aido OF
:ho snsquohanna and tho same condition of
:hings continues down to Napticohe, 10 miles. |
lhon cross to tho west side. and i'm to Ply. |
mouth, to tho Avondalc, ,-whero vail wont Up
fow years ago for tllb 108 minors Butrocated by
he burning Of tho hoad-houso oyor tho ahaft,-
Ill the way up to Pittaton, at the hoad OF tho |
'alley, aud II ia tho eanlo,-in fact, all tho way
n Gnrbnndnta hnth tifna nf thu Et.aoi1ah anna |