The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-06-16
THE NEWCASTLE MsNR.

Two miles from Seattle. The houses
occupied by the miners are small, aud
a. general thing unpsinted; and but
little regularity exists in the location
Of buildings. When the mine was be-
ing opened, rude cabins were built
wherever room between the sspmps
could be found, and they are still used.
the miners paying . small rent each
month for them The houses built st
q later date are much better aud more
convenient. The cottages occupied By
the storekeeper. book keeper. superin-
tendent. physician and snme other en-
ployees. are neat and comfortable. The
miners. % q class. are thrifty and in
dustrious. Many of them are Welsh
and Irish. ant have WORKED in coal
mines most of their lives.
There are about GOO people at New.
castle. $50 OF whom are men and BOYS
employed by the Coal Company. Up
to short time ago those mines were
owned IN San Francisco, bot now they
belong 20 the company headed by
Henry Willard. who also owns the rail
road leading to them .rom Seattle.
The coal produced from this mine
finds ready sale in San Franci co, at
good figures.
At present the mine produces from
six to seven hundred tons Of coal per
day. This is cut by men working
night and day. The force is divided
into two shifts. one working during the
day and the other during the night.
These shifts alternate each week, o.
that everv man does his proportion Of
night work. The coal is ell hauled
over mile underground. through the
main gangwsy. by little tunnel
engine that has been cold but twice in
eighteen months. having run week days
and Sundays. nights and all. After
coming out Of the tunnel ths coal is
picked over. screened. and dumped into
the bunkers, from which il is loaded
into the cars and brought to town.
About one-third Of the product OF the
mine is waste-that is. 81 Il. rock. dust,
'nigger~head. etc. The finer particles
Of waste are carried off in fiuue, and
the coareer slack is now being utilized
IN filling in big cuts along the railroad
Formerly il was cartcd of and dumped
IN different places. until in every direc-
ton from the town can be seen great
masses Of this smouldesing trash,
stretching as far as the eye can reach,
and looming up higher than the roofs
OF the highest houses.
The company drove their main gang.
way 10 about two miles and half.
when they discovered it Improbable to
haul the coal 90 far under ground.
Coming back to within a mile of the
entrance. they commenced sinking q
shaft or slope. and cut up through the
surface. where they erected hosting
works. The shaft was sunk 400 feet
trom the gangwsy, or about $50 feet
bottom OF this slope gangwsys are be-
ing run in both directions, and now
extend i've hundred feet each way on
the vein. Miners will now work thu
coal ont Of the vein, which IL sixteen
feet thick, TO within fifty feet OF the
upper or main gsngway, thus giving
them Q body Of good coal in this one
vein sixteen feet thick. four hundred
feet high. and two miles long to work
for the present.
The coal at this level is much clean
er and better than that near the sur
face. Mr. Williams. the superintendent.
Informed our reporter that IL he can
possibly get time during next winter
be will sink another shaft 450 feet,
and take coal from Thousand feet be-
low the surface. The hosting works
st Coal Greek are the model of perfect
working machinery. The cars are at
tachcd to . steel wire band. six inches
wide and half an inch thick, which, by
unwinding. lets any number OF cars
down. and at the same time pulls q
like number of loaded cars up. A
smaller vein, known rs No 4, is being
opened near Coal Greek by Mr. Murray.
The product of this vein is superior
quality of coal.
The owners have EXPRESSED wish
for 1000 tons Of coal day from the
Newcastle mine. aud MIR Willisms is
getting the mine in shape to run to its
utmost capacity. On the steamship
Willamette. the first of feet Of steam
colliers 10 arrive. is q tunnel engine.
whioh, on reaching the mines. will re-
lieve tae little one which has done such
hsrealean work for the past eighteen
months.
Mr. Lake 10 At the mines pushing
ahead work on the new bankers as
rsridly a. possible. When these are
completed loaded train will bs kept
in waiting st the mines oil the time.
and locomotives will have no waiting
10 do for cars 10 be loaded after their
arrival.
The morals Of the people are good
The school 10 well attended. and on
Sundays the church Is we'll filed with
listeners 10 the gospel. The company
will soon closs their saloon, but lovers
Of the beverage will be able TO imbibs
By crossing the line Of adjacent
land. where there are already two
saloous. Tue store il veil stocked with
substantial articles OF food and wearing
apparel
There 10 no danger bat what New.
castle will moi ssly hold its own. but
will improve. There 10 more good coal
In sight than can pcssibly be worked
out In thirty years. and from the pres
ent ootleok thsre IL more than can be
hauled away in two hundred years. and
the deeper it b dug the bsttsr IL be-
comes Tho coal fron these mines is
q present carried 10 market By sailing
vesseia, bat in the pear future iron
steam colliers will take their place.
The Union Pacific coal mines At