The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-05

published In Howc's Historical Collections.
Making allowances for the fact that since
| that date there have been great improve
ments In machinery, the description Is u
pretty fair one Of the mining operations Of
the present day. The Midlothian mines
referred 10 were in the same coal-iields,
but not reached by the same shafts now
worked. The Mr.. Marshall mentioned was
doubtless the father Of Mr.. Harshall, the
| foreman, who lost his lie OF Grove shaft
Friday:
Learning that the Midlothian mines were
| the most extensively aud ~ skilHully
wrought as any, / paid them Visit. -Four
shafts have been sunk by this company
since 1889; in two coal has been reached,
one at depth Of 62j and the other at 1Ij
feet. The sinking OF the deepest occupied
three years Of labor, at cost OF about
$40, 900. The materials were raised by
mules, and il IL supposed like depth was
never before attained by horsepower in any
country. These shafts, II feet square each,
are divided by timbers into four equal
chambers. At the deep shaft two steam-
engines on the surface operate in raising
coal at the other, one. TIE extra engine
at the deep shaft draws coal up aE inclined
plane down in the mine 70 the bottom Of
| the shaft. This plane reaches the lowest
! point Of the mine about 900 feet, or a fifth
OF a mile, from the surface. The coal having
! thus been brought 10 the pit, the other en-
| gine raises it perpcndicularly TO the surface,
when the baskets containing L are placed
on little cars on small hand-railway, and
are pushed few rods 10 where il il emp
| tied. screened, and shoyellcd into the large
cars on the railroad connecting with tide
water near Richmond. While the engine
/ attached to the plane is drawing up coal il
| is 50 arranged that pumps, by the same
motion, are throwing out the "s,rface-
WATER" which, by means Of grooves around
| the shaft, il collected in reservoir made IN
the rock 500 feet below toe surface. This
water is conducted about 20 feet above
ground to ciStern, from which It IL used
by the different engines.
Through the kindness OF the president OF
the company was allowed 10
DESCEND INTO THE ,.iKEs.
Ny friend, guide, and self, each with a
/ lighted lamp, Sprang into = basket sus-
pended by ropes over pullcys and frame
work above yawnlng abyss 1Ij feet deep.
The signal was giyen-puill puff! went
the steam-engine. and down, down, went
we. endeayOred 10 joke 70 conceal my
! trcpidatiOn. il was stale business. RAJ
pidly glided past the wooden sides OF the
shaft became diZzy-shut my eyes
| opened them and saw far, far above the
small faint light OF day at the top. In one
minute--it seemed fiye-we came 10 the
bottom with a bump! The underground
superintendent made his appearance, coy-
cred with cOal-dust and perspiration; his
Jolly English face and hearty welcome au-
cured well for our subtcrranean researches.
Him we followed, each with lighted lamp,
through many labyrinth, down many a
ladder, and occasionally penetrating TO the
end OF drift, where the plcn were at
work shovelling coal into baskets OH the
ears running on railroads 10 the mouth Of
| The pit, or boring for blasts. We witnessed
one or two. The match was put, we re-
treated short distance, then came the eX-
/ plosion, cchoing and recehoing among the
cayerns--a mOmentTy noise of falling coal,
like sudden shower Of hail, succeeded,
and then all was silence.
THE DEIFrs, OR PASSAGES,
are generally about i6 feet wide aud 10 feet
high, with large pillars OF coal intervening
about go feet square. ] can give the idea
! by comparing the drifts 10 the streets and
/ the pillars to the squares OF n city in min
iatIlre. When the company limits are
reached the pillars will be taken away.
| The general inclination Of the passages Is
about 800. Frequently obstacles are met
with. and one has 10 descend by ladders or
| by steps cut in solid rock. Doors used in
/ ventilation were often met with, through
which we crawled Mules are employed
underground in transporting the coal on
/ the small railways coursing nearly all the
drifts. They are in excellent condition,
! with fine glossy coats OF hair, nearly equal
! to welI-kept race-horscs, which Is supposed
10 result from the sulphur in the coal and
the even temperature OF the mines. Well
arranged stables are there built, and all re-
quisite attention paid them. Some OF the
anin,nIs rannair. Lolo,p Goa, yoora and when
carried to the strong light OF day gambol
like wild-horses.
PARTITIONS or THIN PLANK
attached to timbers put mp in the centre ol
the main drifts are one ~ the principal
mean, by which the mines are ventilated,
aided by a strong furnace near the upcast
shaft. Near this is 4 blacksm'th-shop The
atmospheric air is admitted into the mines
down the deepest shaft, and, alter courSlng
the entire drifts and ascending 10 the rise
workings OF the mines, ~ thence conducted
20 the furnace, where IL ~ rareied and
ascends to the surface, having in its pro-
gress become mixed with the carbnreted
hydrogen gas emitted from The coal. When
this gas i evolved in unusual quantities
greater speed is given TO the air by increas-
ing the fire. II the partitions in the drifts
known as brattice-wOTk) should be broken,
the circulation would be impeded, and the
gas so strongly impregnate the air as IN its
passage over the furnace 10 ignite, and re-
suit i'm destructive consequences. Or,
should too much gas be thrown out OF the
coal when the circulation il impcded from
any cause, il would explode on the appli-
cation OF a common lamp. In such eases
the Dayv lamp is used. | heard the gas
escaping from the coal make Kissing noise,
and 1 saw it set on fire in creyices OF the
walls by the lamp Of our conductor; ana
although a novice in these matters enough
was seen to convince me OF the Skin OF MI.
Marshall, the company's underground SUI
perintendent, in managing the Ventilation.
some years since, when ventilation was
less understood than at present,
an EXPLOSION
fook place in neighboring mine Of the
most fearful character. OF the igty-four
men in the mine only two, who happened
TO be in some ereyices near the mouth Of
the shaft, escaped with life. Nearly all
the internal works OF the mine were blown
10 atoms. Such was the force Of the eX-
plosion that basket then descending,
containing three men, was blown nearly
one hundred feet into the air. Two fell
out and were crushed 70 death. and the
third remained in and with the basket
was thrown some 10 or so feet from the
shaft, breaking both hs legs and arms.
He recovered, and is now living. IL Is