The state herald., 1890-04-25
LOST In A MINE.

10 mining accidents generally, and h-
nally one of the party recalled the
Conlstock horror Of two years ago,
when a cave in the Gould g. Curry
buried nine men alive.
81 had pretty ugly experience in
the mines myself eight years ago."
said one OF tho party. an cx-Nevadan.
II was boy of fourteen or fifteen
then, with about as little sense of pru-
dence as most boys of that are, and
had cl,um about us old who was as
careless ns myself.
I'VE lived toward the north end of
Virginia City. and had big back
yard in which we always planned our
expeditions. One day. in poking
around that yard, we found near an
old shed II big iron ring. This was
fastened TO Il heavy plank cover that
hid the mout, of IN old shaft. This
cover was hid by Il couple of inches of
dirt.
when the first big excitement
struck the Comstock everybody went
10 digging. and now the whole side of
Mount Davidson is as full of abandoned
shafts MS n Swiss cheese is of holes.
Within the town limits all the aban.
boned shafts are filled mp or covered
so as TO keep bcaicd pedestrians out of
them. The mine we discovered in the
corner of the yard had been too cytcn-
sivcly worked to allow of its being filled
up. and therefore had been covered as
described.
I'VE didn't lose much time in prying
up that cover and beginning the eN-
poration of what we found. The
shaft was evidently an upraise from
some drift of the lower mines for il
went down ut an angle Of about forty
i've. As soon ~ we had dies, ended
fifty feet VIC saw the working had been
very extensive indeed, for drifts and
wines went of from the main shaft in
every direction. We went into sew.
cral Of these. but always found our
selves stopped by a cave, for the work
ings were very old. Some shovcls and
picks that we discovered were almost
gone with rust, aud the iimbcrs where
the, stood were bent aud crushed and
rotten. BY guarded inquiries we found
tina, /, was in the ground of the Ophir
Mining company, and drift had prob
ably been extended TO this place In an
attempt 10 strike II ledge 10 the
west We knew that the old working
must connect with il somewhere. for
the air was good and there was steady
up d.anght.
Finally the idea took possession of
us TO 20 from our mine into some of
the working ones, and come up that
way.
The Andics shaft was only few
hundred yards from our mine. and We
knew they must he connected. We
knew enough about the mines 10 tax.
what VIC thought were sufficient pre-
cautions against getting lost. Tho
grain of the rocks showed us the di-
rcclions rs surely as u compass. so we
were not all apprchcnsiyc. We thought
that we might he down several hours,
however. and 80 took along number
of extra candles and some lunch. Thus
fixed. we began to chamber down the
old shaft. A hundred feet below the
surface we found some drifts. and
spent mn hour or 81 in them. but all
were either blocked with caves or else
stopped in the solid porphyry. So we
had 10 90 ON clambcring down the in
cline.
Ben was ahead. aud saw him
stop. and then he shouted back TO
me:
This Is the bottom
lie stood clear of the walls and
lifted up his candle to examine the
place.
This Is the bottom. he repeated.
"Arc You surcg' called back.
"Ycs; l."
IL saw his candle disappear amid
crash. lie called TO me that II was all
right. and to com. down, aud cau-
tiously followed, though could not
SEE his light anywhere. Soon found
out what was the matter. The miners
had built platform across tho shaft.
probably To prevent things from roll
Ing down. and my companions weight
had broken through the planks that
had been placed IN position 50 long he
fore. lie had only slid few yards
down the incline. and. barring n few
scratches. was unhuri. A very little
way below the old platform we struck
the 2O0.foot level of the mine. aud
started Oh tn explore the tunnels.
After following crooked old tunnel
We came 10 poiu, where It iorkcd.
I'VE entered the lcfi-hand iunn ri.
but lounh that u extended less III an
twenty yards. When we came TO
siand-iill against the wall Of rock Ben
put his candle close 10 the wall 10 oh.
serve the grain of the porphyry. lilo
made nn exclamation OF surprise. By
the grain Of III. rock we had been
travelling almost north. when ".
thought we were making progress
Ia tho south, When or how we had
got turned around We could not tell,
but ihcir was no possibility Of doubt
about IL.
We lost no Time In rc,racing our
steps, but to our surprise. WHEN We
came to the crooked tunnel again We
saw the mouths Of three drifts Instead
Of two. ". took the tunnel iha, led 10
the right aud were grntiilcd 10 lind
that II turned To the south after few
yards. II ended IN nm incline some
ihing like the one by which we lm'l
entered tho mine. Down ilii. went
Hen, while waited above. 80 rs io bc
able 10 direct him back with my voice.
Soon | heard him calling 10 me, and |
followed.
'"i.ook here. snii Ben. putting his
candle closr 10 n clnnmy timber.
II looked aud saw u chalk mark.
We've gone round In u circle some.
how. said Ben. There j. the Wheel
barrow you fell over. We had better
follow our marks back and Try II again
some other time
II was willing, aud We walked back.
occasionally stopping Ia STE the marks
on the iimbcfs.
''i didn't notice iho.r thugs before.
did Your said my cOtnpnnion. ns va
passed half dozen rusty picks that
must have bccn lSiug ,bcrc n decade,
ut least.
II hadn't noticed them, either. and
soon we bumped our heads again-, an
old lantern hanging from he top oi
the drifl. We hadn't met this bcforr.
Then we saw more unfamiliar things,
aud We noticed that there was waite,
beside the old ear track, while The