The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-25
AN HOUR IN A COLLIERY.

Down Through the Eearth's Crust Into q
Coal Mine-The Bewildering Sensation
of the Descent in the Cage.
A writer in Chambers Journal says:
Through the earth's crust into coal
mine! VIII you come? Take first a
glance around the pit top; peer down
the black holeyou are to descend; look
I'D at the huge wheels overhead, and
comfort yourself with the thought that
the ropes, though they seem so much
like spiders threads, are made OF steel
and will bear thirty tons. Take this
lamp, unless you prefer 81 candle stuck
in your hat, collier fashion; and as the
cage-so thcplatform is called in which
men and coal are alike conveyed
clicks on the catches, step IN, clutch
the iron rod which runs along it's top
to steady yourself, and prepare
to drop qurater Of a. mile in no
time! A bell rings and we are off.
Before the qualmy sensation, so
suggestive OF sea Sickness, Is fully
realized, with rattle and jerk the
cage stops, and you find yourself be-
wildered and helpless; for the candles
cast so dim glimmer as merely to
render the darkness visible. We will
sit on this bench for a minute, tnI-as
the phrase is-we ''get our pit eyes"
and then start, escorted by the man
ager, to see such objects Of interest as
naturally attract q novice's attention.
First of all-while we are waiting for
our carriage to drive up-let us pay q
visit to the stables; capital stalls, cut
out in the solid rock, at present un-
tenanted save by swarms of mice,
which scamper off in all directions as
we bring our lamps to bear ON the
well filled managers Surprise number
one. Wonderingly,- we ask; "How did
mice get here?"
Brought down in the hay, you
know; and they multiply SO, alarm
ingly that we keep cats and pay them
weekly wages, that they may wash
down with milk their monotonous
mousy diet. We shall see some Of the
horses as we go our rounds" So our
guide informed us, and added: "Come
now; it is time we started for our
drive"
Accordingly, we. return to the spot,
from which divers small tunnels OHM
penetrable blackness radiate; each of
us Grams himself into an oblong box
on wheels, and train of some dozen
or so "trams," as they are called, is
at once set in motion by a plump,
powerful horse. He has not seen day
light for eight years, We learn in an
swer to our questioning. The uniform
mperature-warmer IN winter, and
cooler in summer than on the surface
suits the equine constitution won
derfully; and then there is no rain
underground. Dark as it is, our Dob
bin has sense enough to step outside
the tram rails at any stoppage, and SO
the trans pass without touching him
Doubtless many whack on the heels
has taught him this lesson, for the
string OF carts is drawn by a loose
trace-chain only.
Don't omit, while going along this
road cut through rock and coal, te
keep a good lookout for any curiosl
ties we may pass; only hold your head
we'll down, or it will come in painfu
contact with the timber props which
support the roof, and which rest upor
each side on stout upright posts. See
there's a perfect lepidodendron, stand
ing Just as it grew, when these darl
places of the earth constituted {
swampy forest, densely covered witt
reeds and ferns, and trees OF which thu
ornamental monkey shrub, Araucarls
; imbricata, is perhaps the best repre-
sentative among our country S pres
ent-day growths. How many thou
sands of years have elapsed since thl
: trunk-a core of stone within, bu
without the actual bark with its seal
J like markings stamped out in sole
coal-waved it's spiky branches be
meath the open canopy OF heaven
And yet, through all these eons, press
: ed as in a girls album, fern fronds Q
, most fragile and exquisite forms, deli
cate as lace work, as if photographs
on stone, lie beneath the enormou
mass of superadded strata, as perfec
t as when they shot their graceful stem
up into the steaming air In which ou
, coal measures were laid down IN sue
lavish profusion. Verify, there
sermons in stones"
, "show us where they are diggn
COAL" is naturally the first request a
we leave our comfortable vehicle.
But if riding was bad, walking
{ worse; II JnaU can De Calleu Wdlkuls
{ where, with bent neck and stoope
shoulders tall, men progress with fre
quent head humping along a road OF
|, painfully low pitch. Soon we come t.
where, by the dusky light of a flicker
,, ing "dip," we see q half-naked collie
!, lying on his side, the better to drlv
! his pick into a narrow seam OF Goa
, while, near by, others are hard a
: work upon the thicker veins. hewin
: out big blocks of shiny blackness, II
? terspersed with cataracts OF sma
. coal, which other men shovel rapid
. into trans, for conveyance to the uI
: per regions. 1t is a very busy scene
= for all these honest fellows are o
!, piecework.
! AS we go on to visit other workings
:, our guide stops at a point where
disused road runs down to the rlgh
> 'sdeeper and deeper STILL to tell u
!, this odd story: 'sThis spot is believe
! by the miners to be haunted. The
: are, you know, very superstltlous, an
i <t4 4la,,, will pnp1a this Wa