The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-09
them go blind with living in the dark

them go blind with living in the dark
ness so long.
We passed on, through one tunnel
after another, the air getting hotter the
farther we went, until at length at the
end OF a low passage we came to a
place where some miners were hew-
ing the coal out of its native resting
place. 1t was wide, but low chamber
where the men were working, and with
numerous timber props supporting the
roof. Before me | could see shiny
black seam of coal about four feet
thick. At this seam men nearly naked.
were working with picks and other
tools. As / saw the fine fellows at
work in the hot and foul air, daring
death by explosion, fire damp, falls OF
roof, and many other ways, my respect
for them was considerably increased.
The coal, after being hewed out OF
the rock by the men, is then shoveled
into small wagons which are run down
short incline on to the horse road.
Six or eight of them are here fastened
together. and are drawn on tram-lines
by horse to the bottom of the engin g
brow. Here they are fastened to the
end of long wire rope, and are wound
up the brow by the engine, after which
they are placed in the cage and are
drawn rapidly up the shaft to the pit
top.
We left the workings at last and
commenced our return. When we had
nearly reached the shaft, Mr. Clay
pointed out certain spot i'll the main
passage, and said, Here is where the
great explosion occurred" The ex-
plosion TO which he referred happened
about fourteen years ago. 1t seems
that some of the timb'rs supporting the
sides of the main passage near the
shaft had fallen in, followed by large
quantity of earth and rock. This had
liberated some explosive gas in the
wall which ignited with some of the
lights near and caused an explosion.
Those who have witnessed an explo-
sion describe the scene as being mag
nifcently grand when the delth-deal-
ing flame, Respondent in all the colors
of the rainbow, flashes about in the
dark caverns of the mine. Mighty and
terrible in its beauty the flame rushes
along, hurting huge masses of earth
from their places and touching some Of
the men with the touch of death
in its course. The laundering noise
of the explosion echoes through
the mine, telling the men who
are working at a distance that their
dread foe is upon them. Throwing
down their tools they rush for the
shaft only in many cases to meet the
poisonous after-damp, which invaria-
bly, follows an explosion. After u time
the air gets clear again, and when the
searches come around they find the
poor fellows stretched on the ground
as If asleep-but it is the sleep of
death. Over fifty men were killed at
one explosion in the pit down which 1
went.
But now our journey was nearly
over, and again l found myself in the
cage ready to be drawn up the shaft.
Upwards now-leaving the region of
darkness behind us till at length the
light of day penetrates into the cage,
and in moment more we are at the
top. l step out OF the cage, tired,
bruised, and black as a negro with
coal dust, yet happy and satisfied; for
l had realized one of my wishes-I
had seen the GOLFERS at work and had
penetrated the utmost recesses of the
darksome Mines. H. Wheddow, in
Milwaukee Wisconsin.