The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-27
HAND OVER BAND.
How a Mining Expert Saved Him
self from q Fearful Fall.

Nearly a week since, Louis Blanc
ing, one of the best-known minin
e experts on the coast, passed througl
this city on his way from San Fran
cisco to examine the Santa AMT
quartz mine, which is situated nea
Washington, twentY-One miles abov
here. Day before yesterday he re
turned here, having accomplished hi
! object. His experiences on the tril
were of an interesting character, ant
| it is by mere chance that he was en-
| abled to live and relate them. Afte
a tedious journey through the snow
| he reached the home of one of tn
| owners of the claim, and tOgethe
they forced their way three miles fur
ther to the mine. Lighting candle:
they catered the tunnel which bal
been pushed toward the heart of the
mountain a distance of one hundred
and thirty feet. twenty-five feel
from the head of it they came to q
winze sixty-five feet deep. Over this
Winze is q windlass. MI. Banding
examined it carefully, and, observing
no weak spots, had his companion let
him to the bottom. He inspected the
ledge, made measurements, secured a
sack of specimens and, putting one
foot in the blight of the rope, shouted
to the man above to hoist away. At
ter ascending thirty feet he ceased to
rise.
whats the natter" he asked.
1.-THE windlass is broken" was the
replay.
II can't. The support at one side
has broken down. One end of the
drum has dropped to the ground.
MY shoulder is under it, and if l stir
the whole thing will give away"
was the startling reply that came
back. The candle at the top had
been extinguished. Mr.. Banding
recognized the urgency Of having q
cool head in such an emergency, and
told the other party to take things
easy. He dropped the c~andlestick,
sack of specimens, and the hammer
to the bottom of the Wine. Then
bracing one of his shoulders against
one side of the hole and his feet
the other, worked his way
up inch by inch, the owner taking
the slack of the rope with one hand.
Thus he assembled ten feet. Then the
sides of the Wine grew so far apart
that this plan could no longer be
pursued. There was but one saliva
ton. The remaining ten feet must
be climbed "hand over hand" Re-
his feet from the knot, he put
the idea into practice. Exhausted
BY his previous efforts in walking to
The mine and exploring It. it seemed
% him he had climbed a mile, and,
stopping to rest, found by the voice
above that he had yet five feet to 60.
With another superhuman effort an
,ther start was made. After what
'eemed an age one of his hands struck
he edge of the covering on one side
# the mouth. His body and limbs
we're suffering the sgOnies of cramps
md soreness, and his brain began to
eel. All sorts of frightful phantoms
illed his mind. With a final effort
le reached up and found he could get
he end of one hands fingers over
he edge of the board that answered
or part of the covering. With the
of a man who faces a fearful
cath and knows it, he let 60 the
ope altogether, and, raising the 9th
r hand, obtained q precarious hold.
lis body swung back and forth over
he dark abyss an instant, and as he
lit that his hands were losing their
old, he cried, "Save me quick; 1 am
Just then his companion, who is a
ian of great strength, dropped
1e end of the drum, and grasping
Is coat-collar drew him out on the
cor of the tunnel. The mining ex.
ert was utterly Frustrated as his res
le was effected. He was carried
ut of the tunnel, his clothes siping
perspiratien, and laid in the snow.
1hen partially recovered he was as
sted to q house three miles away.
lis whole frame was so racked with
and mental torture that for
'veral hours he had no use of some
his limbs. Two days after he re-
Irned to the mine, and with an iron
n broke the windlass into a thou
nd pieces, then fished the sack of
'eciMens out of the Wine. During
whole lifetime of mining adven-
res in some of the deepest claims of
e world, he says he has never been J
near the door Of death as he was !
the Santa Anita, and he hopes
'ver to pass through the like again. !
Nerad0 Transcript.