Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-03-06
CHAPTER w.
Danger Of The Mine.

IL where the miles OF crosscuts
and entries and the unyieldlng walls
swallow up all sounds and echo. Il q
silence that Is complete; but. rs one
becomes accustomed 90 the silence
through long hours Of solitary work
sounds become audible that would cs
cape an ear less trained The trick
ling murmur of the gas. the sputter
ing fall Of lump Of coal. lOosencd
by some mysterious force from n Gran.
ny in the wall the sudden knocking
aud breaking 81 stratum Tar NJ In
the rock above. or the scurry ~ a rat
on somewhere In the darkness strike
on the ear loud and startlingly The
eye. too. becomes trained to pcuctSnte
the darkness, but the darkness IL 80
complete that there IL n limit the limit
OF the rays east by the pit lamp
There II a curious thing that / have
noticed. and NJ have never heard IL
mentioned by any Of the other men,
perhaps II Is an idea peculiar 30 my.
self. but ON days when ! entered the
mine with the strong yellow sunlight
and the blue sky as a last memory Of
the world above. | carried with me
condition ~ fair weather that seemed
20 penetrate down into the blackness
OF the entries aud make my pit lamp
burn little more brightly. ON days
when we entered the mine with n gray
sky shove. or with cold rain beating
In our faces. there was a depression ~
spirits that made the blackness more
dense and unyieldlng. aud the lights
from the lamps seemed less cheerful
Sometimes the roof was bad In the
rooms. and soon learned from the
older miners % enter my room each
morning testing gingcrly with my pic
lamp Tor the presence Of gas and reach.
ing far up with my pick. tapping on
the smooth stone roof 20 test IT,
strength. n the steel mng clear
against the stone the roof was good.
hut II u sounded dull and drummy II
might be dangerous. Sometimes when
the roof was weak we would call for
the section hoes and prop up the loos.
ened stone. but more often the men
ran their risk. We worked 30 many
days In safety that II seemed strange
that death could come. and when Il did
come II came 10 suddenly that there
was a surprise. and the next day we
began 10 forget
I had heard much OF the dangers
that the miner IN exposed 90. but little
has been said OF the risks 10 which the
men through carclcSsneau subject
themselves Death comes frequently
10 the coal miners from n "blown out
shot" when the blast IA inserted IN
the drill hole several dummy cartridges
are packed IN for tamplng n these
are properly made and tampcd the
force ~ the explosion will tear down
tho coal properly. hut n the man has
bean careless In his work the lamps
will blow out like shot from a gun
barrel aud, igniting such gas or coal
dust as may be present. XIII or badly
burn the shot drers. The proper lamp.
hg Is wet clay. but Il Is impossible 90
convince the men OF Il. and nine out OF
ten will lamp their holes with DUN.
mics allied with coal dust dtself a dan.
gerous explosiyci scooped up from the
side OF the track. Again. powder kegs
are sometimes opened In a manner
which seems almost the act OF an In.
sane man, Rather than take the trou.
BILE 10 unscrew the cap In the head OF
the tin powder keg and pour out the
powder through It's natural opening
the miner will drive his pick through
the head OF the keg aud pour the pow
der from the jagged square hole he
has punched. and these are but two OF
the many voluntary dangers which a
little care on the part OF the men them
selves would obylate.
A mine always seems more or less
populated when the day SHIFT Is down,
for during the hours OF the working
day IA every far corner. at the head OF
every entry and room. there are men,
drilling. loading and ever pushing for
ward It's boundaries. Al O'Clock the
long line OF blackened miners which IL
formed at the foot Of the hosting
shaft begins 90 leave the mine, and by
VI ONioSht WIN tue fAANlAANh VI NV
inspectors aud IRE bosses, the mine Is
deserted.
The night shift began at S, and II
was as though night had suddenly
been FASTENED forward, 90 step from
the soft evening twilight on the hoist
aud IN a brief second leave behind the
world and the day and plunge back
into the darkness OF the mine.
We were walking mp the track from
the mine bottom toward six west
south. Billy Wild, Fat Davis, two
track repalrers, and !. As We turned
the corner by the runaround there
came suddenly from far OF In the
thick stiffness a faint tremor and a
strong current OF air. The shooters
were nc work For a quarter OF a
mile we walked on. stopping every
once In awhile to listen to the far ofi
boom" OF the blasts that came
through the long tunnels faint and dis
tant. as though muflied by many folds
OF heavy cloth, We pushed open the