The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-03

earth, who walk abroad in the sun
shine, the weird stories told by miners
seem but the superstitions of ignorant
men, saws the Washington Post. But
once descend into the black depths
under foot and walk through the sub
terranean caverns where the miners
work; listen to the strange echoes and
whispering sounds that fill the dark
passages, and change will come over
the spirit of the most skeptical mans
dream.
Alone, far underground, amid the 81
lence of death, the miner plies his trade.
When he enters the shaft he cannot
tell whether he will ever again see the
blue sky and the faces that he loves
in the upper world; or whether his will
be one of the names in a long list of
the victims of some horrible catas-
trophe. Among such unnatural condi-
tions the real becomes unreal and the
unreal real
Nearly every mine has its ghosts, its
propitious days, its mascots and its
"hoodoos." Some of the mines are
haunted by the spectres Of those who
have met their deaths there in former
times, connected with grewsome stories
of awful accidents or violent deeds.
Unlucky days usually have their origin
in local catastrophe that brought
misery and heart-break to many a
home.
At Lord Penrhyn's slate quarries,
near Bangor, work was always sus-
pended upon Ascension Day, on ac-
count of the superstitious fear of the
miners, who maintained that If the
quarries were worked on that day an
accident was sure to occur. Upon sew
eral occasions the management sue
ceeded in overcoming this objection, and
continuing the men at their employ
ment, but in every instance the expert
ment ended in some catastrophe that
served to confirm the miners in their
belief.
COMMON SUPERSTITIONS.
There are many superstitions COM
mon to all mines and their operations.
For instance, no one must whistle when
once at the bottom of the shaft. You
may sing as much as you wish, but
whistle-never-unless you intend to
incur the severe displeasure of the
miners. Again, it would be the eX-
treme of reckless madness to make the
sign of the cross while underground.
The deaths hand is universally cred
tied by the miners. This wrath con-
sists of a white hand that takes hold
of the rungs of the ladder one after
another as the hand of the descending
miner leaves them. The spectral hand
CLEANS white from blackness around as
the light from the "Davy" falls upon il,
and he who is unfortunate enough to
be followed by 1t knows that his days,
perhaps his minutes, are numbered.
Most miners have their own particu-
lar ghost stories, founded upon local
tradition, or sometimes upon real oc-
currences. In one of the Welsh coun-
ties is mine, deserted some time ago
that is haunted by a woman's voice
The whv and wherefore is explained
as follows: Once when the place was
owned by a great company that en-
plOyed manV men, one of the passages
caved in. The people came running to
the mouth of the shaft, each calling for
his own. 1t was at first supposed that
many men were below and that all had
escaped The cars came up full, and
the women, wild with joy, flung their
arms around the necks Of their re-
stored husbands. lovers, sons.
"All safe above ground, thank God!"
cried the OVerseer.
Then the overseer's wife, handsome,
strapping woman, stepped forward.
Where is Bert?" she said.
Now, Bert was her son from a former
husband. and the overseer wasted little
love upon the lad. One man suddenly
remembered to have seen him at the
end of the wrecked passage a short
time before the accident. Everybody
turned pale and looked anXiously at the
| dark mouth of the shaft, but no man
volunteered to go to the rescue.
CALLED THEM COWARDS.
| The overseer's wife looked stricken
| to death; in a moment all life, all joy
! had disappeared from her face; but
hcr voice was strong and clear as she
| said:
II will go down in the car"
The men looked at her in silence.
you cowards," she cried, cant you
even get the car ready? May you be
deserted and left to die alone when
! your time comes"
Two of the miners stepped up to the
shafts mouth and she started toward
them; but her husband placed himself
in her path. You fool" he said, 1T is
certain death to go down there now.
| No human being could breathe the
foul gases that fill that mine. The boy
is dead now; do you think am going
to let you throw your life away for
nothing"
Stand away and let me pass" she
answered, and then, as he did not
obey, shs-it does not sound womanly,