Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-29
DOWN IN A MINE GAGE.
Real Meaning Of Darkness an,
Silence Found in Trip e%oo
Into tho Earth.

dAnk DreaIH dSCSIotu AASAAA
eloping pit, an exhalation IKE tnae
frem a very deep, cool cellar. ne
rails that bear the big cages ana .he
skins disappeared without even pe-
ginning to converge, ana the stou.
timbering was visible but Tor snoi.
distance. Light failed early In It's at
tack became gray and ended IN Hys-
terry.
Hundreds have stood where we
stood that afternoon, silent men u
whom a descent in mine was not
novelty. merely a step in the gainlhs
of their livelihood. But as we hnser-
cd the breath from below benolng anu
pickering the impudent name OIL inc
brass carbide lamps thrust into our
bonds bv the venerable mine Captain
q sense of adventure came over US
Impatient to start the trip, it SEEM
ed TO us as though the cage "ouio
never regain the surface groah
came out of the pit mouth, then
roar and next the cage. 1t was our
| turn.
| A mine cage is different from the
ordinary conception of the word IN
a slope shaft it is merely night OF
stairs set on a small car, the tread pe-
! ing equal to the pitch of the lnchne'
60 the passengers sit on the ieVei.
This tends to mitigate against falilng
off and endeavoring to defeat the car
in a race to the bottom. SKIP Is
merely a small dump car.
We obeyed the command of the
mine Captain, who had been going
down and up for the last "a years,
and stepped aboard. Three burly,
white-clad figures took the seat in
front. The big headlight (fastened
| to the rear seat) was turned on, the
lever was worked and we started
Just succession of heavy timbers
and once in a while a drop of water.
| Then a flash of electric light and we
were by one level. Shadows jumped
about ahead and bobbed on the walls.
Lichens, wonders of filagree, gray
bearded the wooden work. Shirtless
| figures loomed eerily in the Pickering
light and the cage came to STOP
twenty-five hundred feet down."
said one of the two Captains. Wen
get out here"
Heat smote our faces as we step
ped on the solid rock. A narrow pas
sageway was followed and an engine
room was entered. To one side were
great transformers, cooled by oil. To
the left a gigantic motor whirring
noiselessly. This was drawing water
from the vitals of the mine.
A sloping shaft has levels or drifts
every 100 feet. These follow the veins
of copper until they are worked out.
| ;rto aiS y1inp6 through
to the upper levels. These are called
Slopes" Tracks are laid on the
floors. and over these the cars of ore
are pushed by trammers.
Once again we boarded the car and
the cable slipped along behind us-S5,-
900 worth of cable, tested and tried.
In twelvemonth it would be on the
scrap heap, worn out and worthless.
The tremendous weight of incompre-
hensible tons of earth was shown. The
roof timbers bent downward as though
they would sweep the car.
IT hope they last until we get back, "
said the man from Grand Rapids.
'"They have to be renewed every
three months" said one of the white
cIads THE heat and air get in their
work quickly.
The increase in atmospheric pres
sure was noted also. Our ears clog
ged up and panied. This was due
to a greater pressure on the outside
of the tympannum than within.
Hold your nose and blow hard,'
said the old Captain.
+ We did and there was relief.
A big white "52" loomed up ahead.
F'ifty-two hundred feet below the
earth The car stopped
Mind the shaft said the man who
lowered the chain and the General
and the Major slSirted the black hole
carefully. So did the other two.
Over loose rock we walked for many
feet, pausing now and then to gar
ner a specimen (while the miners
laughed) that glittered in the lamp
light. Then we toiled upward a short
distance and came to stop in dull,
red chamber.
A drill was started and the bit ate
into the earth. This was wafer
liner'-not the deadly butterfly. OF
rather widow maker" as the miners
prefer to call 1t. A small hole runs