The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-08-23

"Go down as fast rs tnatl" the super
intendent continued: "Oh. yes; there's no
danger. The shaft is nine hundred feet
deep, and we GU down sometimes in if
teen seconds; sometimes, when were in
no hurry, we take thirty seconds, some
times twenty. The engineer always
knows when to stop it, and the only dan
ger is at the top and bottom." The cage
stopped at our level with a jerk, and we
stepped out on little platform. about
six feet one way by four the other, with
roof, and fitted into the shaft so nicely
that marble could hardly roll through.
The superintendent seized q little iron
ring and pulled it twice (mine language
for "lower'); his hand hardly left the
ring before terrific rumbling began
(the cages make deafening noise), and
the floor tegan to sink from under us
like a fash of lightning. The bottom
was dropping out of everything. The
wheels rolling against the sides would
have shamed a northeaster on the coast.
This sinking lasted four or five seconds
Their we seemed TO stand still. Things
had changed. We were not moving, but
the sides of the shaft were going up, up,
as if they bad been shot up out of a vol
cano. wondered for a second or two
how long it would take at this rate for
the SHAFT 70 tear itself out of the mine en-
tirely. 1t began to 60 faster than ever.
There must have been about $40 miles of
that Shaft fired out already and still it
kept coming 1t went up so fast, the
shaft, that it began to perspire, and the
spray flew over US. AT this point 1--WE had
according to my calculation gone down
shout two thousand miles, | began to
lose all interest in shafts and mines.
We hadnt been moving for some time
but the sides of the shaft stopped all of a
sudden. | suppose it had all gone out
There were dim, smoky lights moving
about. There was mule moving (happy
reminder Of the world above), compla
Gently wagging his tail. We we're in the
mine Time of leaving daylight, 1910. Is
time of arriving in gassy darkness, 10.40.
33; time of trip, eighteen seconds
through express; no stops.
The main tunnel runs through th,
mine from end to end. From this smalle
tunnels branch of, and from these smalle
tunnels the workings are struck.
working is little black cave dug int
the black rock, and in it the miner spends
bis weary days. 1t begins with singh,
drilling into the rock, and keeps increas
ing every day and every hour until it il
big enough for a man to stand in. Still i
grows, till it is big, dark cave, and a
last, after months, or it may be years Of
silent labor, it turns into another tunnel
and other workings,in turn, branch out o
it. What is dug out of this tunnel in max
ing il is COIL. From one to five men worl
In each Of these holes, one miner diggin,
out the black wealth, the other laborer
shoveling it away. There were workin,
in these solemn caves, in little groups
four hundred men, digging and delvinQ
Drawing gas and falling rocks and kick
ing mules. One of the miners, handing
me his pick, asked me whether didn'
want to save piece that I'd mined ou
myself. The first stroke was failure
the second brought out half a ton or &c
all in one lump, but the third produce
shining little black diamond sparklin
like diamond of another sort, which
an saving till there's rise.
There comes while We stand territi
shock. Tho bed of rock under our fee
renbles; the wall of coal rising up b
our side, 90 cold and black, seems I
totter, current Of cir dies through tn
tunnels and drifts 90 unexpected. 20 vic
lent % indsscribsbly swift, that it feel
- II it was pebbles and stones and rock
ineesod of cir, and with this notion v
pat eur arns mp to shield our faces.
ss1iood list sven tn. niscrs did this.
- - q1ick that even long custoz
ouu11 ~ override instinct. Then, N
ccnun1 - ~. eouDes . tBsnsndeus eFas
>he1 , - ~ paFt ~ sAahis'