Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-05-18
A CLIMB FOR LIFE
Terrible Experience Ola Cornishaah la 4
fNevads Mining Shaft.

! lhcir boarding house. smoking their
| pipes and relating inciden.' from
| lheir expcriences while working in
! he mines. One of them, a hardy,
,inewy-looking Cornishman. of about
! hity years of age. related the follow
| ng story of a narrow escape from
| death. He said in substance:
Some years ago | was working tor a
prospecting company operating in the
Western part of Nevada County. The
company had bonded Il quartz claim
On working bond, and were at
cmpting to develop it as cheaply as
possible. Ayear or two previous the
owner had sunk shaft on the edge
q the depth of three hundred feet,
but being short of of money had sus-
pended work and allowed the shaft
fill up with water The new COM
| Dany started to run a tunnel which
! should strike the bottom of the shaft
and serve as Il drain tunnel. After a
portion of the work had been COM
| peted the rock became very hard and
| lie expense so great that the manager
| # the enterprise concluded to
bandon it. | suggested to him
| hat it would have been better if he
mad in the start bailed ont the shaft to
'ce whether the property was suf-
,ieentIy valuable to justify further de-
yclopments. told him that even then
would not cost much to do it, and he
would be better satisfied if it should be
| lone.
There was small donkey engine at
! he mouth Of the shaft, and, instead of
sing a pump, the water ha been
lised to the surlace ~by n "bailing
alb 1t was finally concluded to get
! up steam and hoist the water. The
edge stood almost perpendicular, and
| he shaf was very narrow. There was
! Just room enough for the tub to pass
| Up and down. but not room enough To
! How it TO turn and fill by dipping. 1t
vas therefore made to fill by valve
1t the lotion which opened upward
| Nih thc pressure of the water below
| IA the course Of two or three DAYS the
water had been lowered to dep h Of
30 or 20 feet without difficulty. But
| hen that point WAS reached the shaft
made Il bend 10 follow the dip of the
rlge. O day the tub when passing
his bend, was caught between the
walls, and could neither be raised
.pr lowered. The boss" asked
hat some one should 90 down
I'D relieve It. This was considered to
be dangerous undertaking. The
Illy way 10 descend WAS to climb down
We rope, OF 10 trust to pcrpend ocular
adder Of slight material fastened to
he SIDE of the shaft. Having been so
ong under water, it was thought that
ne fls,cnin@s might have slipped or
ccome Insecure, and no one would
rust his Tile to so frail Il support. /
iaH5ly volunteered 10 make the descent,
nd, se.ri 2 the rope, after much diff
uIty reached the spot where the tub
vas caught Bracing myself against
he opposite wall and resting my feet
ID the ladder l succeeded in dislodg-
Q the tub from its position. Then l
God on the ladder, drawing myself us
iose 10 it as possible, in order to let
lie tub pass me, and gave the signal
hoist. Slowly the load was raised,
md its a9ceatit squeezed me so hard
.n,hi,e, fror, NV h,d,. nnd 1,i ip ,no
no fr,n, u.haro tto.1 ri
ian was f. rov.;, U u.ho.o L"
- fiji tbe ,,h shon1I
.,o.fad and In,yo,. Il g. ,,";tt
o. The Surf,cn .,rai,' : rno,oL ,il
81. i, went NJ, ,..li -, a,,1 t,,,.', ''a(l'sp
.,a.,,,d ,1nr,tb., u'aIT, ,' E' '',T =,
..ro ,,,. .ra,, o"a,h aa ''t't'o'!i'
Irond with v,,icr o.;a,. a '''. W.
...,ril.,I what had Lo,.'>,,,'I ,ri i''''
nj ranobt ON fhe si,a'of ,Lo lia "G suo
amino the cab,o ana 1.,,;n,. :, -, hn5,.
90 tba Shaft oo.,ip Y.,aJ - t;.a
mink mo tino r., nloo h"noi, w. , ;,,''' ~
liz hat vas I,,d ,,,on 1f' ''',. "
IN. ,aJ.J.r Win Iat ',i''' ~. o..'nS
..os..r ,.., o,os and sa,a.s'I NJ 7'p,
q. cl,..a -, la ,,..ll t.I, NV, ~ '',,
vaifod fo,. loo,b fa. ,,,l,'. -. '',9
,., n,infn1l,. I,n.. 9Ie'''o'' "
ZEN rl.n nsss ,Lr,,',h ,'1 SUI. .t
a,.s .;..,r,nn s,.,r,a1 a., '.'. '.,'N '''o
4rcrvb.t s.o,,,aI - ',,''" l'7i! Pore,
,pr,rsd to tnrn W., ,.'o q IVA 'i'i'e
.bara saw, th,, dr.',If,,J WV ''',',