Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-06-27
Helena, Montana, Thursday, June II, 1889.
THE SALT NINE or WIELICZKA.


What you are now, my boy, l was once;
but it is more than halt a century ago. They
say tha old men remember things that
happened long, long ago, better than events
that occurred recently. In the geography
which l used in school when 1 was boy
like you was q picture of a scene in the
salt mine whose Polish name is given
above. The text told wonderful story of
things a long way under ground, and 1
wished very much to wander among the
scenes described.
The picture represented workman
doubled up in a narrow place digging out
great blocks of salt. 1 used to think he
must have the backache. as / looked at
him year after year from that time to this,
for have the book still. Since that time
l have that man, and l vas inclined to
present him bottle of liniment, for be-
lieved that he needed it.
We were told in the book that whole
villages of people lived in this mine, and
that some of the m never came out. All
this was simply fiction, for no one lives in
the mine; but in spite of the big stories
it did tell, the cavern is vastly more won
derful than the description. After l had
walked about seven miles through these
subterfanean galleries 1 was sure that the
half 4Ad not been told. Wieliczka is
about six miles from Cracow. the ancient
capital of Poland, where one may look
upon the coffins of John Sobieski, Ponia-
towski and Thaddeus N oscusko.
Wicliczka is a town of 5000 people. The
earth under it is honey combed with exca-
vations, beginning about 200 feet below
the surface, for three miles in one direction
by one mile in the other. The salt was
discovered $50 years o, ard the mine
has been worked all the time since. There
are said to be over 400 miles of galleries
and tunnels dug out; but did not meas
ure them, though 1 found no reason to
doubt the statement. In fact when got
on the face of the earth again 1 felt as
though had walked 200 of them, though
had really made but about seven miles.
These mines yield an annual revenue of
ST. 100000. Though pure white salt is
found there, most of the product is mixed
with dark green. 1t is taken out in
pieces of the average size of ones head, OF
foot ball, and in this shape hauled to
Cracow in wagons.
Our party of three were on the way
from st. Petersburg to Vienna, and we
stopped to see this wonder of our bOyhood.
The first formality at the entrance of the
mine was to pay fee of about So, which
covered all expenses of the party. Our
four lamp boys, and the stores consisted of
a large supply of fireworks. We were pro-
vided will full uniforms of green baize.
The lamps were open pans, with several
wicks at the rims, held by three chains, so
that they could be dropped to the floor to
light the way.
There are two methods of descent; one
by MINDLESS, the visitors being seated in
rope slings, the other by staircase. We
were taken down the stairs. They consis-
ted OF seven steps down from one platform
to another, on each of which one turns
around, repeating the operation till the bot
tom is reached. We went down $50 feet, but
it seemed to be about 1000 when we
wake up.
The passges or galleries are very like the
corridors OF building. In places where
there was any loosness in the walls or CELL
ing they were planked but generally the
visitor sees nothing but walls of salt rock.
Near the foot Of the staircase we were con-
Quoted to a chapel dedicated to the patron
saint of the mine. The apartment was about
so by 80 In niche at the back of stage
was life size crucix. At the ends of
the stage we're statue of the king of Pol
and and the saint. The latter was duch
ess, and Oh the spot they believe that the
mine was discovered by men searching for
the lady's wedding ring, which she had
lost. There another statue and some or
work, all Of which is carved out
of the solid rock of salt.
After looking at the chapel we took
very long walk through the gloomy vaults,
till we came to an immense cavern, in
which dozen city churches could be COM
foItably slowed. The boys touched off
some Roman candles, and the place was
brilliantly illuminated. This is the point
Or one of them, where 1t would be quite
proper to 20 into ecstasies and "gush" for
the cavern is grand, and the idea of being
hundreds of fe ct below ground is appalling,
but there is no danger OF q "cave in"
We went into another tremendous vault
Of the same kind, provided with wooden
galleries above for the passag of the miners
from one part to another. Then we walked
more miles, passing monuments, statues,
banquet hall, and following railroad
miles in length, with cars drawn by live
horses, buried as they were. In one of
these immense excavations we came to q
AXE Al feet deep. Moored to the shore
was fiat boat, big enough to seat twenty
persons, on which we embarked for a sail
IN these Stygian waters. The craft was
lrawn by wires, like many ferry boats in
The upper regions.
When we were halfway across the lake |
. boy let off q heavy cannon cracker, the |
echoes of which resounded over and over |
lgain through the awful cavern. We |
passed under gracefully turned arch into |
mother grotto, and then landed on the |
'olid salt again. A long walk down in |
,lined plane and an occasional flight of |
Itairs brought US to the last lion of the ex-
:avations, which was ball room brilliantly |
lighted for our reception. The Emperor
,f Austria, after whom it is named. has |
,eld court here. 1t is provided with gal
cries, and is lighted with chandeliers made
If salt. The drops are of the whitest kind,
md they sparkle like diamonds
At one ! oint in our walk we were told |
hat the lake which we had crossed was !
directly over our beads; but the floor was
Try and there was 10 oozIng overhead!
The ascent of the stairs was exceedingly |
ryipg after the long walk in depths below.
The light. boys seemed to be not all fa-
igued. They we're forbidden to ask Wis
tors for money, and the officials enforce
he rule; but the boys are continually
Trusting their hands very slyly into posi-
ions where few kreutzers could drop in
% them unseen by the incorruptible guide;
md it is very amusing to see them do this
It every opportunity.
At the head Of che staircase certain per-
ons are permitted to sell carvings, such as
,oOks and toys in pure white salt, as SOU
,enirs of the visit of which our narfv car.