Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-03-04
CHAPTER TX.
Explosions.


T0UR exit was safely accomplish
IL III ed, and after a conference at
the fan house II was realized
that through some crevice or
opening from the mir shaft to the mine
which had escaped our notice air had
passed into the workings. and while
We had labored taking out the bodies
of the mUles the latent fire. revived by
this new supply OF oxygen. had been
famed into active fame and had
crawled down the entry to ID. very
bottom of the shaft Under these con-
ditions all our work had to be aban-
doned. and reluctantly We replaced the
seal over the air shaft A few hours
more wou!d have been all that was
necessary to bring the tire into the
shaft and destroy II.
Again a number Of the men who bad
until now been active In the work .Ost
heart and left town December had
come and With IL cold. gray days, with
occasional 1urries OF snow and ice in
the early mornings. Disappointed. but
not downhearted and snurred on by
the more than double pay they were
receiving for their work. the men who
remained began 10 follow out the In
structions ut those In charge Tor cOn
quering this unexpected development
At the n.outh OF the air shaft n great
furnace was constructed. and for four
days and nights the fumes OF sulphur
were pumped slowly down the air
shaft. vapor which sank of Its own
accord into the mine. and. IL was be
lIeved. would smother out the flames
at the foot OF the shaft. In addition.
the pipes which had been connected
with the two drill holes that We had
bored down from the surface into the
mine We're connected with the boilers
in the power house. and for week
steam was sent down the pipes to con
dense in the mine below aud assist the
sulphur fumes In exdnguishing the tre.
By the middle OF the month II was
determined to make another attempt
TO descend Into the mine. II was no
longer advisable to use the air shaft as
an entrance. for our previous expe
rience had told US that the fire. 1t It
still existed. would be at the foot OF
that shaft. Accordingly an air tight
house with double doors and n vesti.
bulc was built over the hosting shaft.
and preparations were made to descend
In the regular hosting cage. This was
much easier. for here there was no
danger Of mishap. rs there bad been In
the swinging box In the air shaft. The
steel elevator would carry us to thu
bottom In less than minute. aud the
regular mine signals would give us
easv communication when on bottom
with the men above.
The first trip down proved highly en-
couraging. There was no FIRE or trace
Of fire anywhere around the foot OF the
hosting shaft The entry was filled
with smoke but It was not aS dense
as II had heen In the other shaft. and
with new and more brilliant portable
electric lights which we had secured
we were able to work under far more
favorable conditions. The first crew
that descended went only to the bot
tom and was Immediately ho!Strd on.
again: the second crew continued the
exploration from the bottom OF the
shaft. and the third crew. OF which !
was member. explored d entry TO-
ward the foot of the air shaft AS far
as we were able to penetrate.
At about two-thirds OF the distance
between the hoistlng shaft and the air
shaft the steam which had been pump
ed into the mine had looS"ned the roof.
md great "fall" Of white stone seem-
ed effectively to block the tunnel On
pur next trip. however. we discovered
that high up OIL the right side was a
small opening through which we could
crawl. aud. hampered by our helmets
and fearing to press even lightiy
against the great blocks of stone which
arched above us. lest touch shonld
bring down tons OF rock from the loose
roof. we crnwlcd over the fall and
down into the entry on the other side.
Here the smoke was as thick as 1t
hal !nrn when we first penetrated into
that portion of the entry from the air
| shaft hut tho heat was gone. which
seemed tu Indicate that the sulphur
and steam had done their work.
Tramp. through the water which
| innin.i tho floor of the entry and
| which was now coated like boiled milk
with IL white skin or sulphur. we reach
| ed the bottom of the ;,ir shaft. A Few
| feet beyond the small door the nre
| which we had seen that other morniEg
had burned thrnu2h the props ana
| the support gone. the roof had faileh'
| to what extent we were unable To ue'
| ter;iluc. Tie work before us now
| consisted In shutting Off the various
| entrances into the rest OF the mine
| which led from that part OF the entry
| lyin. betwcra the two shafts in order
| that we might remove the seals from
the mir shaft and draw the mir slowly
down the hoisting shaft through Il en-
try and the small door ut the bottom
of the escapement in the air shaft and
ND TO the top again through the Ill
shaf.. thus creating an actual air zone
I'm the mine reclaimed from the gas and
smoke.
For ten long days the work contin
ned. 80 slowly and so laboriously tina
Il was sometimes hard to see the enc
Of our abOrs. IIampered by the welgh
and bulk Of the helmets and painting
when our exertions caused our lung
TO demand more mir than the regulat
Ing valves could supply. we erected 81!
stoppings OF matched boards and can
vas over the mouths Of the various tun
nels which led off from B entry, ant
with our bare hands mixed plaster ant
smeared the cracks and edges until tn
stoppings were tight. Then came TN
last and hardest stopping OF all. TO
one had 10 he built across the entr.
lust beyond the air shaft, for which
was necessary to carry all the materia
lumber, saws, hammers, metal lat
aud sacks of plaster-up the entry t
the fall and then over the hazardou
pass and down into the smoke and we
! ter ON the other side.
/, We had left little opening In tn
stopping that we might go through an
1 plaster the opposite side. and as
. crawled back from doing this wor
nv helmet struck sharply and twiste
sideways on my head for second. a