The bee., 1913-01-17

1
ment. The high song Of the generators
In the power house, the choking puffs
Of the switch engine in the yards and
the noise Of men and work which had
not noticed before now suddenly
missed In the absence of sound. There
was a shutting of feet OH the deck
above, and again we sank, and this
time all was darkness while we paused
for the third deck to FILL Once more
and again for the fourth. Then as the
cage started and the roar of the shoes
on the guide rails struck my ears l
| looked at the men about me. They
we're talking in a whirr Of foreign
words, and in the greasy yellow light
of their pit lamps, which hung like
miniature coffeepots in the brims of
their caps. the strong. hard lines of
their faces deepened. The working day
was begun.
AS the cage shot down the wall of
the shaft seemed to slip up, and from
its wet. Shiny surface an occasional
spatter of mud shot In on the faces of
the miners. Strong smells of garlic, of
sweat and Of burning oil filed the CON-
partment, and the air, which sucked up
| through the cracks beneath our feet
as though under the force of a piston,
famed and pulled the yellow flames in
the mems caps into smoking streaks.
Then ! felt the speed Of the hoist
| diminish. A pressure came In my ears
and | swallowed hard. and a second
later a soft yet abrupt pause in our
descent brought me down on my heels.
! The black wall of the shaft before me
suddenly gave way, and we came to a
stop on the bottom Of the mine.
1t was cool. and after the heat Of a
July morning the damp freshness of
the air chilled me. With dinner pals
banging against our knees ge pushed
| out of the hoist. and as the men crowd
ed past me. | stood with my back
against u great timber and looked
around me. Behind. the hoist had al
ready sunk into the stump" or pit
at the bottom of the shaft. in order
| that the men on the second compart-
ment might pass out into the mine. and
| second later they swarmed by me
and still stood, half da2ed by the roar
| of unknown sounds. my eyes blanketed
by the absence light. and my whole
/ mind smothered and crushed. l was
| standing just off the main entry or
/ tunnel of the mine, which began on my
| left hand out OF blackness and passed
again. on my right into seeming wall
/ of darkness. The low, black roof, close
ly beamed with great timbers. was
held by long lines Of great whitewash-
ed tree trunks. \ few electric lights
shone dimly through their dust coated
globes. and the yellow flames from the
mems pit lamps, whick had iared so
I bright in the compartment of the hoist
ing cage. seemed now but thin tongues
of Game that marked rather than dis
closed the men.
| or IF the blackness on the left two
tracks passed over a great pit and
stretched on into the blackness on the
right as though into the wall of the
coal itself. Then, faron. a red signal
light winked out and de distance
visible, and beyorf It came the sound
Of grinding wheels: I'll re was the
CLEAN Of a headlight on the steel rails
The ray grew larger and two yellow
sparks above It famed out into pit
lights. A train was coming out Of the
entry, and waited until II should
psss. with a grind of brakes II sud
denly doomed odt OF the blackness ana
into the dull haze of light at the shaft
bottom. With a roar IL passed by.
The locomotive, a great iron box. was
built like a battering ram. the head
light set In its armor plated bow and
behind. on two low seats. as 10 rae
ing automobile. sat the motorman and
the "trip rider" or helper. the motor
man with one hand on the great iron
brake wheel. the other on his coRtrol-
Ter and the trip rider swinging on his
low seat. half on the motor and half
over the coupling Of the rocking car
behind, clinging TO the pole OF the troll
ley. Their faces were black with the
coal dust--blAck as the motor ana their
clothing-and from their pit lamps the
flames bent back IN the wind and
streamed out straight along their cap
tops. Low above the bead q the trip
rider the wheel on the trolley streaked
DOT sudden bursts OF greenIsh white
SPARKS along the wire. and as the train
passed by Sthe poar Of the locomotive
gave place 10 the Gathering OF the
couplings Of the long string Of stocky
cars. each beaped high with Its black
load Of coal Some one seized me by
The elbow.
What's yer DumberY' he asked
"4i9."
''LOaderi New manP'
I nodded.
"Come along with me-"
He was tall, thin man. who walked
With bis head thrown forward and his
chin against his chest as though In
constant fear Of striking the low beams
overhead. followed him. stumbling
athsr elumsily OverSthe broken coal
beside the track. TIE train had come
70 stop over the pit between the nails.