News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-02-18
AWAY UNDER THE SEA,
The Great BOtaIlack Mine, of Cornwall
England.

The mines of Cornwall, England, are
of historic interest. Centuries ago
traffic in rich ores here found was car
RED on by Phpnicians, Greeks, and Ro-
mans. The mining district of st. Just,
extending along the western coast OF
Lands End for three or four miles, is q
spot utterly barren in all else save this
magnificent outstretch of hidden treas
ure. The scenery, it is said, can hardly
be exceeded for "a stern and solemn
wildness," especially as one draws near
the huge Botallack cliffs, the only re-
deeming feature of the place being a
broad and beautiful outlook over the
English Channel.
One who has visited these famous
chambers of wealth tells us that on a
shore exposed to the full fury of the
ocean, and among the steep granite
cliffs, towering to height of more than
sixty feet above the water, lies this
treasury of reserved riches, the most
wonderful probably IN the world.
Furthermore, he adds, that looking
UP from the sea upon the very summit
of the craggy cliff, one may catch
glimpses of various apparatus almost
overhanging the restless waters.
Gloomy precipices of slate and granite,
having for ages defed old oceans
waves, are cut into winding pathways,
broken up by mining tools, and dotted
with all manner of complicated machin-
cry.
Smoking chimneys and putting en-
gines indicate a hidden power, chains
and pulleys lead to unknown depths.
On one side of the cliffs tall ladders en-
able the miners to ascend; it is certain
death to the poor fellows treading
round by round unless they have a
strong head and sure foot, for the roar
ing sea is beneath.
Near the foot of one of these lofty
juttlng cliffs is the entrance to the
famous BotalIack Mine; no easy matter
is it from the heights to gain even the
mouth of the shaft, and to descend per-
pendicularly into the dark abyss, hun
dreds of feet below the level of the sea,
and horizontally, thousands Of feet be-
meath the bottom Of the ocean, requires
great firmness of nerve and power of
endurance.
The "workings" of tho Botallack
Mine have reached between one and two
thousand feet below the ocean level,
and from the depths of the land CALLER
les have been carried out under the
depths of the sea not less than two
thousand three hundred feet. Marvel
lous submarine burrowing, where labor
ers, shut away from all sunshine In life,
toll in dark caverns under the rolling
ocean, digging mineral wealth from the
rocks above them, while waves dash in
storm-driven fury against their grim
prison walls.
Even in fine weather, the rafting of
pebbles, with the swell of the ocean,
can be heard in the caverns of the mine
with greater distinctness than on the
beach itself, and during heavy storms
the noise Is so appalling that although
no real danger is apprchended, a strange
terror creeps over the Workmen, chill
ing their very hearts.
Years ago, as miners were following
some small veins of tin scattered through
the rocks, they actually penetrated the
Ocean; the hole was speedily
up with the handle of pick
axe, and up to the present time the
waters are kept out of the mine by
wooden wedge wound with creased
Oakum,
Close by that unfortunately opened
hole, where only a few feet of rocky
partition lie between the miners walk
and the bottom of the ocean, terrific
reveberatcs from gallery to
gallery, making strong hearts quake with
fear. Add to this the rolling of bowl
de1s over each other on the bed of the
sea, the thunder-tone of their deep
solemn music penetrating ones very
soul, and one no longer marvels that
men spending their lives in such dismal
are scarcely ever known to
smile.
Saltwater oozes through the granite.
lodges, and during tempests it is not
unusual to feel continuous sprinkling
of sca-water. That plugged portion of
the roof is far richer in metallic ore than
any other section of tho mine, but not
man among them would risk life by
cutting out another pound from the
vicinity of that dangerous aperture.