The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-09-04
AN HOUR IN A COLLIERY.
Through tho Earth's Crust Into a
Coal.Mine.
The Dewtl1eFing Sensation of the Descent
-Hosse-Stalls Alive with Mice-A
Uaznted Gave - Items Both
Entertaining and Instructive.

H0DUt00 N0V0 - Items B0tn
Entertaining and Instructive.
Through the earth's crust into coal
mime! Will you come? Take first a
glance round the pit-top; peer down
the black hole you are to,descend; look
up ut the hugo wheels overhead. and
comfort yourself with the thought that
the ropes. though they seem SO like
sp ders' threads. are made of steel and
will bear thirty tons. Take this lamp.
unless you prefer candle stuck in your
hat collier-fashion; and as the cage
20 the platform is called in which men
aad coal alike are conveyed-clicks on
the catches, step in, clutch the iron rod
which runs along its top to steady your
sell. and prepare to drop q quarter Of
. mile in no time! A bell rings, and we
are o6. Before the qualmy sensation.
30 suggestive of sea-sickness, is fully
realized. with rattle and jerk the cage
stops. aud you find yourself bewildered
and helpless; for the candles cast SO
dim . giimmer as merely to render the
darkness visible. We will sit on this
bench for . minute, till-as the phrase
is-we ..get our pit eyes," and then
start escorted by the courteous man
ager, to see such objects of interest IS
naturally attract novice's attention.
FIRST Of all-while we are waiting
for our carriage to drive up-let us
pay = visit to the stables; capital stalls.
out out In the solid rock, Ut present un-
tenanted save by swarms of mice,
which scamper off in all directions as
We bring our lamps to bear ON the we'll
filed managers. Surprise number one.
WonderimRiy. we ask: '.How did
mice get hercr"
brought down in the hay, you
know; and they multiply so alarmingly
that we keep cats. and pay them weekly
wAgek that they may wash down with
milk their monoton0us mousy diet. We
shall SO some Of the horses IS we go
our rounds" So our guide informs us,
and adds: "Come now; it is time we
started for our drive"
Accordingly. we return to the spot
whence divers small tunnels of inn
penetrable blackness radiate; each of
~ Grams himself into an oblong box
on wheels; and = tram Of q dozen
or so ''trams." rs they are called.
is Ut once set in motion by
: plump. powerful horse. He
has not seen daylight for eight years,
We learn In answer to our question
ings. The uniform temperature
warmer in winter, cooler in summer
than on the surface suits the equine
constitution wonderfully; and then
there Is no ran underground. Dark IS
Il 10. our Dobbin has sense enough to
step outside the tram-rails ut any stop
page. and 80 the trans pass without
Souching him. Doubtless, many q
whack on the heels has taught him
this lesson. for the string Of carts is
drawn by . loose trace-chain only.
Don't omit while going along this
road cut through rock and coal. to
keep . good lookout for any curiosities
Ne nnAy pass; only hold your head well
down. or it viii come in painful con-
tact with the timber profs which sup
port tho roof. and which rest at each
ntde on stout upright posts. See! there
= > perfect Lcptdodcndros, standing
J1et - It grow. when these dark places
g IL earth constituted . swampy
1uresk densely covered with reeds and
terns. and trees Of which the ornament
= 4onkey-shrub (Araacaria i,mbrico-
~ = perhaps the best representative
omoag cur c0untryss present-day
GfowthsL How many thousands Of
EoAxo have elapsed since this trunks