, 1877-09-15

they ARE run some 1000 feet intc
ont vein some nine feet in thickness
Before each was about 4 feet thick.
A short distance from their mine 4
rock tunnel has been cut, running nearly
due south between 500 and 900 feet
opening up Vo 5, and No. 8, ready to run
gangways parallel TO the main gangway
of No. ., by which coal from ), and 0,
can be taken out. No. 5 vein is some
10 feet thick, No. 8, Is not over 4, feet
thick. The union of one and two, and
the rock tunnel into five and six make
this the main mine, certainly the best
and one of the largest coal mines on the
coast; the Seattle coal being second to
none for steam and domestic uses.
The main gangway is called No. 2, as
that is the vein they use in hauling the
coal out. This has been run over six
thousand feet.
The coal from No. 3, is not so pure,
consequently has not been as extensively
worked as the other veins.
No. 4, is run in between 500 and 900
feet. 1t is Al loot vein, and is very
successfully worked.
This is the vein that Mr.. Flannigan
took US through, going the length of the
ganeway; part of the way being rock
tunnel in the coarse sandstone rock :.
then mp into the breasts, and finally
leaving the mine by he ventilation pas
sage at the top of the hill, Mr.. Murray
the foreman Of this part Of the mine
accompanying us.
Mr.. Lewis suggested that it would be
necessary to procure miners rig, to go
through the main mine, so obtaining u
suit of ducking, and miners lamp we
followed our guide for half mile or
more up the hill and through the woods,
until near the furnace, when coming to
trap door, he opened it, and requested US
to 20 into the yawning chasm beneath.
We complied, when he stepped down
after us, closing the trap door. After
descending nearly perpendicularly some
forty feet or more, clinging to rope for
support, we found ourselves before big
blazing furnace.
We had frequently heard of the infer.
nal regions, and read descriptions Of
them; how the luckiess Individual would
be seized taken OFF through deep, dark
wood, and DO brought to the gates of
hell, which would open to receiys him,
disclosing deep dark PIT, adown which
he would be forced to 30, AMI how this
would bring him to the fires kept con.
tinually burning &C., &c. Enough he
it said, this was, to say the least, the
most perfect reminder of these things we
had ever seen. The furnace proved to
be simply fire kept up 10 vcntilate the
mine, and keep a current of pure air con-
stantly circulating through it. The dark
passage was the return air passage, stu
ate along the vein some four hundred and
fifty feet on the incline, above the level
Of the gangway and parallel to il; this
passage running along 't the upper end
of the breasts or working rooms, the
gangwsy being .. their lower end, and
small passage being made below the
gangway, still on the same incline of the
coal seam, and parallel to it, by which
the pure air is brought into the mine,
carried its whole length, then drawn
along the return air passage to the fire
that keep up the draft.
In most mines the aIr comes in the
main gangway, goes its length, then pass
ing by the return passage as in this
mine. 1t is not brought into the mine
this way, in this mine, because the work.
ing rooms are 90 long and the accumula-
tions of coal so great that the breasts
could not he easily kept mir tight. After
gong about one half mile from the fur
mace, we entered another yawning chasm,
being the upper end of one Of the breasts
and sat down on the loose coal, and slid
some four hundred and fifty feet to the
main gangway, another reminder of the
proverbialy easy road that is supposed
to lead to the Internal regions. Thence
we went to the face of the gangway, and
saw the men drilling, preparatory to
blasting. This coal is quite hard, so
that it has to be blasted out otherwise
no physical force has to be used to keep