The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-11-20
INA SALT MINE.
4 GsTisTerinE city Underground With
Many SJreets-PIIIars of Crystal.

4 GTsIerin= city Underground with
Many SIreets-PIIIars of Crystal.
Going down into salt mine is taking
glimpse AT wonderful things. according TO
a correspondent OF the London News, who
writes:
Light few candles WIS tho order
passed we were leaving WinSfOrd and
| am under the impression that the hole
down below is like any other hole, and
that the 4" few candles" viii give Us light
enough for the space of some three OF
four yards. But we shall see We step
into our iron bucket the door thereof IL
closed upon US The signal is given
There is a hesitating, trembling motion.
and we drive swiftly into Plutonian night,
straight, Seer through funnel $50 feet
deep. and feet inches across the rim OF
our bucket now and again
grinding, scruping, humping, scrcech-
ing against the narrow walls
After the first few seconds have passed
one cannot tell from ones sensations
merely, whether one is going up or down,
or Is suspended at rest. There is only
the trembling Of the invisible steel ropes
and the scraping sound in the walls. In
minute more We touch the floor Of the
underworld with the lightness Of a feath-
er. In the name of all the fairies and
goblins and gnomes and sprites Of the
earth, what have we there? OH Master
Robert "a few candies The city Of Dis
illuminated-this is what meets my as
tOnished gaze. Open spaces, endless
streets turning and winding of ia all di-
rectiOns snd outlined in spots Of light,
and in the faFthest distance an ornamen-
tai group of lights, as If on a wall or on
some vast supporting pillar.
1t is as if one looks from some point or
vantage upon the lights OF town in a
dark night. without moon OF stars; not =
town with empty space over II, but a
town under a horizontal ceiling thirty
three feet above the pavement, On this
level pavement the massed bands OF the
British army may play Strauss music and
the whole Of the London West End spin
round on light fantastic toe" The lrst
feelings of surprise over, I examine my
surroundings in leisurely detail. At
. some distance In front Of us looms dark
mass with a horizontal line Of lights half
way UP H.
The three OF us-Mr. Ver1in, the guide
and myself-approach il, each carrying a
Hghted candle across the floor, which ap-
pears TO be as level as the floor OF = draw
ing-TOOm, and which IS covered with a
thin carpet of salt, fine as powder and
= dry as tinder Wherever the Hight falls
upon II the dark objects glitters as il il
were encTusted with rubies snd diamonds
. 1t turns out to be huge square pillar,
extending from floor to ceiling Each Of
its four sides measure IL yards, it is 30
feet high and il is nothing but q mas Of
crystals
At every 25 yards, north, south,
east, west stands one OF these gigantic
columns-al of them. Ike this one,
masses OF many-tinted salt crystals, and
with tie diamond flash darting over their
sides. the plan of this wonderful colon
made is now obvious. The miners have
been cutting their way all these many
generations through the solid rccksalt,
horizontally, cleaning a smooth floor be
low their feet, leaving a smooth ceiling
. over their heads, and, at tie already
named distance, those enormous piias-
-teEs, whose function il is to prevent thc
roof--thst is, the $50 feet of the earth's
crust-from failing in. The ceiling Is toe
high 70 respond very literally to the
flicker Of our candle lights; but in hund
( red spots it wrinkles like stars peering
through the clouds at night They look
as though they had the strength OF doOm.
those pillars and were destined to last 70
: 70 the crack thereof.