Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21

on all the time in each level but the great
distance between levels makes it almost
impossible for disaster to occur throug n
too much of the rock becoming disengaged.
A visitor to this mine is provided with
a suit of ditching clothes in the assay Of
flee near the entrance. The suit is made OF
ticking cloth or canvas and does much 10
rid one OF too great an air of self-respect.
All communication in the mine Dis carried
on by means of a car. which is lowered
or raised from level to level. Visitors are
sent down to the lowest level and then al
lowed. to walk up the inclined planes which
connect the tunnels with each. other.
Trucks and small cars with headlights
Hash around in the darkness, and thousands
OF workmen come and go with surety
which shows long familiarity with their
surroundings. In fact, 1t is an underground
city in itself. with almost as great popu-
lation as many second-class towns in the
United States. -.A-,
Easy to Work.
The lode or ledge Of rock in which the
gold ore Is found is fiat and extends
through the earth at an angle of % de-
grees. The levels intersect this ledge of
earth at the various distances. Workmen
blast out the rock and follow along in the
direction of the ledge. working upward in
an obique direction. As the rock is blast
ed 1t Is allowed to drop to the level below
In many cases long, oblque shafts or
drives are constructed, and the ore Is al
io"eu u uTOp through these until II finally
rests In the bottom of the mine directly
under the vertical shaft, through which it
Is hauled up to the surface.
In places the rock does not run in such
a regular manner. For instance there are
slides or cross courses of mullock which
drive the lode Of quartz out of it's linz
The slide works in through small dis
location in the beds of the rock along a
line of assure and cuts off the lode. The
cause is volcanic action. Biologists say it
Is thrown up. Practical miners say the
contrary. because the mullock Is smaller
at the bottom than at the top. Often This
cross course Is ninety to 100 feet wide. All
Of the quartz lodes in Victoria in which
leads Of gold are found run north and
south. having dip of Is degrees east and
west.
A Blessing to Victoria.
The richness of this mine is in the guam
tity and regularity of the stone, backed by
systematic mining and perfect manage
ment, for the rock does not now average
above one-half an ounce of standard gold
to the ton. Very seldom can a speck of
gold be seen in the rock. The Band Barton
and Albion mine employs very large
force. 1t has been blessing to Victoria,
doing a big share to house and feed the
10000 people who live above Its camifiea-
tion of drives and shafts.
Life in these underground passages Is
not nearly as disagreeable as life in coal
mine. Strange to say, there are never any
SApioSiOuS duc " UOAlouS gases. ne tuH-
nels and shafts are constantly filled with
pure air. Sometimes a tunnel becomes
nearly closed by reason of the timbers be-
coming depressed from the heavy weight
which rests upon them above. In fact,
very little fatality has accompanied the
working Of this mine, and though COM
merce rattles above in the light of day,
the thousands of ghost-like forms beneath
earth contentedly pick a living from the
hard ore, apparently very well satisfied
with their lot In life. j. F. HOBBS