The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-03-02
800 Feet Underground.
A VISIT TO
The Clarissa Mica Nine.

| have just returned from a Wis
: to the Clarissa Mica Mine, locate
about three miles from BakersviIl,
and am SO impressed with the aW
full grandeur of what | saw that l ca
not refrain from speaking of il
though not with the hope of givini
it that thrilling interest to you tina
| experienced. This morning ac
companied, by three others, w
reached the mines, and after few
minutes pleasant conversation will
the day miners lounging around th'
engine house, we followed Mr.. Mank
who kindly volunteered to be om
| guide, to the lantern house where
after each one had been furnished
with a lantern, he took the LEAD
| down the shaft. The first ladder
was about 25 or 80 feet long, when
we came to a loft or platform on
which the ladder rested; then we
went down another ladder about the
same length until we reached ano-
ther similar platform then down
another, when the cavern took a
sort of straight curve and we walk
ed some distance on solid earth !;
then we took the ladder again and
descended several until we reached
another loft or platform, where our
guide halted US by saying, stop for
Just a moment and we will hear the
bucket pass" Almost at the same
moment we heard a loud noise above
US, bearing swiftly down toward US,
like the rumbling of a six horse
team crossing a bridge. But it was
in one shaft and we in another, and
was separated from US only 8 or 10
feet. We were then $50 feet in the
bowels of the earth. The bucket
passed US at fearful speed, and
the whiz and noise sent a wild thrill
through my whole body. To think
Of such monster plunging into the
earth to such depth !! Soon we
heard it strike below, and Mr. Manll
us that we were about half
way to the bottom, where the min
ers were at work. Again we took
the ladders and descended, one after |
another, pretty much as above de- |
3cribed, until we reached the bot |
tom, having descended IA ladders in |
all, and being about 300 feet down |
n the ground. As the day was Sun
lay no blasting was going on. Dy |
lamite is used for blasting out the
MICA, Before the blast is touched |
IF the miners seek safety up the
adder and stand upon the platform
lbove, where they are outOf danger
The bucket of which [ have spoken
holds ninety gallons and is used for
the water out of the mine.
When full it weighs 1900 pounds.
It is operated day and night, Sun
lay not excepted. The rope that
cts the bucket down. is made ofsteel
wire and is very large and strong,
md ten-horse power steam engine
lraws it up and lets it down. Within
he last four months, / am told, the
Messrs. Heap & Rorison,
AVE expended about $4,000 in drain
ng the mine. If the water is not
Kept out the miners cannot blast or
,enetrate the mica vein, hence, no
natter how expensive it may be the
rainage must be kept up or the
nine abandoned Some of the mica
f this mine is worth in market from
10 to $40 a pound. There are sew
raj mica mines ip this vicinity, but
he Clarissa is the most valuable.
here is a fine spring at the bottom
f the mine, where they are bailing
ut the water. The various stratas
f rock would probably prove inter-
sting to the geologist and scientist,
uf to me l am free to say there was
lore of a sublime awe and reaf-
alton of the insignifcance of outer
bjects compared to these hidden
-onders of mother earth The min
RS work day and night. The mine
well braced with strong timbers,
ut still cave in" may occur any
me- The boss of the night water
ID told us that he came out of the S
line last night, at II o'clock, with.
ut light. He dropped his lantern
/ the water and as there was only
ne more in the mine for the men to !
,e to work by, he came out in the t
ark How he managed to make the
lany nice connections on the route
/ the dark, without an accident, is
range to me.
Corn STUBBLE.- Fields that have |