Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-04
being put together, proved to be a fish
about II feet length.

being put together, proved to be fish
about II feet length.
FROZEN sTYx.
In returning to the slaft we followed
the side wall around into portion OF the
mine long ago abandoned. The root
again rose until the feeble light OF our
lamps failed To reach it, We were again
| in the great chamber, but on its southern
side. Our light cast CLEAN on "A sheet
of crystal water before us. "The river
Styx." we soliloquixed aloud, 81 wonder
where old Charon is?" Its niver river
Mt all, our guide explained, its nothing
but little puddle" and forthwith he
stepped not into it, but upor 1t. 1t was
a sheet of crystal ice, produced by cold
drafts which came down an old and disus-
ed shaft near by. Our guide informed
lis that it never melted, but lay here the
year round, each succeeding winter add
ing to its thickness.
SECOND MINE.
We next paid visit to Cooks shaft,
some distance from Port Henry, in the
village of Mineville. The great drum
here reels out 500 feet of wire rope before
the bottom of the shaft is reached. But
only n portion of it ID perpendicular, the
greater part Of it running Mt an angle OF
32o. The bucket is filled with wheels
which run ON IL track all the way. A
perpendicular drop of $50 feet. and then
the car shot of an the incline. The mo
ton was very easy and pleasant, and We
employed ourself in studying the geology
of the rock as we ghded swiftly on. But
our studies were brought to an abrupt
conclusion by the guide, who suddenly
threw himself ON his back, ordering us to
do the same We did so Just in time to
save our head, as the car passed under
piece of timber overhead SO closely as to
brush the tips of our noses, After squeez-
ing through several more narrow places
We were allowed to assume an upright
position for the rest of the journey, and
arrived at the bottom without any mis-
hap. The drill and shovel were at werk
here us usual The vein is somewhat
smaller than the Cheever vein, in places
not moro than or 10 feet IN height,
though in some places 200 or 300 feet in
width After examining it at our leisure
we again turned from the Plutonian
abodes and sought the upper air
'.NUMBER TwENrY-oNE,'
as it is called, is perhaps the most remark
able deposit of ore in the region. 1t lies
in n solid mass $50 feet in depth. and
in quantity is practically unlimited. But
it is also the most dangerous Of all the
mines hereabouts The ore is of a loose
ly granulated texture, and pieces are
constantly falling from the roof of the
lofty chambers. A piece of ore no larger
than marble strikinga man upon the
head from this distance is sufficient to
kill him. Lives are constantly lost here.
The men enter those gloomy vaults every
day. well knowing that the angel of death
hovers in the darkness above them, and
at any moment he may strike them dead
with his unseen hand But habit inures
them TO it
THE BLAST FURNACES.
A swift ride back to Port Henry and we
paw our respects to the great blast furnaces
where the ore is smeltsd We step into
the elevator and ride mp to the top of the
great furnace 20 feet i'll height The top
is closed by bell-shapcd cover which is
raised and lowered by heavy machinery.
On this cover the ore brought up to the
elevator is shoveled. We looked over the
edge, but nothing could be seen but
few pale blue flames creeping up through
the black orc, But n workman places
his hand upon hinge lever and motions
us to stand back. The cover slowly rises
and the imprisoned flames burst forth with
a savage roar and mount high in the heav-
ems. The ore falls into the fiery molten
mass which fills the great furnace to the
top. 1t is like glimpse of that terrible
lake of fire and birthstone with which the old
theology threatened the unrepentant sim
ncr. The lever L. again lowered and the
ponderous cover, settles INTO place again,
choking the flames back into their prison
house. Once more IN the elevator and
down again to the bottom and into the
casting room. Here begrimmed and
perspirlng laborer is tapping the base
of the furnace with IL long IRON rod. The
clay stopping the vent hole gives way be-
fore his thrusts, and out leaps a steam of
liquid fire that tears along the sluiceway,
kissing. splattering, roaring thin rs wa
ter by its intense heat, to tho moulds.
where is rushcs into thousand little
paths made in the sand loan. The foreign
substances rise to the surface of the
stream rs it flows on and are directed into
n separate channel, where it cOols and is
finally carted off as cinder Very soon n
bridge of cinder forms over the stream
ITSELF and the fiery torrent flows on be-
meath it. We leave the furnace belching
ont its bowels of fire, for the engine room,
to see the great engine which supplies
the draft of air TO. : the furnace The ell
gine is one of the largest in the country,
about the size of the great Corliss engine,
which attracted so much attention at the
centennial exhibition of 1876, but of less
horse power. In order to melt the stub
born ore q tremendous draft ID required.
So well constructed is this engine, so well
does part fit into part, that it evolves less
noise than lady's sewing machine.
Only deep tremulous throb at each
stroke of the piston told of the gigantic
strength it was exerting. 1t seemec al
most a thing endowed with life and intel
ligcnce, a great black giant, working 81
lently. tirelessly, willingly, for his imper-
ious little master, man. We leave the en-
CINE room Tor n G lance at.
THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT.
In the laboratory was seated Thomas
Wetherbee, both chemist and engineer.
When the engine does not need his atten-
ton he is engaged in analyzins the ore be-
fore it goes into the furnace. The quail
ty Of the ore changes frequently, and it is
necessary to be constantly analyzing it to
determine the materials which must be
dealt with Spacimeus of the ore are