Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-02-25

been hastened forward. to step from
the soft evening twilight Oh 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. Pat Davis. two
track repairers. and !. A we turned
the corYer by the runaround there
came suddenly from far Oh In the
thick stiffness q faint trenor and
strong current of air. The shooters
were at work For a quarter OF
mile we walked on. stopping every
once In awhile to listen to the Tar OH
boom" of the blasts that came
through the long tunnels faint and dis
tant "a though mutfled By many folds
Of heavy cloth We pushed open the
biz trappers' door Just beyond where
first and second right turn on from
the main entry aud came into the
faint yellow glow Of single electric
lamp that hung FROM the low beamed
roof
Beside the track In black niche cut
IN the wall Of coal two men were work
ing. A safe twenty feet from them
their lighted pit lamps Jared where
they were huns BY the hooks from one
OF the props. Round. black cans Of
powder tunbled together In the back
Of the alcove. a pile Of empty paper
tubes. and great spools of thick. white
fuse lay beside them. We sat down
ON the edge Of the track at a safe dis
tance from the open powder and
watched them as they blew open the
long white tubes and with a battered
funnel poured In the conrse grains OF
powder until the smooth. round car
fridge was filled. yard Or TWO VI
white fuse hanging FROM its end. In
fifteen minutes they had finished. AND
one of the men gathered In his arms
the pile Of completed cartridges ano
joined us In the main entry.
A few miAutes inter as we neareo
the heading a sudden singing "hooIn:
came down strongly against the air
current and bent hack the hanes In
out Dit lamps Far OF In the olackness
ahead q po,ut of light marked the al
rection Of the tunnel: another appear
ed Suddenly from the thick silence
came the snrilI whine OF the aii drills
A couple OF lamps like yellow tongues
Of fame sl,one dimiy In the hend VI
the tunnel and the air grew thirR
with q curry of tinp coal dust Ihri'
below the bobbins lights appeared thr
bodies of TWO r,en. stripped I" the
waist. the black coating Of dust that
covered them moist with cleaning
ptreaks OF sweat
How mau: holes have you drilled:
yelled Wild. his voice drowned by the
scream Of the long air drills as the
writhing bit tore into the coal.
There was q 6nai convulsive grind
as the last inch Of the six foot drill
sank home, then the sudden familiar
absence Of sound save for the hiss vi
escaping air.
"All done here"
Slowly the two men pulled the long
screw blade from the blnck breast oi
the coal. the uir hose writhing like Il
wounded snake about their ankles
The driller who hud spoken wiped his
sweuty face with bis hands. his eyes
blinking with the dust. He picked up
his greasy coat from beside the track
and wrupped II around his wet shoul'
lers.
Look out for the gas!' be shouted.
There s a bit here. up high"
He raised his lamp slowly to the jag
ged roof A quick blue flame suddenly
expanded from the lamp and puffed
down at him as he took away bis hand
| In the black end Of the tunnel six
small hOles.> each an inch and hall
In diameter and six feet deep. invisible
In the darkness and against the black
ness OF the coal. marked where the
blasts were 10 be placed. On the leve
floor. stretching FROM one wall OF the
entry to the other. the underut hue
been ground out with the chain ma
chimes by the machine men during tn.
afternoon. and as soOn as the blasts
were In and the fuses lighted the sud
den wrench Of these charges woult
tear down a solid block Of coal six fee
deep by the height and depth OF the
entry. to fall crushed and broken Int
the sump cut. ready for the leaders OF
the following morning
Selecting and examining each car
fridge. the shooters charged the drill
holes. Two cartridges Of black pow
der. tnmped In with a long copper
headed rod. then dummies OF clay fo
wads, leaving hanging like a grea
white cord from each charged drill hol'
q yard Of the long white fuse.
We turned and tramped down thu
tunnel and squatted on the track SAFE
Afty yards away. Down at the end o
the tunnel we bad just deserted bob
bed the tiny flames of the lights In thu
shooters pit caps. There was a fain
glow Of sparks ''Coming- they yell
ed out through the darkness, and w
heard them running as we saw thei
lights grow larger. For q minute VI
silsntly waited. Then from the IA
end Of the tunnel. muffled and boom
ing IKE the breaking Of a great wav'
In some vast cave. came singing
roar, now like the screech Of meta
hurled through the air. and the blacl
end Of the tunnel famed suddenly d.
Cant. solid square Of crimson 6anp-
like the window Of burning house
and a roar Of dying air drove past III
putting out our lights and throwing u
hack against the rails.
Its q windy oner' yelled Wild
Look out for the rib shotsr'
Like Hnni curtain IN q darkene'
theater a slow pail Of heavy sInok
sank down from the roof and az
touched the floor second burst o
aame tore II yuddsoly upward. and IA
down the entry the trnppers' doc
banged noisily In the darkness. The
! We crept back slowly. breathing har
In an air thick with dust and the SINE
. of the burnt black powder. to the en-
Of the tunnel. where the whole fac
4 haa k>oor torn lOOao-a great ollie o