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

q deafeuing noise it is. The roof must
inevitably fall In With such shock, we
think. But it doesn't; it is only blast,
such as there are hundreds If every day,
and the next moment all is quiet as the
grave again.
Going through the dark tunnel four or
five hundred yards, we came to little
underground depot, guarded by man
with black face and n lamp in his hat.
This man was the legraph operator.
The Audenried mire has nl the appli-
ances of modern civi,izl,ion-rxcept a
ray of sunshine, row and then so, Of
course, it has liz t iegraph lines. A wire,
ending at this point in the mine, runs
into the office, on tn, surface, and the
miner in the depths can talk with the
boss above almost rs frequently as 1t they
were together. BY the side Of the instru-
ment, locked in walnut case, was sig
nal card, with the explanations. single
tap, for example, meaut stop the en-
gines;" two taps, "Hoist double quick"
Three taps, Explosion" The replies
were some of them uncOmfortably sug-
gestive Thirteen, "How long can you
stand itl" Sixteen, "Where is the fire9"
And the answers to these again: I'VE can
stand it for five mnutes;" "ten minutes"
ian hour" all indicated 10y different num-
bers. With this " ire, if fire breaks out,
notice is at once given above. If there is
an explosion of gas, the warning is sent.
1t is "a great protection to the miners, and
it would be a great comfort to them, IT
they should he suffocating below, to get
the signal from above: "Stick it out,
boys; there's plenty of air up here"
This mine" said he, has great deal
of gas-more, perhaps, than any other
mine in the country. We have gas in
spector who goes all through the work
ings every morning before the miners 60
to work. Each working is numbered.
He goes into working No. 10, for In
stance, and fluids gas. He makes n memo
randum and goes on. In No. 16, per-
haps. there is no gas; in No. II there is a
great deal. So he goes through them all,
carrying safety or Humphrey Davy
lamp, which guards him against an ex
plosion. Then he comes to this place and
marks the black board. If working
has only a little gas in it, he puts one
cross opposite its number; if it has a
SoOu veal nc PutS tNO StS>Cs, obO WHICH
a working is marked with three crosses
the miner must on no account G, into 1t
with his light. He can go into it at his
own risk when he has two crosses, or Can
keep his eyes open when he has one cross;
but it is safer for him to keep out if he
has any cross at all. AT least half the
workings OF the mine were marked with
two and three crosses, and | began to
make mental calculations of the prob
able effect of being blown up.
We went through more dark tunnels,
up more Mills, through more doors, In search
of the gas inspector. After while
"Halloa," shouted the foreman.
"Halloa-oa," answered voice, that
might have been a mile or two away, but
1t wasn't
Here he is" said the foreman, and he
held his lamp down near the ground,
bringing to light hole in the wall three
feet or Whereabouts wide, and about four
feet high. He's up here, and l guess
there's gas"
the superintendent put his face down
to the hole aud shouted:
s-there-any-gas
Yes answered the voice. Don't
!. bring -light-in."
You wait here" said the superintend-
ent, "and I'll find out whether it's safe to
90 in" So ne stood his lamp on the
ground, got down on his HANDS and knees
and crawled in. Presently the foreman
took notion to go in too; so he set down
his lamp aud he crawled in. This left me
alone in the tunnel. which wasn't pleas
ant. They both stayed a long time--so
long that | began to think they had
slipped out Of the mine by the back door.
After while gave up all hope of see
ing them again, and wondered how long
I could live on the oil in the lamps
While was wondering voice came very
near my ear saying: You can Come up
but leave light behind
stood my lamp by the others, got
down on all tours, aud crawlsd up. The
coal that had been mined out lay loose
upon the floor aud rolled under my knees
The opening inclined upward to an angle
not less than forty-tive degrees; and, a:
the ceiling nowhere was more than foul
feet high, iocomOtion was almost a. SLOW
rs in an Arch street car. After while
heard their voices. Somebody said
Here we are: don't come too far in; it.
pretty gassy."
The gas Inspector sat on the coal will
little Humphrey -Davy safety lamp il
his hand.
"Show him how to detect gas, " said tn,
superintendent.
The ;nsDoctov hai1 th> Ion =, hack in ,