Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-02-02
DOWN IN A SALT N
~oLirrERrSo UNDERGROUND cirr Win
It's PILLARS oY CRYSTAL

Light q lev eandles.' vas the order
passed % We were leaving winsford ; and
Am under the impression tina, the hole
down below is like any other hole. and
that the "few candles" will just give ne
lish, enough for the space Of three or four
yards. but we shall see. We step INTO
our iron bucket; the door thereof Is
closed upon u'; the steel ropes are made
fast; the signal is given; there i' = bes-
~l,.iins. trembling motion. aud We dive
swiftly into P~lutoniAn night. Il aight.
sheer through . tunnel $50 fee, deep.
and three fee, and G inches across. the
rim Of our bucket row and again grinding,
.crping. humping, ,ereeehing against
the narrow walls. After the IRE, few
seconds have passed. one cannot 'sll'
from one. sensations merely. whether
one i. going up or down. or i' suspended
at rest. There 4. only the trembling OF
the invisible steel ropes and the sersPing
sound on the walls.
Ia q minute more We touch the floor
Of the under world With the ligh,n,.' Of
. feather. In the nsme Of all the fairies
and goblin. and gnoms'. and spirits OF
the earth, what have We there oh
Master Robert. q "few candles" The
city Of ID. iluminaied-,his 10 wha,
meet. my s.,oni.hed gsEe Open spaces.
endl,,. streets turning aud winding oif IN
all directions. and outlined in spots Of
Ish,, aud In the f.rthes, di,,srce al o..
nsmsnial group Of lights. a. " on a vail
or some vas, supporting pillar. IL IL -
( some one look. from some point OF van
,sge upon the light. Of . ,o-n In q dark
n ght. ,hoai moon OF starr; not . 'owa
With empty space over over Il, but q
town under a horizontal esilins Thirty
three feet above the pavement. On this
level pavement the mss.ed bands q the
British army may pl., strauss. ma''e.
and the whole u the I0nton IVES, Eai
spin round on 'lish, fantastic toe"
The hri feeling of surprise over en-
anime my surrounding IN leisafsly de.
tail. A. some distance in fioa' Of u'
Lions. . dark MAJ. with q horizontal line
Of lights half way up H. The three OF
u.-Mr. vsrdin. the guide and myself
-appro.eh II. each carrying q lighted
camille tero., The floor. which aprsar to
be- .. level a. The fJor Of = dn-ing.
room. and which i. covered with a thin
e.rpe, Of sal, fine as Posdsr and dry a.
tintsr.
Wherever the light. f.ll uPon ii.re
DARK obj-e, sliuer =. ifit we're sneiu'ed
with rab,es and diamonds. !, turn. oct
% BE- . huge square pillar. Extend z
from aoor TO ceiling. E'eh Of iu ior
side. msa.urs. ~ yards. ii. IS feet
high, and i. nothing but a mass OF eu'-
tails. At every IS yards. north. south.
east, west, stand. one Of these gigantic
eolumn.-.ll Of them. like this oas.
ma..s. Of many tinted salt crystals. and
With the diamond fash dsrtins over their
sides.
Tie plan Of ,hi, wondsrfdl eolonn'de
/. nov obvious. The miners have b'cn
cutting their way. all these many genera
lions, through the solid rick salt. ho'i-
ront.lly. clearing q smooth dor belo~
their feet. leaving q smooth ceiling o'er
their heads. aud. q, the already named
distance. those enormou. plla.ier,. wh5se
function is to prrvsn, the roof-,aa, i''
the $50 fee, Of III, earth. erus,-from
falling in. The ceiling IL too high to o.
.pond very literally to the flicker OF our
candle lights, but in q hundred spots u
,~inkls. like stars pssrins through The
cloud. Of night. They look as 'hoash
they bad III. strength Of doom. those pill
lars. and were destined 20 las, TO the
crack ,hsr,of Cor. London N,r'.