The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-11-27
= THE HOTTEST NINE
Down in the Julia to the 2,2OO.fao.s,.
Hot Enough to Boil zee. Aese

Superintendent Bawden Of the In,
Mine, meeting Chronicle reporter ' "
terday, said: Us
| elf you want an item about Ia.
"a, e mines, come with me some dav s =. Y
i vii give you one that will be.t s ~
thing tn ut you ever had.n W
The rep> 'rter expressed his Win,
ness to erdn,,e any suffering possible l =
the sake Of a. ood item, and al 81, \
hour this morning was appointed i 4.
time for an examina, Ion OF the hottes
part of the Julia. Asth, party, consist
ing of the Superintendent, DC forenap
and the reporter, were disro, ing for
change Of clothing, Mr.. Bawden .. 'suans
observed:
81 believe we have the hottest nnd,..
ground workings in the world; Al ss'.
| don't know Of any place hotter pss
pie on the street don't know any nv
about it. l am glad this newspaper.mas
is going down to see for himself Hss
gives out addressing the foreman, III, I
relays of fncl ready to carry him fl t ~
nearest cooling station.n
With these terrifying words in ii.
ears the reporter got Oil the cage andds
scended the shaft. The north comnsr
ment, in which the party went down !
cool, beng down-cast, but the admin
ing compartment, being an up-east /
very hot.
When the 1900 station was reaehsd
the connection with the Sutro Tuunsl
was explored and found to be intensels
hot. The volume of water punps
from the mine into the tunnel IS hem
seen. 1t is so hot that 1t would
COOK AN EGG
in about the same time that would ben.
quired in the best regulated kitchm
range thoroughly fired up. One en-
no more than dip the points Of his n,
gers in it and withdraw them instantE
The surrounding temperature, except
where the down-cast Of the shaft il feb
is extremely oppressive. The miners
can not work in it more than few min.
utes at time. An incline leads from
this level to the 1900 level, where he
greatest heat in the mine Is felt.
The heat increases as the incline Is d.
scended until the 2,000th station i
reached, where it is more severe thsns
any point above. This level was absn-
doned about four months ago, wkena
Burleigh drill, boring into the face oitk
drift, struck stream of hot water,
which drove the men from their Wot
and came near scalding one Of themb
death. Recently additional power WI
secured in the form Of boilers and Dir
compressors, and since then the work d
reclaiming the 1920 level has been pros
ecuted under the most favorable cirrun-
stances imaginable. At the stationiR
temperature is not so great but that one
can manage to breathe without much
effort, but few feet in the drift Tie
heat gets SO intense that the men pant
like lizards as they pass through /
The temperature a few feet from Tie
station is 1876 degrees.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET.
About hundred feet from the station
is q cooling-house. The interlnedze
distance grows hotter every step un
the cooling-house is reached. lnpsx
ing in the men take % slow trot, and
stoop over, so as to avoid the great he
at the top of the drift, which far exceek
in intensity that closer to the bottom
They put on heavy wooden shirts beios
attempting to pass from the station y
the first cooling house, as if they wen
stripped they would be burnt to . blss
ter. 1t is like going into . burning
building, or running through stfed
with high buildings burning on. estl
side. One is compelled to pull by y
down so as to protect his face and gatfH
his wooden shirt up about his neck .
prevent being burned. The hands, q
ing exposed, felt the heat as il brough
in painful proximity to a hot stove: in
heat is fully as dry as that radisiagg
from a furnace When the ccoh9
house is reached the men are pannng y
that they can scarcely speak.
Up to this point the reporter though
he had experienced as much Of toe w. Y,
derground caloric as any man eoua
stand, and was surprised when tola Y"
the worst place was yet to be eneeak
cred. The party at this time were aOV@
a hundred and fifty feet from the y
ton. The face of the drift was osu
three hundred feet further on, ana Y
heat grew more intense as each foosss
advanced. The Superintendent w
foreman took the lead, the reporter y
lowing close upon their heels, noia'
piece of ice to his nose to cool tne
that he breathed. Two miners, use y,
the drift. were detailed to follow. soiaa
if any of the party gave out relief wOon
be at hand. Thus organized, tne -
was made to the end Of the aN.E TPs
about 200'feet further in the dr1ls -
was
THE MOST TRYING EXPERIENCE
Of the whole undertaking. Apou' W ~
way between the cooling station sua'
end Of the air-pipe is the hottest pa~
the mine, and the hottest pay
where in the world, perhaps, % ?, VIZ a
men work. The heat is al hh =.
strongest man can bear, =
more than the most Of men
endure, even for the brief pefMs
passing through it from one eo 9 y n ii
ton to the other. After the ninel -, =
through from the second cooilng 80 - ]
to the end of the air-pipe they y. ~
exhausted that they can not ~ W. ~ i
than five minutes work before ,hs XII
compelled to run the gatn,.llss1 !, III
back to the place of refuge IM 800
Of cleaning out the drift has pf fs.
- ;tb; Cobo,,t c0 foot of its fafts