The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-09-26
Coal Mining at Cape Breton, N s

! remarked that 1t must be hare. dreary
aud not to say dangerous work IN the
suDterraneau caverns.
"Ay, and you might say submarine
caverns too" Was his answer, For We
are now under the waters OF the bay, and
over our heads sloop of war could ride
safely at anchor"
| must admit to queer feeling passing
over Inc rs he made tnis statement, but
braced up and went on, and we soon came
into the chamber where we saw several
miners at work.
They labored together in pairs, each
couple having To employ the boy who at
tends their mule and car, and pay him out
of their own earnings, which al the time
of my visit were tifty cents ton for the
amount delivered at the foot of the shaft.
Although the coal is very soft and easi-
ly broken, yet they are Obliged to do a
great deal Of blasting, the ammunition for
which is furnished by the company.
| The two men who work together will
attack the walls Of the cavern about ten
feet apart, that /. where the vein is wide
enough to allow that distance; II no.,
they separate to the breadth of the vein,
and dig In a slit about six inches wide as
high az they can reach and down to their
feet, and into the coal the length of their
pick handles. Then taking sort OF a
hoe made fur the purpose they scrape out
the pieces AMI into these seams are placed
the powerful cartridges, which in rend-
ing the rock asunder enable them further
to pursue their incursions into the bosom
of the earth.
" han we arrived in this last chamber,
Thomas and his partner were just getting
read, 10 lay Il blast, and when all was pre-
pared for firing We were warned to re-
treat, j,ds-a2eMHy between Us and the
place 81 HI, proposed explosion.
Ia IL few moments Thomas, who had re-
manned behind to fire the charge, joined
us, and we awaited the shock, which came
in about thirty seconds after we all had
reached place of safety.
Its terrific force created peculiar seu-
sation upon me, stranger, as 1t usually
does upon every one. For moment 1t
seemed almost impossible to catch one ;
breath, while it produced deathly faint,
sick feeling at the stomach and disagree
able dizziuess in the head.
| We had to wait a few minutes for the
dust to subside and the sulphurous smoke
to pass on before we could return to ex-
anime the effect of the blast; and when
we did enter the chamber, we saw by the
light of the little oil lamps several tons of
coal lying scattered about the floor, while
huge lump, considerably larger than
one Of the railway cars. was detached
/ from the wall and stood apart by itself
where it had been blown by the explosion.
The first thing that the miners did wa,
+ to examine carefully the rough sides OF
the immense hole which had been made,
and were well pleased to SEE that th,y
were still in the midst Of Il large aud rich
pocket.
The temporary rails Of the tramway
were now laid up to the heap OF broken
coal and the miners turned to with thcir
shovels and quickly allied the car. when
the boy and his mule started off with it
to the shaft.
A fter the car had gone, the two men
turned their attention to the large lump,
and with drills aud sledse hammers pro
ceeded to break it up iuto pieces that
could be conveniently handied.
They haJ it well smashed to pieces and
the broken coal all in pile ny the time
the hoy returned, and after retllling the
car, turned their attention to the hole
again, and with picks sm )othed oil the
rough sides and such loose coal ~ they
could get out preparatory to drilling 9TH
er Sits for second blast.
Where they strike good "lead like
/ this. two miners would be able to make
about three blasts in two days. or twenty
/ four hours labor, and should be able To
/ yet tut from fourteen to eighteen tons OF
coal, which it will he seen is far from
/ giving them q just rrcompense Tor their
arduous and perilous work.
! After spending little more than au
! hour in this dark aud >mutty cavern, We
I irlr"ccd our steps to the shaft and in a
/ short time reached the surface, where VT
again enjnyed breath of pure, fresh air
and heartily sympathised with the poor
fellows who had to spend the greater
part of their lives in that terrible hole.
| wandered about among the houses "i
the miners; each one had its little patch
Of ground, with crop of potatoes grow
ing, and before the doorway of nearly ev'
cry house were strings OF herring. OF
split goldfish spread upon racks and dry
/ ing in the sun.
! There was scarcely man to be seer
about, unless 1t was some aged grand
father who was too old to labor in the
mines.
Such one might occasionally be seen
gruhbing in the garden or vainly striving
to quiet the cries of an infant who had
been left to his charge.
| 1t was in most places, however, that
women we're to be found at the fish
'skids" or using the hoe, and they
seemed to thoroughly understand, II moi
enjoy, their labor Boston Com, Bulletin