Smyrna times., 1879-01-01
Down in a Silver Mine.

An underground walk would, no doubt,
be a novelty to many, as it was to me. 1t
was in a silver mine. Not the Consolidated
Virginia, but one of the many smaller ones
among the Humboldt mountains. In the
first mentioned we would be to depth of
1000 or 5000 feet, having first made
change of costume in the dressing-room.
All are required there to don a masculine
garb as a safeguard against accident. Here
we are advised to dress suitably for a dusty,
rugged walk. We enter the tunnel or
opening in the side of the hill, and per-
ceive an odor of minerals and a strong
draft threatens to put out the candle each
one carries. Soon we come to q large
cavern on the right, but its outlines can
not be discerned, as the feeble rays of the
candle penetrate the darkness but dimly.
When the eyes become accustomed to the
place, the forms and wierd-looling faces of
the workmen can be seen far below. Their
voices, rs they respond to some query of
the foreman, have strange ring, and were
it not for their commonplace words it
would be hard to realize that they belonged
to our own order of beings. Troglodytes,
or cave.dwelers, some one is pleased to
call them. Proceeding few steps we come
to what the miners call "horse," that
is a portion of barren rock that pro-
| jected in the Ore-vein during its formation,
causing the tunnel to branch out on each
side. These are called drifts. Only pas
sages that reach the surface are called tun-
hels. The narrow-gauge track upon which
we walk also divides. Hearing a rumbling
sound, we are told to step aside, and the
little car appears, loaded with ore or metal
rock and propelled by Chinaman. He is
taking it out to the dump" or to the
| 10 Of of tlo to tha =
farther on if loaded with ore. There is a
selfacting gate at the bottom of the car,
making the process of unloading very easy.
The ore in this mine does not lie in regu-
lar lodges, but is scattered about. For this
reason the drifts are innumerable and very
perpleXing to a stranger, who cannot but be
bewildered in such labyrinth so that it
would be impossible to find the way out.
We leave the track and 90 through a drift
whose top and sides are heavily timbered,
down a rocky steep, and find ourselves in a
narrow lofty chamber, or Wine, for it opens
into an upper level. A miner stands on a
projecting rock at giddy height, picking
at the ore with his sledge and poker. An
involuntary shudder does not prevent oul
accepting an invitation to make the ascent
! reasoning that where man has gone other.
can 90; and in short time our party have
reached the same perlious point. We are
"eXperts" enough to distinguish the ore
body from the country-rock by the blue
/, , and green indications of bromide anc
chloride. Having secured specimens VT
declined the invitation to 60 higher, anC
! we descend and follow the guides through
! ! a tangie Of drifts to see how hole is drilled
! ! in the rock for blasting. The iron drill i
not hammered upon squarely, for it is KEEP
in motion from side to side; a motion tina
, seemed easy until we were challenged t.
try, and found it required some skill t.
keep the fingers uninjured. After drillin
: about eighteen inches the hole is filled wit
; giant powder beaten in and made proc
" against moisture, a fuse is attached to whic
{ fire is applied, and in a little while boon
Il ing sound is heard and the rock is shattere
u in thousand fragments. There is DANCE
u when the blast does not 60 off. Seriou
y accidents have happened to many tha
= have gone back to investigate the trouble
We next look down into a chute whic
! is an inclined winze planked up and use
:, for conveying ore to the level below. An.
Il thing placed in the upper part reaches tn
II lower without further aid. car stanC
= ready to receive the load below and carr
it out TO the surface. Leaving here "
notice faint gleam of light resemblir
pale moonlight, and few steps more W
are in the broad glare Of day that dazzl
the eyes for an instant. We are surprise
to see that this is another tunnel, quite
= ways below the one we entered, but whe
y. the transit is made it is quite impossible
= tell