The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-23
reported for Tue GLoBE,l
Geological Excursion of the Senior
Glass of Middlebury College to Port
Henry. N. Y.

Glass of Middlebury College to Port
Henry, N. Y.
Editor Of tile Globe Having decided
after great deal of deliberation and con-
sultation that we would time the annual
geological excursion this year 10 take in the
great explosion at Mineville, we left this
quiet borough bright snd carly on the
morning of the 10th, in most gorgeous
picnic coach drawn by four of the liveliest
chargers that Williamson's capacious stable
affords. The only cloud that detracted
from the EJoyousness of the occasion beng
the disappointment caused by our genial
Prof. Seely's inability to accompany US, ow-
ing to severe cold.
The rain was falling in an ambiguous
sort of drizzle, and the roads were de-
cidedly mucilagenous, but we banlshed mel
ancholy with song and story after the man.
ner of our ancestors in the good old coach
ing days. We reached Port Henry shortly
after noon and were greeted most cordially
by mine host Jennings, of the Lee house,
who by the way, can boast of one of the
best regulated hotels in northern New York.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. Botthum,
the gentlemanly book-keeper of the
Lake Champlain & Moriah railroad, a
special train was delayed to enable US to
dine, and the same gentleman also very
kindly gave us free passes TO Minevile and
return.
The explosion was not a success but twas
very ludicrous to zee the sudden putting off
of senior dignity-at the first blast-as one
of the party plunged beneath gravel car
and the rest scattered promiscuously to
sheltering houses and sheds to escape the
shower of stones.
Nobody was injured, although one of the
class gravely stated that piece of ore as
lornn es church struck him on the top OF
After some of the party had visited an
other mine we returned to Port Henry, and
in the evening visited the Cedar Point fur
nace-where we witnessed the complicated
process of making Bessemer iron. Much
establishment was excited by the engine,
which is indeed monster, making the
''Corliss engine" seem quite diminutive
Through the politeness of Assistant En-
gineer McCarty we obtained several
noteworthy facts concerning the furnace
among others that she is the only furnace
in the country that has run through the
hard times of the last two years, except the
Pennsylvania furnaces.
Ga the following morning the rain hay
ing ceased we visited the wharves of the
Witherbee's, Sherman & Co., and the Port
Henry Iron Ore Co., where were obtained
many fine specimens, thence went by rail
that is walked between them-to the So
called "Cheever dock" where were two
cars, evidently awaiting our arrival, to con-
vey us to the mine about mile distant.
This ride was quite romantic the cars in
which we were seated being drawn up by
the weight of the loaded ones with wire
cable and pulley.
The requisite lamps and guides procured
we descended into the mine known as
"Patterson's pitt" by means of ladder fif-
teen hundred feet in length. This mine
beggars description therefore 81 give it
up" but We crawled and slipped and
plunged over precipices into pools of inky
water, through holes barely large enough
TO admit us etc., etc., was certainly very
exciting as well as ruinous to our garments.
Finally, when nearly exhausted we sat our
selves down on the rocks and awoke the
echoes of those almost endless cayerns
with the iolliest of college songs, our
guides joining in on the chorus with great
enthusiasm. After witnessing the working
OF the compressed air drill, which was
very fully explained by Mr.. Trowbridge,
the "boss," We wendell our way TO the bot
tom of the shaft and were drawn up in
bucket three hundred and fifty feet per
pendicular, tand as with blackened faces
we stepped out on the platform we drew a
deep sigh OF relief and were 'glad we had
got out"
A two mile walk to the Lee house fol-
lowed, which was accomplished in twenty
minutes, Notwithstanding our exhaustion.
Our right rsyal dinner being demolished
we again took possession of our "coach and
four, gave the citizens little scramble,
and started for CLONE, sweet home"
through the ram and mud, and as we dash
ed into Middlebury with "Charie" holding
the ribbons, as only he knows how TO do.
no one would have suspected that we had
been less than two hours coming from the
lake, and now the question is, "Did we
bring back more rocks than we left?"