Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
SALT MINE Is INFERNO
VIEWS RIVAL DANTE'S IMAaIN-
AIRY VISIONS OF HADEs.
One Mine in Roumarfa Was Worked
by the Romans-Methods of
Getting Out the Crystals. a

From the Strand Magazine
| Ihere are four salt mines in Roumania.
Two quite close to one another at Slanio
| and Doftana- One of the mines at slanio
| dates back to the time of the Romans
| whose methods were not so scientific n,
| those of their modern successors They
| made bottle-shaped excavations quite close
| to one another. with the result that tho
| wedge or earth between the bottles con-
| stantly threatened to subside Indeed the
| otler day an enormous mass. weighing I
am afraid to say how many tons, came
| down with a crash, and the old mine had
| to be abandoned
Modern methods avoid any such danger
| Instead of burrowing down again into a
| new mine you cut horizontal galleries into
| the rock, huge pillars of salt are left stand
| Ing TO support the earth and fresh caverns
| are followed out. Thus without any extra
| amount of labor, 1t is possible to extend
| the mine almost indefinitely. and the pill
| lars serve to confirm the ecclesiastical ef-
| feet OF the great subterranean basilfca.
| saw the old Roman mine from one OF
| the upper galleries, which was reached by
| strange almost endless tunnels, illumina ted
| with gay Chinese lanterns. A little verdure
| alone was needed to complete the illusions
| of the gardens of Aladdin The Impressions
| afforded by the view from this gallery
| were SO unique and so marvellous that I
| hesitate to attempt to describe them.
Reminded Of Dore's Pictures
| Some minutes were necessary to grow
| accustomed to the twilight A few bra
| ziers containing shavings soaked in Pc
| troleum were flaring up in feverish man
| ner and looked over into the darkness
Of the abyss 1 reminded of Dore's
| version of Dante looking into the utter
| most depths of hades.
| What struck me most was the insecurity
OF my position There was. of course, no
| danger whatever, and the ledge on which
l stood was fairly broad. But 1t possessed
| no parapet, and in order to look down it
| was necessary to come very near to the
| brink. What added most to the sense Of
| insecurity was kind Of pier or commence
| ment of bridge which projected over the
| abyss.
| do not know whether It dated back to
i the days of the Romans. but at any rate IL
| was almost prehistoric in aspect. ! did not
| need the advice OF my compa Mons to dis
| courage any attempt at walking the plank
| along this road TO destruction, but l have
| seen few places capable of affording more
| temptation TO those with suicidal inclina-
| tons
Suddenly signal was given and enorm-
| Gus bonfires were cast down from the roof
| Of the mine. Several long seconds elapsed
| before they fzzled out In the pond of sat
| water hundreds Of feet below. The effect
| was extraordinary. First the gray walls
| were Illuminated as the huge molten mass
| blaZed past them; then they were overcast
| with fleeing, ghostly shadows, and at last
| plunged once more into the darkness. which
was only emphasized by the pickering
| lights above.
| Tub Covered With Drippings.
| Perhaps the prettiest object in this old
| mine was a common tub which had been
| placed some years ago upon the ledge to re-
| ceive the drippings of salt water. l tasted
| this water and found it so salty that it all
most bit and solidlfed on my tongue AS
the drops fell the greater part OF them i'm
| mediately crystalized with Incredible RAJ
pidity. ....
| The original tub was no longer to be seen.
| 1t had been covered UP entirely with glis-
| tening incrustations, which gave 1t the APP
| pearance of a huge snow fountain adorned
| with the most exQuisitely artistic designs.
| 1t was now about six feet high and several
| feet in thickness. while a piece OF string
| which had been suspended above II had now
| become rope of molten pearls
| Returning along the tunnel we passed
| little trap door about two feet square. This
| was pulled up. and was privileged to look
| down into the new mine and behold one OF
the most remarkable sights to be found IN
| the world. Hundreds of feet below, upon
| a rugged field of dazzling whiteness sug-
| gestive of the ice pack in the arctic regions,
| herds of men, each apparently as large as a
| cheesemite. moved about feverishly like tho
occupants of an ant heap. Here and there
| points of electric light shone like suspended
| stars. The general impression was that OF
| a nest of insects viewed through a Brob-
| dingnagian magnifying glass
| Fairy Music From the Depths.
| A hushed. tInkling noise came up from the
/ depths. like fairy music 1 thought should
never tire of watching the graceful move
| ments of these remote human insects.
almost began to fancy that they must be-.
| long to another planet. and such was the
| extraordinary fascination exercised by this
marvellous sight that found 1T a painful
| wrench to tear myself away. l could have
| remained crouching over this peephole for
| hours and I felt quite annoyed with the
| director of the mine when he patiently re-
| minded me that still had much to see be-
| fore the departure of my train.
f! So we returned along the gallery and en-
| tered one of the powerful HITS which are
| employed to bring up trucks of salt from
| the bottom of the mine The director as
| sured me that 1 need not have any alarm
about the capacity OF the lift as IT was
| constructed to carry more than twenty-five
| hundredweight
! Indeed, we crawled down at a snaips
pace, and had an opportunity of studying
the strange natural freseos on the walls.
! They were merely geological formations, of
course. but they assumed the shapes here
! of Wild sea serpents. there OF decorative
patterns, and every now and then of impos-
sible heraldic animals. Dados on dados,
| mentally summed them up.
We stepped out on to the floor OF IT,
tanfc cathedral a vast bastca, where
mics might have knelt in prayer, and where
people who knew no other world might
easily imagine that this was the universe.
Even the great, strong eiectTic Biopts Coutu
only create a dim religious light In this
huge edifce. The lofty walls were marked
with curly stripes of sparkling gray and
white running up and down like the waves
of tempesuous sea- Along the various
naves and aisles rude tramways We're laio
out upon a kind of embankment of salt
Here trucks were waiting to be fed by the
miners who came up ladders and element
airy gangways bearing loads from the salt
trenches below.
The atmosphere was utterly unlike any
had ever hreat he'd elsewhere, IT
dry. very pungent, highly exhilarating like
some mineral water turned into a gas.
There was a pleasure in auafiing 1t with
deep breaths. but presently as you licked
your lips you tasted salt you smeit salt.
YOU felt yourself impregnated with salt 1t
was almost possible to understand the sem
sations Of Lots wife. The prevailing desire
was an inordinate craving for the imme-
,aI.4. NJ h.r