The age-herald., 1898-09-02
AN HADEAN DANCE
 DOWN IN A COAL. MINE

The society people of Birmingham crave the unique, and what they want they usually get They were among the very first in the country to start the trolley parties; they've had their dances on the top of Red mountain and in every pretty spot in Jones' Valley; society pos sum hunts were started year or two ago; drag parties and tally-ho parties have al- most lost their novelty on account of their antiquity.
 But the latest and by long odds the most unique division that minds on pleasure bent have originated is the "coal-mine dance.' They have danced above the earth on the mountain, on nearly every available spot in Jefferson county, and now they go under the earth to trip the light fantastic.
 Mine and furnace parties have been given ever since Birmingham was city, but never such an one as was given last week by number of gentlemen to their young lady friends
 The party of ten or twelve couples left Birmingham and made the run out to Pratt City on the electric cars. The young ladies looked as charming as only Birming- ham girls can look, although they nor their escorts were dressed in the conventional dancing costumes, but rather in the shirt waist, negligee style. They were fully prepared for the descent into the coal mine.
 At Pratt City they boarded one of the freight trains running over to the mines, and finally found themselves at the mouth of a great black hole down which they were to go, for it was a shaft and not slope that had been chosen. Each member of the party, both ladies and gentlemen, were provided with regulation miners lamp, which they fitted on their head-gear Several coal cars were on hand niieo Wi1h clean straw and in them the party seated themselves The cars were pushed on to the big elevators, the machinery started and the descent began.
 .Oh, you don't know what funny feel ing it was," said one charming young per- son in describing the event afterward. ft gave me a real nervous, creepy feeling to go down in that big, black hole, for felt somehow as if I was going in the wrong direction and would keep on going
 Their strong armed protectors, however, were near and gradually their girlish fears diminished At the bottom the cars were rolled off the elevator, mule was attacned to each car and the ride through the laby- rinth of passages, of which coal mine is composed, began.
 "Iookout for your heads" the driver would shout and a score or more of little lanterns would duck down together to avoid a piece of timber overhead.
 "Oh, it was wildly exciting" said the same young lady mentioned above.
 They saw the convicts working away with their picks and all the other sights that go to make a coal mine so interesting.
 Finally the party arrived again at the foot of the elevator, where they dismounted from the cars. They found themselves in a good sized room, fioored with large flag stones, worn smooth by the coal cars as they were pushed on to the elevators.
 The band which accompanied the party then tuned its instruments and tbe dance was on Over the smooth stones the grace full dancers glided, as if on the most pol ished of ball room floors.
 Tt was delightfully."- wierd" said one young lady in describing the scene. T had always thought that dancing would be the last thing I would do in a place like that, but it was really very enjoyable. Some- times our lamps would go out, but then it was so easy to lean forward and light it from your partners."
 A little speciality was introduced by the convicts who were near. They came into the lighted circle and favored the party with some of their best executed pigeon wings, buck dances, etc.
 After which refreshments were served, and the party made its way back to the ticy.
 Ut was awful nice if it did remind one of - added the girl.