Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-05
DOWN IN A SALT MINE.
How 1t Is Operated a Thousand
Feet Under Ground.


four years to get pass down into the
Retsof salt mine at York, says the Gen
eseo Democrat 1t so happened one
day recently that two personal friends
of ours had business down in the NINE
and, meeting us aftcrward, they gave
us a very graphic description of the
trip, SO much so that we almost imag-
ined we were with them from the time
they left the top until they returned
again, and for the benefit of our read
ers We will give their description OF
what they experienced and what they
saw. Referring to the matter they
said:
"You may imagine that you would
like to go down that Shaft, but let us
tell you that when you once stood on
the verge of that yawning hole waiting
for the car to let you down, it is two
to one that your courage would fail
you and you would inform the
guide that you would postpone
the trip until some other day. Super
intcndcnt Chapln was the one who
went with us, and, of course, there
was no cause for alarm, as he knows
the workings of the whole plant from
ono end to the other. Well, we jumped
into the car and waited for the signal
to start and we did not have to wait
long before the gong sounded and that
was the signal to let her go. From
that time until we reached the bottom
no man will ever be fully able to de-
scribe the experience.
"Whcn the signal sounds, the first
thing you do is to hug your hat down
on your head for keeps, and by the
hof h,x hot NJ
plishcd it seems as though you were
going down at about the rate of thou
sand miles Il minute. You have seen
one streak Of creased lightning chase
anOthrr-wcll, it's no comparison. II
seems as though the cable has been cut,
and you are just dropping down to the
bottom. You can't see, and the only
thing to be heard is that terrible roar
of the air as You rush through space.
After the first two or three hundred
feet there is feeling it would be hard
to explain. sort of Eoncn~Ss as it were,
ana You DON care much whether
school keeps or not, and the changes
are 50 different and varied That ono be-
gins to wonder what will como next.
"Whrn near the bottom the car on
which Won are riding begins to slow up,
prricncr of all You imagine that you
are shooting upward, and you will soon
bc umuag the stars. Nuu can imagine
the sensation from going down at the
rate of about one hundred miles 4 min
ute to going mp ut about srvCn times
that rate. Finally tn" car lands at the
bottom of tn" SHAFT, and You breathe n
sigh of relief rs You step out.
look fer salt; it's there, all around you,
above, beneath, on all sides, but it
don't look like salt near the bottom of
the shaft, as lights ar" burned con-
stantly and the smoke has blackcued
the walls. Iou look away to the east,
through long, dark tunnel, and Won
discern in the far distance some flicker
ing lights, and You are informed that
they are lights used 10y the worllmc1
who are engaged in mining the salt
Your guide steps up to n man near
where yuu land and saws: Three lights,
| please, and three tallow candles are
| handed ont. 1t NAV seem a little
strange that tallow candles are used in
this age Of kerosene, gas and clcctrici-
| tY, but slch is the case, and they are
| the only lights used in the mine, and
| 'tNl lA1ttt' N''AA lNS NAiNN anu ChCJ ak
| hung up from the ceiling where the
mining of salt is going on, and they
are the handiest lights that can be
| used. They don't purchase these light S
| by the dozen or hundred, but by the
| carload.
"rbc candles wore liohted and with
them in hand we followed the guide
and proceeded to make a tour of the
|
! it would take a person something like
ritory We followed the guide along
| .l.'l ,.1- ,,l ,:,,l;.,. 49,, .1,,.S