The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-24
WILMINGTONIANS
IN A COAL MINE.
Miss Rachel S. Bigger Tells Of Visit
Below the Earth.
FIRST VISIT OF THE I.IND.
Graphically Described BY Hiss Bigger Who
Says Trip Below the Earth is not
Zone For Coward.

=
Tho afternoon was sultry and cloudy as
: our party of three left Mahanoy City to
visit u coal mine for the first time. Occas.
ionally the sun would shine out hot,
raising false hopes OF clearing away tho
mists that wo might have n better Wow.
Still tho prospect was pleasing as it was.
The mountains from which all trees had
been removed for use in the mines, were
covered with laurel bushes not in beauti-
full bloom but brown with the remains of
the dead flowers.
AS wo climbed the slope we would stop
now and then to take u backward view of
the surrounding hills and city below. The
distance not only addedto the beauty of
tho scene but we could take in ut "a glance
tho whole plan of tho place, relative posi-.
tlpns of buildings, otc. In fact, an excel
lent map of any strange city is nicely fixed
in ono's mind by mounting some tower or
hill In the early part Of ones visit
As we look down on tho different
churches, the railroad with trains of freight
and people, various thoughts OF the differ
ent nations represented there, fly through
the mind IN u moment of time. Different
classes, Crcctls, ambitions yet all uniting
without knowing it, to work out the plan
OF the great Overscer.
Wild roses grow in abundance and
pretty little flower resembling tho "lily of
name we will term "muuntain lily
AS we reached tho top We were jcinea by
two other friends, raising our party to five.
On the outside OF the mourtainS arc the
colliories which receive and wash the coal
rs it is brought up: tho powder houses,
storage rooms and engines for pumping
the air into the mines, lifting, etc. The
engine noticed more than tho Others Is
the large ono which raises unA lowers the
n N mt hr n y
liar to ~ ~indiass, eb0ut l. feet in diane.
ter, upon which the rope is wound when
tho car Is UP.
This rope is made OF steel and 10 one and
five.eighths inches in diameter 1t is tested
every 1ny to secure AZ much safety as pos.
sible to the workmen.
think the ladies' Of our party could not
be called towards exactly but when we
looked down ibe shaft it was enough. We
could not be persuaded to enter that black
Iole. 1t starts with an angle Of As degrees
and reaches down lGj feet. 1t is really Il
railroad track Starting with u grade Of
4S degrees from % vertical line. Tho Car Is
about feet long and feet high and open
al the upper end The wheels aro about
one fnOy in diameter As we looked down
this shaft we SAW several little twinkling
stars. They were the lamps on the miner-'
hats rs u load of them wai being drawn
up.
We'll, VIC would not go dcwn Tthere so
they took us to the man way whore men
and mules can walk down. l should say
Just hero that this mine and most mines
have the veins Of coal in the shape Of a
scmi-circo curved upward, like " noun.
tain ursdo down set in the earth.
The entrance was about six fcot square.
The men lighted their lamps and one Of
tae ladies carried lantern The lamp Is
.,I, tn iyp nf n hal
can. and Of course must frequently be ru-
pleushol from the flask of oil which
every miner carries in his pocket.
1t has n spout for tho wick and u hook
on the opposite side which they place in
the hat band The smoke from tho lamps
very offensive and injurious TO the miner,
but the flame serves as constant warner
Of danger from foul air or gas. Being an
inch or two above and ahead OF his nos
trlls it will grow dim or go out in time
for him to escape tho deadly foe.
We descended tho steys wlh the wall Of
coal all around US and wet everywhere.
The vein is like ono long tunnel with
every now and then wider space called
breast" Most of the way tthe tunnel was
in shape of u right.ahgled triangle. the bot.
tom being the base. neglected to ask why
this was so but suppose it secures greater
strength and safety. Sometimes where
the top was through solid rock the tunnel
would be square ai thore Ia little danger OF
the stono giving way.
We would pass an engine here and there
used in pumping out the water. The tun.
Iel is supplied with air by means of a
pump oa top Of tho mountain. Tho cur.
rant Is so strong that there must be many
doors to break off tho air, or 1t would take
your breath. OF course these doors arc
located some distance apart from each
other. Tho bottom of the tunnel Is very
wet and dirty so in order to keep tho water
from going over our rubbcrs we must
walk u railroad track. This kind Of walk.
ing for mile and half is very laborlous
to one not accustomed toit. We walked
about half u mile in nearly u straight
course and then curved to our left, entered
II space not larger than an ordinary pan
try where we all five must get in and close
the door behind us before we daro open
the one on tho other sida, the current was
so strong here; then descended another set
of steps "a long flight) into another vein,
and passed the stables where the mules
are kept.
There were 80 of them and they never
come to tho daylight. If one were brought
ont 1t would be stono blind. Sometimes
thCy live in tho mine for 25 years and are
brought up only when dead. There were
six hundred men working this second vein
but we did not visit that part of 1t as our
friends had already shown and explained
to us the manner Of blasting, drilling, etc.
There WAS one thing that seemed curious,
an Immense dam of water under the earth
from the sight Of the miner also. 1t is
kept from flooding tho vein by II cemeutel
wall II feet thick.
BY this timo We had walked ono milo
and more on an iron rail and wero tired
enough to ascend tho shaft, rather than
retrace our steps, even If it had been per-
pendicular We did not need much per-
suasion to get into tho car though they
placed us IN most uncomfortable posi-.
tiOns Really We came up feet first. 1t
was kindness to place lis thus however
for If we could have seen where we wcrc
coming from we would have grown dizzy
Or sick.
Truly this earth is wonderful place.
Man has learned to manipulate what is
Oh, above, and in it. Have these things
reached their height or are there more
wonderful things yet 10 follow?
RACHEL S, BIGGER