The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-05-18
DOWN IN A SALT NINE.
How It IL Operated q Thousand
Feet Under Ground.

Foot Under Ground.
Al our readers are aware, we have
been working for the past three or
four years TO get pass down into the
Rctsof salt mine at York, says the Gen
eseo Democrat. IL 30 happened ono
day recently that two personal friends
Of ours had business down in the mine,
and, meeting us afterward, they gave
NJ . very graphic description OF the
trip, 90 much 30 that we almost imag-
inod We were with them from the tine
they left tho top until they returned
again, and for the benefit Of our read
ers We win give their description Of
what they experienced and what they
saw. Referring 10 the matter they
said;
..You may imagine that you would
like to 20 down that shaft, but let US
tell you that when you once stood on
tho verge Of that ynwning hole waiting
for the car toilet You down, II IS two
TO ono that your courage would fail
you and you would inform the
guide that you would postpone
the trip until some other day. Super
intendent Chaplin was tho 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 tho 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 the signal sounds, the FIRST
thing you do is TO hug your hat down
on your head for keeps, and by the
time that you have got that act accom-
plished It seems as though you were
going down at about the rate of thou
sand miles q minute. You have seen
one streak Of CREASED lightning chase
another well, It's no comparison. II
seems rs though the cable has been cut,
and you arc just dropping down to TIE
bottom. You can't sec, and the only
thing to be heard Is that terrible ronr
Of tho mir as you rush through space
After tho first two or three hundred
feet thore Is feeling it would be hard
70 explain, sort Of goncness ns II were,
and you don't care much whether
school keeps or not and the changes
Rre 90 different and varied that one be-
gins TO wonder what will come next
when near the bottom the chr on
which you are riding begins TO slow mp,
and then comes the most peculiar ex-
perience Of all. You imagine that you
are shooting upward, and you will soon
DO among the stars You can imagine
the sensation from going down at the
rate Of about one hundred miles min
ute to going up at about seven times
that rate. Finally the car lands at the
bottom Of the shaft, and you breathe q
sigh Of relief Us you step out
"Well. the first thing you do Is to
look for 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 are burned con-
stantly and the smoke has blackened
tho wallis You look away to the east,
through long, dark tunnel and yon
discern In the far distance some flicker
Ing lights. and you are informed that
they are lights used by the worlsmen
who are engaged in mining the salt.
Your guide steps up TO o man near
where you land and says: Three lights,
please and three tallow candles are
handed out II may seem q little
strange that tallow candles are used In
this age Of kerosene, gas and electrici.
y, but such Is tho case. and they are
the only lights used In the mine, and
each man carries one, and they are
hung up from the ceiling where the
mining Of salt Is going on, and they
arc the handiest lights that can be
used. They don't purchase these lights
BY the dozen or hundred, but by the
carload.
The candles were lighted and with
them In hand We followed the guide
and proceeded to make a tour OF tho
mine; we might add, a partial tour, for
" would take person something like
aweek to walk all over the mined ter
ritory. We followed the guide along
through dark and winding pathways,
until we reached q point where the
workmen were busily engaged mining
the salt They were not at work with
picks picking 1t out, as might be sup
posed, but were breaking up the large
lnmps and shoveling 1t into the cars,
tho salt having been blasted out ahead
OF them While some were engaged in
shoyeling the salt, others were drilling
holes Into the solid mass, making ready
Tor blast. machines run by com.
pressed air being used for this purpose.
"As before stated, the main tunnel
runs directly east, and il nearly d hall
mile In length Near the shaft two
other tunnels branch off from the main
tunnel one on either side, and run par
aliel with it These. we believe, are
termed airshafts From these shafts
rooms branch of both north and south,
and IN these rooms Is where athe salt i
mined These rooms are nothing more
Hor less than short tunnels, and IN time
viii probably be heightened out as far
- the main tunnel or even farther. az
they can 60 miles In any direction and
still be In the salt The rooms are, per.