Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-09-20
A NIGHT IN A CoAI. NINE.
INDUSTRIOUS ToilerS Working Beneath the
surface of the Earth---A Weird Scene
Graphically Described.
Philsdslnhis p,aSS

Graphically Described.
Philadelphia Press
small doorway. made of upright logs
and a croSSbeam. marks the entrance TO the
leading mime IN the heart of the anthracite
region. 1t Is located on the mountain road
Just above Black Jeddo. in Luzerne county.
a place made notorious during the Molly
Mcguire reign. In company with an ex-
perienced guide with a small miners
lamp suspended from the hatband, a
tourist enters the dreary. cavernous DEPTHS
of night. As his eyes become accustomed
TO the darkness making his way over riyu-
lets OF running water and stumbling over
shining pieces of anthracite he reaches
the railroad track which connects the toll
ers IN this underground workshop with
their brother worknen in the mammoth
breaker perched ON the mountain side in a
building OF such magnitude that the ten
story structures ON Chestnut street sink
INTO lnSlgnlhcance when compared with it.
The sharp whistle of the little engine
which winds Its way through the dark
receSSeS Of the mine warns all corners to
| give 1t room TO pass. and the tourist hastily
| jumps into the ditch and presses close to the
sides of the bank. The little engine with
| Its tram laden with coal. rushed by. Pass
| l1g onward the tourist enters a roomv
| chamber where duSky men. by dingv
| lights. with heavy drills, are tapping in
/ to the hard black rock beneath their feet
| and Scooplng up the powdered dust until
| sufficient depth Is reached, when the ex-
| ploSive material is inserted, the fuse applied
| and the warning cry Is given.
| All rush for shelter behind the pillarS or
lie fiat ON the ground rntil the bursting
rock has ceased to scatter. The mass thus
! detached Is sufficient to fill small train of
cars. but body of laborers with pick and
shovel and sledge-hammers reduce it to a
| convenient size for handling. The train is
| soon loaded and the little engine takes it to
the bottom of the slope. where a mammoth
wire cable is attached. and powerful
engines at the mouth of the slope draw
the load to the outer air, The cars are
then placed ON the tracks of the breaker
and powerful machinery carries them up
wards to a great height. where the mass is
shot down ON an iron fOored room. where
brawny men break up the large humps ard
the mass Is again started downward
! passing though several chambers and be-
ing picked over and examined by numbers
| of old men and boys, who are considered
fit for nothing else but to pick slate
These mines are worked day and night.
and there is no intermiSSion No daylight
penetrates the gloom of the mine but the
flicker from the little lamps suspended in
front of the headgear of the army of work
men somewhat dispelS the gloom With
cans upon their back filed with oil. an
other with water and another with powder.
the miners wend their way into the bowels
of the earth
Here, seated around network of shall
low pans in which the coal is constantly in
motion and pressed forward ON its journey
to the car, is Il large body of people of all
ages and nationalities As the streams of
glittering coal pass in review before them,
each piece of slate is removed and thrown
into box alongside of the busy workers
Thus every piece of coal which is brought
to the market is handled by number of
| people