The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-04
DOWN IN A SALT NINE.
How 1t. Is Operated o Thousand
Foot Under Ground.

As our readers are NV are, we have
been working for the past three or
four years 70 ret pass down into the
Retsof salt mine at York, says the Gem
eseo Democrat II 50 happened one
day recently that two personal friends
OF ours had business down In tho mine,
and, meeting Us afterward. they gave
us very graphic description 81 the
trip, so much so that we almost imaH-
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 H. us
tell you that when you once stood on
the verge of that yawning hole waiting
for the car to let you down, IL Is tNo
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
intendcnt Chapin was the ono who
went with MS, 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 60. From
that time until we reached the bottom
no man will ever be fully able to de-
scribe the experience.
when tho signal sounds. tho first
thing yon do is 10 hug your hut down
on your head for keeps, and by the
time that you have got that act accom-
p1ished it seems as though you were
going down at about the rate Of thou
sand miles minute. You have seen
one streak Of creased lightning chase
another-wel, it's no comparison. II
seems as though the cable has been cut.
and you are just dropping down to the
bottom. You cant 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 II would be hard
to explain, sort Of goncness rs it were,
and you don't care much whether
school keeps or not, and the changes
are SO different and varied that one be-
gins to wonder what will come next
when near tho bottom the car on
which you are riding begins to slow mp,
and then comes the most peculiar ex-
perience Of all Yon imagine that you
are shooting upward. and yon will soon
be among the stars Yon can imagine
the sensation from going down at the
rate Of about one hundred miles min
ute to going up ut about seven times
that rate. Finally the car lands at the
bottom Of tho shaft, and yon breathe o
sigh Of relief as you step out
well, tho first thing you do is to
look for salt; it's there, all around you,
above, beneath. on all sides, but II
don'tllool like salt near the bottom Of
the shaft, as lights are burned con-
stantly and the smoke has blackened
the walls You look away to the east,
through long, dark tunnel, and you
discern in the far distance some flicker
ing lights, and you are informed that
they are lights used by the workmen
who are engaged in mining the salt.
Your guide steps up to man near
where you land and says: Three lights.
please and three tallow candles are
handed out. II may seem a little
strange that tallow candles arc used In
this age Of kerosene, gas and eiectrici.
ty, but such is the case. and they are
the only lights used in the mine, and
each man carries one, and they are
hung up irony the ceiling where the
mining Of salt is going on, and they
are the haudiest lights that can be
used. They don't purchase these lights
by the dozen or hundred. bnt by the
carload
'srhe candles were lighted, and with
them in hand we followed the guide
and proceeded to make tour OF the
mine; we might add, partial tour, for
1t would take person something like
week to walk all over the mined ter
ritory. We followed the guide along
through dark and winding pathways,
until we reached point where tho
workmen were busily engaged mining
the salt. They were not at work with
picks picking II out, as might be sup
posed, but were breaking up the large
Jumps and shoveling It into the cars,
tho salt having been blasted out ahead
of them While some were engaged In
shoveling the salt, others were drilling
holes into the solid mass, making ready
for blast, machines run by coIa-
pressed air being used for this purpose
"As before stated, the main tunnel
runs directly east, aud Is nearly half
mile in length Near the shaft two
other tunnels branch of from the main
tunnel. one on either side. and run par
alicl with II These, we believe, ars
termed nirshafts From these shafts
rosms branch of both north and south,
ard in these rooms IS whore tho salt Is
mined These rooms arc nothing more
nor less tlau short tunnels. aud il tisno
viii probably be heightened out as far
as the main tunnel or even farther. a.,
they can 60 miles IN any direction and