Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-20

vidual was left calmly sleeping. while the
rest Of US drove to the mouth Of the Eek
hart mine and went to our fate
The Mine Selected.
The mine selected Is one OF the largest
In the region. employing some $50 or 400
men when running on full time. The strike.
however. had reduced the force to less than
100. All Of the mine. however was there.
and not . foot Of the tunnel surface had
left for other parts as We found to our
sorrow. The opening to the mine was q
small affair and had more the look of the
doorway to somebody's potato cellar than
the entrance to miles and miles Of under
ground tunnels Out Of II ran a little truck.
with wire rope between the rails About
this time big bearded man appeared on
the scene and distributed little OIL lamps.
hats. which doesn't improve the hats. a.
the lamps leak. We carried ours in our
hands. That IL. the rest Of them did. !
didn't carry any at all. had decided
firmly that l was going to stick close by
somebody who knew that mine thoroughly
and hold his hand II possible. At any rate.
II got lost 1t didn't seem probable that
any little quarter Of a candle power lamp
would be Of material assistance. The
bearded man was the mine boss: his name
was Daniel Krapf; Dan. his friends called
him. We called him Mr.. Krapf while we
called him plain Krapf. He was a good
walker and his lump Of location was re-
markedly well developed The stout mem
Der of the party had an idea zip to the last
bucket or car on an elevator or some
thing. and when he found that II was q
case Of walk he wanted to 20 back.
The Start Down.
1t VAS too late. however, and down we
started. Two Passages ran out Of the mine;
one for the cars and the other a footway
From the irrt start there was no manner
Of doubt Of its beir.g Q coal mine we were
invading. Coal was over your head, ON
your sides and under your feet The tun-
mel went down at a gradual slope and We
sloped along behind in single file. with an
occasional bump up against the side wall
After about ten minutes walk there was
. distant rumble that seemed to shake all
tho walls at once.
rs there" said the stout man. is there
any danger Of this affair coming imp
Nav. said Mr.. krapf. that's some cars
coming"
Then we leaned up against the wall and
DO you remember" said Mr. Krapf. "a
little white house on the side Of the road
as you came along? Well. that's Bill
Smiths house, and you are now Just about
two hundred feet below the potato patch
back Of his garden
Just then the cars came along with q rat
tie and rumble. They were empties going
down, and they were making quick time
the mouth and the other three-quarters Of
a mile down the shaft The upper engine
hauls the cars up this last slope. Down
into the mine from the second engine runs
8 tail rope one and a half miles long. Fur
Their than this the main slope extends for
a distance Of four and one-half miles from
the opening. while innumerable side tunnels
and branchings run OF In all directions.
The cars are hauled from the main line
into and out Of the tunnels and rooms In
which the miners work by mules and
horsea = ~
A Pleasant Prospect.
All this Information was poured into our
ears by Inspector McMahon. Did / under
stand" said the stout man. "that this tun-
mel was four and one-half miles longf Yes?
(the stout man sat DOWN And that we are
going to the end Of 1t? VIII you kindly
flag the next train going up? No one al
lowed to ride on the cars. too dangerous?
Greet heavonA and W have been wasting