The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-02

"
are families like Mr.. Fairs and Mr.. Mac
kay's that would grace any station. but
taken generally, society in Virginia Civ is
one of the enignlAs of life. Il should be re-
membered that several thousands of the
population of this city are always under
ground. In all the mines there are three
shifts of hands. Each shit or detail works
eight hours. One shit goes down at O'Clock
IN the afternoon and stays until 10 O'Clock at
night, when 1t comes up and another goes
down to stay until o'clock in the morn
ing, when that in turn comes up and an
other goes down and STAYS until O'clock in
the afternoon, and SO on day after day, in
Guiding Sundays.
THE DESCENT INTO THE NINE.
The Consolidated Virginia Mine is
reached by main shait-probably 20 by 10.
1t has no tunnels running to the surface be.
cause it is situated on level ground. The
shaft, as before stated, is now down a dis
lance of 1.55O feet. Those not accustomed
TO Judge of distances had better stop and
make calculation that will give them
vlded INTO three perpendicular apartments
about six by four. 10 these the
cages" run. The cages are simply
strongly built platforms, somewhat smaller
IMAM the apartment or tube in which
they descend, and are covered by a bonnet
OF iron for protection from anything falling
from above. These cages-why they are
called "cages" / can not imaeine-are hOisted
and lowered by means of immense engines
and nc achinery. This machinery-one ma
chlne for each cage-turns wheel or drum
upon which fiat wire rope is wound. AS
TINS wheel makes its revolutions the cage, to
which the other end of the rope is attached
goes up or down, as desired by the engi-
neer. The machines are SO perfect IN con-
structton that the weight OF a finger regu-
lates their speed, and sends the
cage whizzing through the shaft, or
regulates It TO five minute trip. Each of
the three hosting compartments has three
cages, one above another. On these the ore
is brought up and the empty cars are sent
down. When the shifts of men take place,
each OF the three hosting machines bring
up eighteen men, and when it goes down it
takes the same number of fresh hands. 1t
requires two minutes to go up or down in
these cages, or Just four minutes for the
round trip. The cages are not like hotel
elevators in any sense. In the first place
they are worked by machinery that costs
more of itself than ordinary hotels cost: in
the next place they go about
TEN TIMES AS FAST AS HOTEL ELEVATORS:
and in the next lace they have no sides to
them, no places to sit on and no lights; be-
sides they are damp, and as you get down
very hot and disagreeable with steam. The
precision with which they are worked is
very remarkable. and can not understand
how the shaft was made so exactly perpen-
dicular for 1850 feet that the cages do not /
strike the sides. Ample provision is made |
for safety, so that even il the rope breaks, |
as 1t did in one of the shafts snort time /
ago, the stage stops almost instantly. |
the Consolidated Shat went yI9sn down
joining the immense building which /
covers the shaft and IN which the machinery
is, there is a building used for Offices. In the
rear is a carpeted room in which there are a |
bath tub, half hundred shoes, as MANY
suits of wooden clothes, similar to bathing
suits at the sea shore, and about the same
number of overwhelmingly bad hats,
These suits are for visitors to wear in going
into the mine. The terrible heat ofthe mine /
and its dampness in places prevents the visi-
tor from wearing any article OF ordinary 4
In such a suit as have described /
L stepped on the cage, light feeling at the
head and a jumping at the heart. Mr.. Mac
kay, Gen. LeGrange, Ben Holiday, jr., and 1
the foreman OF the mine werel
my companions. The steam was oozing
up around us from the caverns below, the /
cage shook little as each one stepped on,
the bell struck, the hand of the engineer was |
upon the lever, and down we dropped. Just
ABOVE our heads stout iron bar ran across /
the cage. With one hand / grasped this
q
the cage shot down, like q cannon ball tall-
ing from shot tower, my breath became a
thing L was afraid of losing, and felt a |
weakness about the legs which did not
speak well for my confidence in them. /
must confess nv head was very light, and
that the hand that grasped the bar was the
only thing strong about me. Before we
could bid good-by to the light of day and
the busy world around, we were
IN DARKNESS BLACK AS COAL.
A sound heard above like the moving
Of machinery, and cars filed with
ore went rumbling along the iron
floor we had left. Steam and heat
came up from below, and water dripped
upon our heads from above as we shot farther
and farther into the earth. Soon the
sound died out moment of silence fol-
lowed, and then the noise OF engines and
drills and picks came up to Us from the bot
tom of the mine. A moment later, and we
felt that the speed was lessening. The warm
Ing mark on the rope had told the engineer
that the cage was almost down. A second
after little bump was felt, the
cage stopped, and we stepped into the mine,
L 500 feet from the surface, Time, two min
utes. Here was comrnodious station, or
well ventilated and strongly tim
bered. 1t reminded me of a railroad station
the cages being the cars, the miners the
the ore and timber the freight.
To this station the ore is brought in cars,
holding 800 pounds. The cars are pushed
On to the cage, the bell is rung, and up goes
The precious freight. The air &C this station
was rather warm, but it was so much better
than at other points in the mine that it was
4 positive pleasure to return to it, after
going through some of the drifts. In some
places the temperature was 40 degrees. If
anybody had told me it was 200, 1 do not
think could have disputed or argued the
II wa rat ar Ql ad w lei
Grange, in one Of the hottest cross-cuts, said
hat his delicate health would not admit of
mis- going any farther. OF course we could
not leave him, and so we all turned back.
At the end OF some OF the drifts, or cross
cuts, the ore, which the miners were digging
,ut with picks, and blasting when 1t became
necessary, was so lot that person could not
rest his hand upon y. At one