The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-08
EXCITING EXPERIENCE.

EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
Swaying in a Bucket Four Hun
dred Feet Above the Earth.
In Dcnver it was recently reported
that the Smuggler mine, of Telluride.
Col, would close down, owing to the low
price Of silver. This being one of the
largest producing mines of the state,
the natural inference was that many
of the men employed therein would
leave the country. In behalf of my
company 1.-THE Rock Island) / started
for Telluride, on the Rio Grande South
ern railway, and arrived at my destina-
ton Wednesday evening. Mr.. n. T..
Mansfield, manager of the Smuggler,
in his coy little office that night, told
me the company had decided upon a re-
duction of wages instead of closing
down. and that word had been sent to
the mine that day, but the men'sa answer
had not yet been received. He further
told me that at this season Of the year
there was but one way TO get to the
mine. and that was by taking the buck
ct tramway. rs the trail was covered
with snow and ice and practically i'm
passible. The bucket tram, he added.
was itself far from a desirable method
of transportation and liable to try a
mans nerve pretty well, bnt if ! would
undertake the trip he would accompany
me.
What could a man say to proposition
of that kind but "Ycsy' Accordingly.
bright and carly the next morning,
which was one of thefaircst and bcauti-
full I have ever seen in the mountains,
horses were in readiness and, accompa-
MED by Mr.. w. c. Green, who is con-
nccted with the San Miguel Miring
company of Telluride, we started put
The ride Of two miles TO Pandora was
most enjoyable, by reason of the ford
ing of innumerable streams which
crossed the road. Our horses displayed
wonderful sagacity in picking their way
through many a t%reacherous spot.
Arriving at the foot of the tram and
getting a faint idea of what was ahead
of me. seeing the buckets coming down
hundreds of feet above us and discharg-
ing their cargocs of ore into the i'm
mcnse shute. my courage almost failed
me. but it required more nerve than I
could muster to back out. l tried to
appear as little disconnected as possible, |
while Mr.. Mansfield, who was to start
first, curled up in his little bucket,
which was only large enough to hold
an ordinary-siZed man in a most uncom-
Portable and crampcd position. The
endless cable was hen put in motion
and out swung the manager on his per-
ilous journey. cannot help thinking
how much more nerve he display ed
than either Mr.. Green or I, but he had
been over it before, and knew what vas
ahead of him. Three hundred feet be
hind Mr.. Mansfeld's bucket came an
other, and into this climbed Mr.. Green.
As his buckle. started up that incline !
felt that l had lost my last friend, as
there was absolutely nothing left then
between me and comfort but disgrace.
The men in attendance i saw were
watching me. as ! was the first tender
foot who had ever undertaken the
tliD. III LlolC St'h . l
felt not, | awaited my bucket smiling
ly. When it came along ! was obliged
70 remove my overcoat in order to get
in. Crouching down in a sitting pos
ture, tailor fashion, there was just
room to stay in and that was all. and
with a parting injunction to keep my
tail up the man in charge switched me
on to the main line and I swung out Of
tho doorway fifty feet above the ground.
The rate of speed was about two and
half miles per hour, and the total
of the tram five thousand four
hundred feet-a little over a mile. In
that mile, however. we had to rise one
thousand eight hundred and twenty
feet-a little more than one foot in
three. The endless cable to which the
buckets are attached passes overnumer-
GUS tall wooden trestles, varying in
height from fifty feet TO one hundred
and sixty, and placed at irregular in
wherever the formations of the
mountain will permit The height of
the cable above the ground increased
with every turn of the wheel. and as |
sat there with eyes glued upon the two
preceding buckets and not particularly
anxious in the first few minutes to look
down or around or anywhere else X
cept above me, | began to realize that I
the twenty minutes necessary for the
journey were going to be mighty long
ones. I
On and on we vent and up and up until 1
there came in sight yawning under me
q terrible gorge, crossed by a single l
span of the cable over 1,40o feet in ]
length and 400 fcet.above the ground. I
Even this would not be so bad were it &
not that the next tower in front of me
was $50 feet higher than the spot from S
I was getting my first view. s
There ahead of me were the two I
containing Mansfield and !
and n l pulled myself together,
determined to take every advantage of |
up, the thought came to me that never
had I beer in a position of such utter
and dependence. Lest !
the figures given above should fail to :
convey the exact idea, let me suggest a !,
which occurred 10 me !
crossing this span.
The Pulitzer building in New York is 4,
Just about one mile from the Battery, :.
the height from the ground to the !;
loot of the flagstaff is, if my memory n
'erves, $50 feet Now pile six Pulitzer
buildings one atop the other and start {.
rom the battery in a little bucket,
than an ordinary clothes =
and go to the top of that mass ..
suspended on a single rope, and if you T
IS a man will not recognize your insig- !,
.liicance nothing will ever bring you to !,
hat realizing sense
BY this time I had entered into the :,
grandeur of the scene and all ner- !.
business disappeared, strange to say, =,
light at the most dangerous part OF the
Four hundred feet below me
could see a train Of those most abused Ii
yet invaluable little burros slow S,
Y and painfully climbing the mar
DIV trail laden with supplies and tim