Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-01-03
SNOW POET.
CHATS WITH COAL.MINERS.

Escapes? Yes, sir; I've had one or
two near shaves; and / don't suppose
there 5 a man on the coll:ery but what
could say the 5; me-
The speaker was hardy, toilworn
coal-mipcr, who had come to see me
on some parish business. And
many is the thrilling tale which, by
considerable pressure-for be it known
that most Of these men think lightly
and speak but little of their dangers -
the country parson may extract from
his ''fellow-men in black amung the
coal-pits.
Yes. sir; I've had enc or two Once
was let down into the stump in eight
feet of water"
This man was n "shaftman. The
''shatt, as you know--or perhaps YOU
don KNOWS the circular perpendic-
ular we'll by which access is gained
to the horizontal beds of coal lying at
various depths below the surface. The
depth of the shaft in various mines
ranges from tens TO hundreds of
fathomS The duty of the shaftmen is
to keep this in repair. Often their
WORK must be done sitting with one leo
through a loop attached to the steel
wire rope 10y which they are drawn up
and down. or standing on Il simple
scaffold hung to flo side of tho sb.f,. .
and n man needs . sion, ba,rt and :,
steady nerve TO work ulaciJIv sus-
pepded over ,S,.m b,,ndrnd
fathoms deep. The ordinary mode.
however, of iouneying up and down
~ n En
structure o, on .t two sides stn,JioI in
its course by two grooves which fl in
two wooden ..ouides', extnrdjrr tho
whole ,icntb md fi,ol ia tho liz rf
the shaft must .I.o exnJ.;, hat tbn
s.sumn.' is thc worry bottonl IF tho sSaft
The sbaf i Sunl, :, fou, fo,bon, In,,a,.
tran TIE loves, seam of coal that is bn-
mo worked Into fl: lnyast ~, of
the shat cunb,u o,sly ,o,naI tba
"si,mo.,' fla. wa.cr Which nn@r, fran,
the side. OF fine shaft ,;nds is way
which is co, ,.,rtI,, hnipr nmnnod OF
10 prevent t}c ronJ nr If ,ho III,
How man ro,,IJ tc lnt dnv, ,.,,
the sumn and o came alive seemed 4,
mvs,n-,. Ia 80 H. ~, o,,,h III
you get CUP" | asked. II suppose
they drew the ca ye ND at on eo''
.Neye.." said the shaftman. ..Ihe
eneineman, by m sake or ace dent. ran
her right down INTO the SUNNI, and
there She tuck. Will e other cage
WAS right up at the rul!cys. The en-
gine-power was lost. and lie couldn't
get h'r nj.
Then how dill yGu cscape?n |
asked. breath e ;sly.
Why lie answered with Il grim
smile, 81 had II Get out the way they
catch Sparrows at Ga;eShead'
How that ~
The best way | could. | managed
to get ont of the cage There was only
Just room To squeeze UP between the
cage AM the side OF the sump, and /
climbed up by the limbes to tie top of
the water was near done when got
ont, and then had TO travel round
about and get ont by staple II was
TWO hours before | got home. The
en9ineman was nearly of his head
They were all su | was killed. and
were seeking about how To Get the cage
up again. ,
Wasn't it awful coino downo', T
said Didn't YOU lose yonr heade,
Il can til Won il was. The cooe
came down with a run. and clashed into
;he water like q clap ct thundc,''
What did Won Think, asked "J
wonder You kept your senses"
We'll" he said. IL knew what was
going to happen. when felt her GOING
The water can, i, ON mo and So.
there was EIGHT feet above mo. and 7
thought: .Well. lisa oueer ,h;nm If
I've come down herr. to he JrowneI ;,
/ had nv thick leather Jacket on. and
swallowed 4 10, of water. Inn, ! scran.
bled out somehow But If was na,r
thing. can iell Won.
oh" he cont :pued ",here ara
queer things hapnen. Once ,no,har
man and | were drawn nm over tbe
pulley. That not the bio nnllevs Won
know. sir: but the little wheel With the
small rope. few feet above the sbart
which we use for sbaft-worl Tb;S 9TH,
O. man and had been nj WORK s;,tin,
i'm the loops hanrinr ON the rome. and
when the enoine drew us mn ama;n sba
iran AWAY and drew ms rGbt ,rar
the pulley. At least ! w.pt 90, ond
the other man bunc ON the otber SD i,a
balancing. NV hands we're emf with