The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-08-09
DOWN In A SALT NINE.
How 1t Is Operated Thousand
Feet Under Ground.


As our readers are aw are, we have
becn working for the past three or
four years to get pass down into the
Retsof salt mine at York, says the Gem
Eeseo Democrat II so happened one
day recently that two personal friends
Of onrs had business down in the mine,
and, meeting us afterward, they gave
rs sery graphic description Of the
trip 80 mnch 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
crs We viii give their description OF
what they experienced and what they
saw Referring to the matter they
said:
''You may imagine that you would
like 70 so down that shaft. but let us
tell you that when you once stood on
tie verge Of that yawning hole waiting
for the ear TO let yon down, II is two
10 one that your courage would fail
You and yen would inform the
guide that you would postpone
the trip until some other day. Super
intcndent Chapln was the one who
went with us, and, " course. there
wasS no cause for alarm, as he knows
the workings Of the whole plant from
ono end 70 the other. Wen, we jumped
into the car and waited Tor the signal
70 start and we did not have to wait
long before the gong sounded and that
was the sisnal to let her go.n From
that time until we reached the bottom
no man Will ever be fully able to de-
scribe the experience.
when the signal sounds, tie FIRST
thing yon do is to hug yonr hat dow d
on your head for keeps, and by the
time that you have got that act accom-
plished il seems as though you were
going down at about the rate OF a thou
sand miles a minute. You have seen
one streak Of creased lightning chase
another well, it's no comparison. Ii
seems as though the cable has been cut,
and Won are just dropping down to the
bottom. Iou can't see, and the only
thing TO be heard Is that terrible roar
of the air as yon rush through space.
After the first two or three hundred
feet there is feeling It would be hard
TO explain, sort OF goneness as il were,
and you don't care much whether
school keeps or not, and the changes
are 50 different and varied that one be-
gins to wonder what will come next.
When near the bottom the car ON
whichyo are riding begins TO slow mp,
and then comes the most peculiar ex-
pcrience Of all. You imagine that YOU
are shooting upward, and you will soon
be among the stars You can imagine
the sensation from going down at the
rate Of about one hundred miles a min
ute to going up at about seven times
that rate. Finally the car lands at the
bottom OF the shaft and you breathe
sigh Of relief as 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 il
don't look like salt near the bottom 81
the shaft as lights are burned con-
stantly and the smoke has blackened
the walls You look away to the. east.
through along, dark tunnel. and Won
discern in the far distance some flicker.
ing lights, and yon are informed thar
they are lights used by the workmen
who are engaged in mining the salt.
Your guide steps up to a man near
where You land and says: Three lights,
pleases and three tallow candles are
handed OUT 1t may seem little
strange that tallow candles are used ia
this age Of kerosene, gas and electrici.
~, but such Is the case, and they a.e
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 the,
are the handiest lights that can he
used They don't purchase these lights
by the dozen or hundred, bnt III liz
carload
The candles were lighted, and with
them N hand we followed the guido
and proceeded to make a tour az Inc
mine; we might add, partial tour. for
It would take aaperson something ike
week 70 walk all over the mined Ter.
Fitory We followed the guide along
through dark and winding pathways.
until we reached point where the
tworkmen were basify engaged miuing
the salt They were not Al tynrk w.ith
ft~NAS RaNAAuS AZ Jul, as might be sun 4
posed. but were breaking up The l;,r,re
Jumps and shoveling ii into the cars
the salt having been blasted out ahead
q them While some were engagedpin
shoveiing the salt, others were drilling
holes into the solid mass, making ready
for blast, maehin9s RAM Nv cota.
pressed ali being used for this purpose
As before stated. the main tunnel
runs directly east, aud IS nearIy hall
mile IN length Mar tie shaft t,ye
Other tunnels branch Of from, the maj II
fanneA one on either side, aaa run paA
aiiel With i These. wc believe, arr
termed airshatts From these slafts
rooms branch or both north and south
ara e these ROOMS is where the saIt i,
Wlned These rooms are nothing more
nor tess Than shorStunnels, and ID time
VIZ prob1bly be heightened out as fan
~ the main tunnel or even further 81
they can go miles IN any direction and-l
nht oc N 'the salt The rooms are, BEN