Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-12-10
IN a SALT MINE.
4 oiittsrisg Underground City WITH Rfa'
lar Of CryltAl.

4 oiittsring undsrsreund City VITA Ru.
lars ofCrystsi.
Going down Into salt mine 10 taking
. glimpse at wonderful things, accord
Ing 10 correspondent, who writes,
"LIght few candles" was tho order
passed a. wc were leaving Wlnsiordi
and am under the impression that the
hole down below Is like any other hole,
and that tho "few candles" will Just
give US light enough for tho space Of
some three or four yards. But we shall
see. We step into our iron bucket
The door thereof Is closed upon US. The
steel ropes arc made fast. The signal Ia
given. There Is hesitatlng, trembling
motion. and we dive swiftly into pluto.
MAN night, straight, sheer through Q
tunnel three hundred and thirty feet
deep, and three feet six inches across,
tho rim Of our bucket now and again
grinding. scraping. humping. scrcech.
Ing against the narrow walls. After
the first few seconds have passed, one
can not tell. from ones sensations mere.
ly, whether ono is going up or down, or
Is suspended Mt rest. There Is only the
trembling OF the invisible steel ropes
and tho scraping sound on the walls.
In minute more we touch the floor
OF tho under world with the
lightness Of q feather. In the name oi
ali tho fairies and goblins, and gnome,
and spirits Of the earth, what have we
thcrel Oh! Master Robert. ga few can.
dies" The City Of Dis illuminated
this Ii what meets my ast0nishcd gaze.
Open spaces, endless streets. turning and
winding off In all directions. and out.
lined In spots Of light, and In tho Earth.
est distance an ornamental group Of
lights, As II on a wall or on some vast
supporting pillar. 1t Is M II one looks
from some point OF vantage upon the
tho lights Of town In dark night
without moon or stars, not town with
empty space over II, but town under
horizontal ceiling thirty-thrce feet above
tho pavement. On this level pavement
tho massed bands Of the British army
may play Strauss music. and the whole
OF the London West End spin round or
the eight fantastic toe" The first feeling
Of surprise over, ! examine my sur
roundings In leisurely detail. At som,
distance In front Of us looms q darl
mass with o horizontal limo OF light
half way up 1t. The three OF us-Mr
Verdin. the guide and myself-approacf
1t, each carrying lighted candle across
the floor, which appears to be rs level N
the floor Of drawing.room, and which
Is covered with thin carpet Of salt fine q,
powder and dry rs finder. Wherever
tho light falls upon 1t, the dark object
glitters Us II II were incrustcd witt
rubies and diamonds. II turned out u
be o huge square pillar. extending from
floor to ceiling. Each Of Its four side'
measures twelve yards; II Is thirty.thrc'
feet high. and II Is nothing but mas.
q crystals. At every twenty-five yards
north, south. east, west, stands one o.
these gigantic columns-all Of them
like this one, masses OF many-tintcd sal
CRYSTALS, and with the diamond flash
darling over their sides. Tho plan o.
this wonderful colonnadc Is now obvi
Gus. Tho miners have been cutting
their way, all these many generations
through the solid rock salt, horizontally
clearing smooth floor below ihcil
feet. leaving q smooth ceiling over theil
heads, and, ut the already named dis
lance, those enormous pilasters, who's
function Is to prevent the roof-that Is
the three hundred and thirty feet Of thu
earth's crust-from falling In. The
ceiling Is too high to respond very libcr
ally to the flicker OF our candle lights
but in hundred spots 1t wrinkles like
stars peering through the clouds OF night