The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
IN EXCITING EXPERIENCE.
swnyinE In nm Ore Bucket Four Hundred
Feet Above the Earth.
For Nee rotk Railroad Men.

down. owing to the low price OF silver. Tht
being ono OF the largest producing mines o
the State. the natural inference was that man,
OF the mon employel therein would leave tn
country. In behalf Of my company THE Rocl
Island / started for Telluride. on the RI
drande Southern Hallway. and arrived ut NJ,
destination Wednesday evening. Mr.. n. 7
Mansfield. manager Of the Smuggler. In hi
cosey little Office that night. told me tn,
company had decided upon a reduction
OF wages instead Of closing down.. and tina
word had been sent to the mine that day. bu
tho mems answer had not rot been received
He further told me that at this season OF tn,
year there was but one way to get to the mine
and that was by taking tho bucket trnmway
as the trail was covered with snow and ic,
and PRACTICAL, impossible. The buckle tram
he added. vas Itself far from O desirable moth
cd OF transportation and liable to try u man,
nerve pretty well. but II I would undertake The
trip he would company me.
What could q man say to a proposition o
that kind but Yes ?" Accordingly, brich,
and early the next morning. which was ono OIL
the falrest and beautiful l have ever seen IN
the mountains. horses were in readiness and
accompanied By Mr.. ". c. Green. who is CON.
nected with the San Miguel Mining Company
OF Telluride. we started out. The ride OF two
miles to Pandora was most enjoyable. BY rea-
son OF the fording Of innumerable streams
which crossed tho road. Our horses displayed
through many q treacherons spot. "
Arriving At the foot Of the tram and getting
the 1s' bue sfss o., coming Mnaa w down anf hSnS g. %s' 81 seG i..s
above US and discharging their cargoes Of
ore into the immense shute. my courage al
than | could muster to back out. tried to
appear as little disconcerted as possible.
i Sn,l' cu MI; dM up IA 81. T Tis,I. T Sss.. to w ;,e5s
was only large enough to hold an or.
ab1s sized man in z most Sncomtort.
cable was then put in motion and out swung
the MANAGE on his pertlous journey. can
d dGs ss,p sh tbaa ssit hsw M much ear. ,aSrs 20 nerve h he
was ahead q. him. Three hundred feet behind
this climbed Mr.. Green. As his bucket started
friend. as there was absolutely nothing lett
me. a. I was the hrst "tenderteoSt"" who had
:umiu undertaken 4 sansnrs sh i f tip; not one sr %Gss % as,
bucket smillnGly. When it came along was
obliged to remove my oyercoat in order to get
tailor fashion. there WAS Just room to stay in
and that was all: and with parting Injunction
+. spite keep m my On t % the sp; mai fne linz man and n s sWTss
The rate OF sTeed was about .2h miles per
feet-s little over a mile. In that mile. how.
eyer. we had to rise 1.s2o fest1a little more
t Mnins o1 .Ss iG Snc K et three sss . Ihs : endless nsss cable sr to
height from 50 feet to 100; and placed At iiree-
mountain viii permit. The height Of the cabis
above the ground increased with every turn
With tn. .Ss, s TnsfI apo and d. tvs. ss pT.es 81 there snsEe
cts and not particularly anxious in the first
few minutes to look down or around or any
that the twenty minutes necessary for the
On and on We went and M and UP until there
ii..406 feet in leseth and 100 feet above
we're Y e not that ti the next next tower S%",T in MI front ut Of Of g ms
| was getting my first view.
a.e Man IS. I'D ~sd' Green GREE a"S and SdpG as
pulled myself together. determined to take
,TSry advsntaGe S OF th Sr glorious 70 > VIEW !, nv wf tb
,eyer had been in a POSITION Of such utter
helplessness and dependence. Lestthe fgures
dsa. let me suggest o comparison which &C.
,ur.ed 70 me while crossing this span; -.
bout uhs a pS,lt NILE h tran sh 10 B Ssw YORK sn u ' ths
height from the ground to the foot Of The nag
tan IL, II my memory serves me. 800 feet.
and start from the battery in a little
bucket. smaller than an ordinary clothes
, ,s%PsF; on an a saI IN is r ,hs top su g 4 ah you as q %an
It'll not rscognizs your iHnnsianiieance nothing
Till ever brinE, you, to that realizing sense.
ieur OF the scene and all nervousness dl.ap-
:eTous point ofthe Journey. Four hundred feet
bused and, yet Invaluable little burros slowly
md painfully climbing the narrow trail laden
Vim nine. 'r fRo mi Hea d t5%Ss ths iS g. I ns1 IsR TsIIas.
urthor away, miles and miles Of dangling
ado than Italy ever dreamed OF. and
about me the most unique and picturesque
,s.ehss Of F HSssP moau Gat from the uncovered
The day Was absolutely perfect, the sun
Farm. and despite, the constant danger Of
u Of us to the abyss below. and needless Of
he possibility OF many things which might
'nnren, ! thoroughly enjoyed this w ,n
na as though an intense strain had been re-
moved when ! finally eIos.ed that gigantic
r SO from terra Nrms. and only then did I
discover that my hands had been clutehsd on
nat snekst with 2 denthIiks gtlp and were
gainst the front end.
,inal, and upon arrlvaithere I found the men
ad decided to remain. accspting the slight
sduetion. and there would bs no party to re:
, .Ssl t %s Ri shs TRY ilip ' it.SsIi were ,%s' ssc. -ns ,s~ fes
40 add, however, that the mouth Of the mine
'as still q mile land o half further Mp the
and that the ore IL brought from
he mine to the top Of the tram BY burros.
ach carrying two sacks Weighing l25 pounds
ach. Well. my mission being fruitless. We
Suffered our buckets on the down trip. feel
sure that had the order been re-
ersed and tho down trip came first / would
ave back ed out at any cost. but my up- tourney
ave mo confidence. aud 1t was with consider
BILE equanimity that / gazed down to the tiny
tn thousand feet below.
As Mr.. Green entered his bucket / remarked
the mar, who fastened It In place: Get that
God and tight. my hoy"
He answered II am a thousand times more
nxious about this thing than you. and viii
OF breathe freely till you're down"
/ then learned from him that since the OPEN
lg OF the tram 10000 buckets had passed q
wen point. with only three did
OF then 60 into the detail OF the damage done.
ut climbed into ny bucket once more, frur-
IL the numter Of times > goes into 25UOO,
AT the high tower again. and entering
pom the l.4UO. foot span. n horrible swayipg
the bucket commenced, and finally Il cams
a dead stop right at the worst place on the
ne. The stoppsgs was but momentary. and
as done purposely to give me the full benefit.
There. on tho same span. were the tiny / uck-
=, with the two other hoys. and the thought
TO me OF the terrible results OF a run
way at that PARTICULAR time. for while the
fst bucket continuing Mansfield WAS but 800
Ar kaa - paa az fhA NM |