The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-08-21

only nad 10 walk, Out the SIedtSi par
Of the way we had to go in a stopped
position, as the roof was not high /
enough to permit us to go erect. 1t
was this way throughout the mine, as
we suppose the average thickness OF
the coal veins was not over five or
FIVE and half feet, so that man
over that highth would have to stoop.
some places however the veins must
have been fifteen to twenty feet thick. |
some Of the rooms were very large.
In going through many of the holes
cut for air passages we had to get
down and crawl into the darkness,
their being scarcely more than room
for mans body to get through.
remember after going for about
twenty feet through one Of these mar
row passages we came to where IL
suddenly widened out and Mr.. Taylor
told us thaht here had been a heavy
fall of slate day or two before and
that the roof was still unsafe. He
told to hurry over this place as it was
dangerous. We didn't stop to inves.
tigate, but climbed over that fallen
slate as fast as we could.
On we went from one entry into
another and before we got through
we concluded that the Mine Boss had
rather lonesome job as there are
many places where he has to 60 foe a
long distance by himself, when he
has no visitors to go with him.
| The rooms are almost always prop.
ed with big stout timbers and IN
many places these heavy props from
eight inches to over foot in dame
ter were broken and Mr.. Taylor in
! termed une THEFT great many times,
t&ais was caused by the floor sprlnging
up rather than the roof sinking down.
Ia these rooms there are generally
two men a. work although we went
linto several where one man was dig
lging away by himself This, we
Vudge, would maks man about as
4 lonesome as he would care to fbe.
/ Every time we came to the main
entry the cable would be burning and
at the end would be the line OF little
cars esther loaded gong to the top,
4 or empty going to the bottom and a:
they whizzed by with the one solitary
man on them and disappeared into
! the Darkness, | thought of the won
5 derful and awe inspiring power o
man when he had the elements o
mature undcr control, but l also
Thought of how those same element.
once dost cankol of, would mercilessly
crush their former master.
AS we started down the last entry
Mr. Taylor remarked that We wer,
ROW going down to China and 1t die
seem like we were bound G9r thu
other side of the earth and L imag
ined that the darkness became more
dense. In this.entry there seemed tc
be more water tkah in any of thu
others and In one room | was inform
ed that we were within about forty
! feet Of large body of water and thu
men working ip that rosm had to turr
! their work to the haght in order t.
, avoid breaking into this water which
! would food that part of the mine.
: wouldn't want that water to find /:
soft place and work IFS way through
while | was in there for man would
5 be in worse fix than a rat in corkeC
: bottle full of water.
: We started back to the outer world
: after completing our tour of inspec
r ton. We reached the top at abou
two o'clock after having been unde
! ground about seven hours and hal
! in which time we rode two miles ant
r walked eleven. 1t was novel anC
profitable experience and, although
t my own baby hardly knew me unit
l had taken a bath and changed
5 clothes, I felt amply repaid for al
the little inconvenience.