Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-13
DOWN DEEP IN A COAL MINE
A PLucKY YOUNG WOMAN RE
poRrERs TRIP uSDERGRousD.
Rolled n Mule Car and Its Precious
Burden, Cutting the Cool Air
with n swish.-A Lost soul in
Gulf of Despair.


and OF her experiences while under
ground she writes very Interestingly
The young lady's story is given below:
After 1t had been suggested that
I spend a day in coal mine the UNI
dertaking seemed vast. Visions OF hor-
ribie accidents presented themselves TO
my mind and l was awed by thoughts
OF murderous strikers and explosions
Of fire damp and "cave-ins." where
the poor fellows caught behind crum-
bling masses OF coal slowly choke to
death. But coal is just now in all
mems minds, and women's. too. It's
a live coal. so to speak: or at least a
live question. So with fear and ankle.
ty | consented. The rides eastward
from Pttsburg IL interesting and beau
tlful. with a shrek and whistle
the train tears past beautiful residences
Of coal barons and Iron kings perched
on wooded slopes, past winding valleys,
lovely In their faint suggestion OF deep
er green to come, past BrnddOck, where
Andrew Carnegie has erected n hand
some granite school and library for the
worlSmen of the first mill he ever
owned; past Homestead and that great
stack 10 feet high. which fuses the gas
from all the furnaces and hurls against
the inky night flaming banner seen
miles away; past Brlnton and Wllmerd-
INK, model town the latter, and both
dominated by the Westinghouse works,
past hundreds OF coke ovens owned by
Carnegie and supplied by slack" from
the mines beyond; past Wall with the
great Pennsylvania railroad round
house and with Il breathless engine
pauses at irwin,
At the mine ! was taken first through
the boiler rooms. where there are three
batteries Of four boilers each to make
steam for running the machinery inside
and outside the mines In the engine
room are two enormous wheels with
cable ropes and an Indicator 10 lower
the wagons into the mine. The indica-
tor tells precisely where the descend
Ing wagon IL at any moment. The ven
tll0tlng ian Is operated by an enormous
wheel which sucks the air out Of the
mine. Ia be replaced by air from the
SHAFT and slope. The air required by
law for each man Is $50 cubic feet per
minute, for mules 600 The outbuild-
ings and the stables for the mules
were murvels Of cleanliness. At the
entrance Of the mine the wagon which
Is used to carry the inspectors was
draped In white sail cloth. like a ghost
ly specter among the somber coal wag-
ou5, This had been especially arranged
for me, which was very nice OF course.
but Il did look like a baby hearse. Here
Nh. Fisher, the outside foreman, placed
me In the care Of james a. THOMPSON.
the mine boss, aud with parting look
on an things green and beautiful |
stepped into the elevator aud shot
down through II black pit 200 feet in
depth so rapidly that l scarcely had
time to breathe, When we landed
felt Ike lost soul plunged i'm a gulf OF
the deepest despair Around me over
me, coal-nothlng but black, with the
exception Of my wagon, which stood OUT
In bold relief IN It's white covering, and
made me feel more uncanny than eyer,
Grouped about were number OF min
ers, their faces blackened, each with
the ordinary miners cap and fasten-
ed Into It tiny lamp which emlts
only wee ray of light, making the
men look simply Economical Ind
been supplied with a cap and lantern
before | went down In the mine. so /
suppose my appearance was equally
devilsh.
For one mile we went by cable. II
was like a lcng street, with room for
two wagons to pass regular coal
tr9m IL composed OF llfty wagons, each
holding about 5000 pounds. Tho nm
mel Is lined with electric wires ,ybicb
enable the miners 10 tell Of trouble nj
any time. Seated In the car. | was
Obliged 10 bend considerably. as nv
mead. In an upright position. womb
touch the ceiling OF coal. Fancy n Inn
nv or nothing but coal for miles, with
,,l a ray OF light but that from the
ANY lamps on the miners caps. which
cleaned titfully through the inky darli-
ness IKE so many hrenies. AT the end
OF the cable we We're met nv tho ng-
sistnnt mine boss, and promoted 10 n
urNer and a mule, The mule wns
htched 20 the car and ! inquired If
! might drive, This raised a LAUGH nt
my. expense, as the mules have psitb ar
bride nor reins, but are guided Nv
the voice. ! was surprised al tho H.
telllgcncc OF these animals. and nno,,1
~ the rapidity with which we rolled
through this intermlnable inky dnrE'
ness The mules eyeslght is remark
sue When they leave the mine n
hlnuer ~ put over one eve fnr yrb,r
they. 20 into the light they becn,,a
partially blinded. Then. upon ret,,rn
ing the cover Is removed from w. |
eye, while the other Is beeominr acc,,s
TONED to the darkness again. A. In
,e1NuH OF 100 feet are doors for Venti- |
.a.lom' guafded by boys called tran |
pels' Picture In your mind an ana |
less sheet OF coal. a niche ius, o.u-
enough to hold tho boy. who sits No.
from IN the morning TIN Z. 3O nj nigh,
anu opens and closes the doors sa ~
NIUE trains pass by. Just a Jolly wor6
from the driver, a hello" iron, ~
miners, and the hoy Is alone ngat,, We
his prison OF coal. "e"'" IN
me mine is like little town ~,
Dut IN numbered streets. openir. i n",u
rooms numbered like houses &, i E,g6
~ the morning the mine insnectors' 10Y
Town mo the mines with tinv is,,,no
~ Nlslt every part OF the mines ~
y tneE ran TO report gas when discn, ,u
- leaus discharge from tho ro,,,
s"iS "lpiihonment Cor at least st.
llohtns, ana $500 fine After the nisas
,, ane peen 'nspected each miner 80
|, UNI. ,llueruu check and Is told 10 ra,,e,..
9"vv. sp-and-so' And there he -.
~ ~ NorNs until his wagon Il All
,r,,',a,S puts nus check In a poctn,
~, M M M, Ipr mat nuspose IN the we
hair ,,,,,is ~ 'WVng-one drivers ~.
NJ a l,,u'es lhat bring the loaded wa.s
H., NJ, M"svuS 10 trip-to the rnb1.
,,rf,," 49, Nney are hoisted 10 az
,radItod ~ ,Melshed and their contents
IL ~ ~ she numbers shown nv ~
'oal runs into a large revoI,. serve the
Shere the nut coal ls ssnaras screen,
ne slack In the nut coal 1900 a'el from
'oys picking out my slate ~ "Ie Two
,,appen 70 get into the cool should
men ready for shipment IT. Is
" rarely allowed to ride IN >, tuners
.a.or, put must walk down sts ele-
~ long, at an angle OF tv,e ~ oVO
W, nkht and morning W, teei m
vacheu ,he end ~ the lina-'ttinu we
Yen long DEPRESSION. IN, 'nls mas
'et there-and was to,a We did
,ad never been before 4 -, woman