Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-22
ruE SEwcAsILE NINE.


,snor,er Of the PosT- -IsTELLIGEScEE
ia a visit to the Sswca.stle mine al
r..l Greek on tuesday last, and exam
"a il from top 70 bottom. After an
ii, breakfast, prepared by Mr.. Wm.
p;.k.,ds, formerly proprietor Of sew
.,,l ,sssaurants in this city, but now
u,nassr Of the Newcastle cook house,
=. rspsrter started, under the Ruid
- az Mr.. wm. james, assistant su-
-.:r.sndeut OF the mine, - explore
=. ,he first time coal mine. The
g Law along tnnnel about one aGd
- aasrters To the new slope, where
rss sefe being lowered with their
80 of miners shd boys. Each one
- a little lamp attached to his cap
- a lunch basket in his hand. Do
ans a thcse sges the reporter stepped,
- IN short notice he WAS carried
S.~r the slope to the bottom Of the
asu eanevay, which is about thousand
49, h4lox the snrtsoe of the earth
us,a the men we're busy in switching
,ta ears and IN arranging to begin
tbsir DAYS Wsrk. The RanegAy - be
inc mashed west and east, and breasts
:, chambers are being pushed up rap
;dly. some of which have already sx
,sadad upwards of a hundred feet.
Ttsrs are two of these chambers Ia a
at connected by cros7cuts 10 allow
f,.e circulation of air. Before the
.,osseuts were N ,de the air in the
chambers il sAid to have been So sat
nrsted with "vnite damp" generated
b, tbs explosion of blasting powder,
tka. three or four men were overcome
by II and carried from their work sense
less. Daring the last few weeks, bow
ever, thss. cr0s5cats have been con-
pleted, and the air courses tdoR holes
have been repaired, aud now sanh miner
fsels a cool drauRht Of fresh air Ia his
face all the time be - At work. These
air courses were explained aud shown
10 be filled with a large qaantity OF cold
air, At enc place, seven hundred feet
below the surface, large icioles are
formed where the air strikes the drip
10 70 Breast east" the reporter
vas conducted through narrow " man
vsy." and there found two miners
basily peeking and drilling. They
ceased work, and the reporter was
rushed TO one corner of the room,
WHARF IL was safe from the cracking,
grinding and falling chunks Of coal.
Five minutes we're spent listening TO
these pleasant sounds, which finally
died down 10 a noise reseu bling rain
upon the roof. The gangvay was az ,in
reached, and the principles Of "shate"
aud manvay" were explained. Under
the new plan a timber passage way IL
bnil. up on each side of the breast, ana
througs these passage ways or man
ways" az tsey are called, the men
ascend TO their work aud descend with
oui being liable to be caught in the
mass Of falling coal in e main shute.
The nsw chambers sre45 feet wide,
sad. being on dip of ~ deg, the bed
rock forms shute down which the coal
10 thrown into the cars. The oars are
then taken BY mules driven by boys to
the slope, up which they are drawn BY
wire cables. This new slope IL firmly
constructed Of the best material, and
Il claimed TO be tue best slope in the
Territory.
As fast as a gangway is worked out II
is aban doDsd, and q slope is sunk down
about 800 feet and breasts worked up
toward the upper ganewsya The vein
being worked at present is about 10 feet
deep, and one of the miners saws "he
thinks It extends Down to China
The water that leaks into the mine is
pumped from gangway to gaRgway until
u reaches tue level of the old tunnel,
when IL IL drained To the surface. There
are several dams constructed IN the
gangways, 80 that, In case of accident
10 the pump or the accumulation of an
excess Of water, II can be forced back
into the gangways until IL IL pumped
out. A new dam Just constructed Is a
model Of workmansbip, and seems as
though IL would resist the greatest pos
sible amount Of pressure in the gsngwsy
where 1t ia built.
The fire, which is considered the most
dangerous part OF the mino. Is located
In what is called the mo. lift" The
gangway along which the fire has been
burning and smoulderinR for the last
four years IN damned at the outlet very
securely, aud loads Of sand and gravel
have been accumulated near the mouth
OF the Rangway TO prevent the fire and
black damp from escaping into the por
tons OF the mine operated at present.
Blsck damp, the thick. heavy gas gen
Grated in all coal mines where fresh air
10 not circulated, is more dreaded by
the miner than anything else on earth.
II Ia rank poison, and animal life IA
destroyed the moment portion OF Il IL
Inhaled. Since the satisfactory agree
msnt between the Superintendent and
the men, there il bat one danger the
men fear, which is that an explosion
might oocur in the gangway that con
tsins the fire, and throw blask damp
ana fire into the air courses.
The present system of ventilation IL
oersainiy an admirable one. Air Ii
forced into the courses by a huge fan,
and is thsn conducted along the gang
Ways and. meeting traps or doors, Is
thrown mp into the chambers occupied
By the men. In the new 9angway every
miner Vas satisfied with the quantity of
good air that is being supplied.
stables are built In the eoal mines for
the mules, and they are kept down be
low until IL is necessary to take them
out on account Of accident or sickness.
ihe miners relate many a story about
we amount OF instinct displayed by
these ANIMALS.
Ihe miners are set OF jolly. whole
souied and independent men, Who de-
light In showing their hospitality to
strangers and explaining all aboat the
nlnes 10 any who are anxious 10 learn
AEw BILLS N CONGRESS.