The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-05-26

ana the only tnlng one seems certain
about is that he is rapidly going down.
This underground descent, unlike moral
decline, has no gittering attractions TO
lure one on. One feels constantly like
turning back, for he can see nothing save
bis guide and the lantern, nor can he
hear anything but the faint echo Of coal
and dirt crushing underneath his tread.
The descent is winding, and occasionally
one can recognize above and upon either
side of him black, glistening rock As
the journey proceeds, the air thickens.
One cannot help feeling an uncomfortable
sensation the atmosphere grows thicker
and thicker, and the heat increases at
every step, until it seem. that one is sur
rounded by blazing furnaces. The per-
spration starts from the pores, and the
current Of air constantly pouring in from
outside appears to be caught and sub
dued by that dreadful heat which almost
stiles you. There is no let-up to it no
relief but, each and every moment, one
seems to be surely and inevitably ap-
preaching hell. Suddenly there falls up
on the air a peculiar noise, like the NUT
tering Of internal spirits, away down in
the deepest depths Still on, and these
mutterings increase to mighty roar, uu.
til by and by one can detect sound as it
made by falling waters, which gains and
increases on the ear. The old guide con-
tinues slowly on the way; clouds Of smoke
envelop our heads, until the cavern, TAX
ing peculiar curve, brings US under .
mighty arch, the floor and sides of which
seem to be mass Of Kissing, cracking
flames. The distance is between 300
and 800 feet under ground The fire ex
tends over this immense area Of 200
yards. dread and appalling but indescrib
ably beautiful. 1t looks like an immense
sea of glittering gold, across the heaving
breast of which pass and repass the soft
est and richest combinations Of colors
blue, purple, green, crimson, minglng
and interminging. There are human be-
ings there who have spent many month";
in fighting this fire, and who will spend
many months yet to come. They are ter
rible looking creatures, with besmeared
faces, and rough blackened forms They
spend each but few hours, for so in
: tense is the heat that new men must come
very frequently to their relief. AS it is
scarcely day passes during which same
poor fellow does not yield and be carried
out inscnsibe 1t must be an awful life
to lead. and awful indeed the circum-
stance which compel so many to endure
e it. From the outside of the mine run
down to these drcary depths large iron
: pipes filed with volumes Of water. When
t they reach a certain point below they di
vide into other pieces Of smaller capacity.
to each Of which are connected large
i pieces of hose With these hose the men
attack the fire at the edges with the hope
r that they may extinguish it inch by inch
: 1t is slow and painful work, and pro
n cess that to the observer appears hope
8 less OF any future success Contemplate
S it. A fire larger than any you have ever
i seen, not formed Of timber or of loose
S combustible material, but of solid rock.
n 1t extends over 1900 yards and repre-
d sents millions of dollars worth Of coal,
e The arches above it, the avenues leading
C from it, lraught with poisonous gases,
J. sitting to the senses and ruinous to the
h heaith-a mighty conhagratiop, to be
e fought with water inch by inoh for years
" and years to come for while its edges
y may be cooled its roaring center is grad
e ually finding its way downward, no one
6 knows to what unheard.ot depth L. Cor.
:. ". Y. Herald.
:. - REFORM IN THE CoURrs.-Our system
. . of courts descended to us from an early
n day aud in certain respects needs an ex-
;. tensve reformation. First, in the county
- courts we have in each county two assist
- an: judges, or, as they are often called
"sido" Judges, in all, twenty-elght IN the
State; these men attend the various ses-
sions of the county courts which average
in each county, about seven weeks each
a year, and are paid three dollars each pei
,, day. These men cost the State, there
~ fore, over thirty-fve hundred dollars per
q year. This sum need not Brighten US, a:
- it can be paid without distressing the
. dear people, but are they of any use nc
- ~ one in the State claims that they are
~ ~ The late Judge Phelps said that when OIL
~ the bench he never consulted one Of them
~ ~ but once, and then he asked him if il
r didn't tire him sitting on hard chair SC
40 long and nothing to do and JudgC
N Phelps experience was probably that o
" every presiding Judge in the State. Fol
a every practical purpose that can be i'm
ID sgined, the State might as well erect tive
!. wooden statues on the top of the Cour
. . House or at each end of the break.watel
q - in the bay, or in the great northern berry
n. market Of Mr.. Chauvin near the head o.
n Church street, as to elect these side
70 judgss-so we say abolish them.
q Second, we need change in our Su
preme Court. As the law now exists
:, four of the seven Supreme Court Judge
"A must hold q session in each county onc'
10 every year so they 90 trundling abou
.. from county to county holding sessions
"a varying in length from half day to ;
M week, hearing cases and not remaining
70 long enough to properly consider them
m but about all they do is to have the case
= entered with the court and sometime
"a they remain with the court for years a
u time undecided; in addition to thes'
~ sessions they hold general one every
"a fall at Montpelier In every case involv
|" 's' ing questions of constitutional law of an,
=. Importance and in cases Of disagree
70 70 ment of the judges, the cases are ordere'
IL IL to the general term, which causes della,
Ia of several months in most cases. w
he would suggest that our Supreme Cour
, ~ hold one, or at most two, sessions eacl
hs year in one place, or if the mountain
~ must still divide the State in judicial a
- in other matters, say in two places. Th
~. business would be done better, more ex
nd peditiously with greater satisfaction t
L the Judges and to the parties, much les