The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-05
WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEB. s.

angles to the gallery we were traversing.
Here the boss stopped, saying he would show
rs some "gas" If we liked. He thea blew out
his open lamp. lighted his safety lamp, and
until he called to us. In moment he cried
out ''all right and we followed through the
rugged archway of stone which terminates
after few rods in ragged wall OF coal, to
reach which the tunnel had been made.
Now, said he, watch the lamp, az the
same time thrusting 1t up into fissure in the
roof. In moment the blaze grew fainter, anu
soon 1t went cut with feeble flicker. THAT
Is what causes the explosions in coal mines,
said he. There was q pool OF water at our feet
could see little Bubbles breaking mp all over it;
coming in contact with the blaze OF the lamp
they spit up into little jets of flame. There
it Is again." said he. We then went back to
the gspgway. As we went along we noticed
small holes tuDneled out at right angles; these
he explained were the sir-courses by means Of
which the mine was ventilated. AT intervals
we came to pSrIi ions across the gallery with
doors in them. By opening and closing these
doors the currents of air supplied BY the VEN
tilating apparatus can lie diverted from one
point to another in the mine as occasion e.
quires.
At length, after travelling about half mile
L expressed desire to see JUST where tne coai
is dug. The boss then said ne would take US
up q "msn-way" ian open sho1t) though be
was afraid 1t would be "a nasty iab for u.s."
And indeed we found it, OF at least did, not
only "nasty," bat very difficult aud tiresome
job. 1t was almost exactly ike climbing up
an old fashioned chimney ut slight inclina-
ton. At every four feet of space it was gtrted
round against the sides by small pieces OF
timber, which afforded only slight foothold
for the climber. The difficulty was increased
by these pieces not always being set 10 on
regular line 10 front and at the sides, the side
pieces sometimes dropping foot lower than
III Inc .va lanJtn
eomplished the ascent Us yards), and turning to
the right and climbing up over m 4ss OF loose
coal found ourselves seated on this mass under
very low roof, formed over head at our backs,
as we sat facing tie gaugway, of hard hioty
wall of coal, and in front by slopiDg roof OF
slate. This is what is called "breast"-
namely, the breadth of coal worked between
two shoots, and the loose coal we were seated
upon Is called "gob" and is allowed to accu-
mulate SO as to keep the bottom within con-
venient working distance OF the roof Away
up In these dismal caverns the miners ply their
drills In the overhangng wall OF coal, at every
"shot" being obliged to climb down these
shoots some 80 feet and sheltec themselves be-
bind a shoulder in the side, while anon ths
charge goes off with deafening report above
their heads, and huge jagged masses OF coal
come hurtling down the shoot past them with
terrific bumpng and gathering against the
walls and timbers. Surely miners lie Is not
pleasant one!
We then descended again 10 the saugway ard
went back toward the mouth OF the mine. As
space torblds will only notice one more feat
ure Of my observations As we came along
where one side of the gangway was formed of q
broad face of slate, Joe asked she "boss" to
''show me the marks on the WALL. Accord
ingy he swept the blaze of the lamp over the
stone and what curious fresco WORK OF
ferns aud matted grasses and fish scales and
shells it displayed! How many ages ago was
that curious Handwriting on the wall'' traced,
and what fiery hand held the pen?
Arriving at the mouth of the upward shaft
the boss pulled signal wire, we placed QUIZ
selves on the cage and were soon going up to-
ward daylight, now hanging suspended as it
were, 10 cloud of vapor as we shot up-the
shaft having been filled with steam from the
boilers to prevent ice from forming in it.
can take but hasty glance at the outside
works of the colliery. Suffice it to say that the
coal, as it comes up out of the shaft is trundleC
off on a tfamway to the building contain
ing the "breaker" and other apparatus. This
consists first of q wide sluice the first slope OF
which is but slight. At the upper point of
this the mules are detached from the cart,
which runs down with sufficient force to dump
the cart on it's coming against the stout ''buf-
fers' at the lower end, precipitating the load
down steep sheet-iron sluict-way upon level
floor below. Hers it is picked into small
pieces and pushed down square holes Ito the
jaws of the ponderous coal breaker revolving
below, which consists of two heavy iron drums
spiked with iron teeth set in them after the
fashion of q threshrg machine beater, the
teeth revolving between one another. From
the breaker goes into the SCREEN" long
cylinder covered with network of wire, and
having the end farthest from the breaker COD
siderably lower than the other end. This
screen is divided into sections; the first has very
small apertures between the wires and the
smallest variety of coal is sifted out there,
then In the next lower section the next larger
kind comes out until at length in the last
compartment we get the largest kinI-steam-
boat coal.
just between the "breaker building and
the hosting engine house is the house where
the pumping apparatus is located, where the
engines of q hundred and fifty horse power
each are slowly aud laboriously at work all the
time pumping water out of the bottom of the
mine through shaft made especially for that
purpose.
Having completed our explorations we re-
turned home and spent the rest of the evening
in trying to get the smut off our hands and
faces. After much scrubbing thought had
succeeded, and indeed 1 was white enough to
"pass respectfully among a crowd of miuers,''
but had to take bath all over in water hot
as could bear it on my return to Harrisburg
before was up to the standard of cleanliness
of o non-miniug community. G. H. G.