Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-04-03

a
~ and steam had done their work
u Tramplng through the water whlcl
y Hooded the noor Of tho entry ant
. which was now coated like boiled mill
j. with q white skin OF sulphur. we reach
y ed the bottom Of the air shaft. A few
a feet beyond the small door the Gre
4 which We bad seen that other morning
! had burned through the props and.
. the support gone. the roof had fallen.
TO what extent we were unable 90 de.
, termine The work before us now
consisted In shutting OF the various
entrances into the rest OF the mine
which led from that part OF the entry
lying between the two shafts IN order
that we' might remove the seals from
the air shaft and draw the air slowly
down the holsting shaft through Il on.
try and the small door nc the bottom
OF tho escapement In the air shaft and
up TO the top again through the air
] shaft. thus creating an actual air zone
1 IN the mine reclaimed from the gas and
! smoke.
For ten long days the work contlu.
ned. W slowly and 80 laboriously that
" was sometimes hard 10 see the end
Of ourilnbors ilnmpered by the weight
ana bulk ~ the helmets aud pantlnp
when our exertions caused our lungs
TO demand moro air than the rcgulnt. |
ing valves could supply, we erected sl. |
Nopplngs OF matched boards and can. /
vas over the mouths OF the various tun.
nels which led on from u entry, ana
win our bare hands mixed plaster ana
smeared the cracks and edges until the
stopplngs were tight Thon came the
INST ana hardest stopping OF all. for
one had 10 he built across the entry
Just beyond the air shaft. for which n
was necessary TO carry All the material
lumber. saws. hammers. metal hath
hnu sacks OF plnster.-up the entry 10
the fall aud then over the hazardou,
pass aud down into the smoke ana MA.
ter on the other side.
We had left little opening In the ,
stopping that we might 40 through ana
plaster the opposite side. aud a. /
crnwlci back from doing this WORK ,
my he'n'et struck sharply and twiste,i ,
sideways on my head for a second. nj.
lowing little gns 10 leak In between
the "nshefs. A minute later ns rose
10 my Feet q dizzlt.ess seized me. ma
calling ~ my two helperA. We startedl
Tor the hosting shaft. We all realized
'nat should man become unconscIou.
through leak In his helmet Il would
Do Impossible 10 get the dead weight
~ al. body up and over the fall. With
mat one thought In each mind we slow.
y ernwled up and over the masses OF
'ock' through which many Journey.
iau worn hazardous path. aud down u
~ tho other side. And now flashes OF Il
ight IKE electric sparks seemed 10 q
nay before my eyes. sliding down h
cross the front OF my helmet. Nv al
inees Begin 10 sway. and AZ auddenIy c,
ccurred TO me that they must be bend. b
ng Ia both directions as I walked IL q
'as a hard trip 20 the shaft. and real. U
ied now bright was the cold sunshine 81
u TOP ana how clean aud crisp wns the 10
pen mir when they helped me OF with M
~ helmet All
on Christmas eve We lost a man nm.
er very similar circumstances. Either of
striking his head or IN some other "A,
ny he hnd loosened his helmet and OF
zen overcome by the gus which had 40
aked IN His body lay on the Tar side IN
prnitlce. and his weight ana the bo
slmets which his companions wore er
hhhlpered them that death enme M. -,
no ne was nnnlly brought 10 the sur. On,
Ice :"
win the completion Of this last sion. 49,
ng the eDd OF our terrible WORK -.
emed near. and IL was with the spirit "a
holiday that the men tore OF the aa.
at from the mir shaft aud opened the M,
'ors OF the house NJ the top OF the Az
an moist Slowly the great fnn once vi,
ore turned. and after two hours -,
hen the safety lamps no longer de. ~.
cted the presence ~ gas IN the air 90,
hich came ont Of the air shaft. we ~, 80
utlonsly descended With our bel. nm
cts laid aside and with the compar. ma
IVely bright light % our safety lamps. 10
mine took ON more familiar and con
mellke aspect In a few hours. mo n,e
lger hampered by helmets or condI. ~
ms or smoke and gas. we tore down so,,
wide passage through the fan. an nm,
Grafton that would have taken doys
accomplish under the former condi.
ms with the helmets That evening VIZ
the superintendent room in the no
Ice building those who were in p Su
arge. with the maps OF the mine w
read before them, planned the pext ,r4c
we 10 the fight and determined i.ol
ileh entries should uext be- opened CIV
O now the air currents should be lea S ,,'
o them Ia order that the mine. Inn. u'9'
by tunnel and section by section. -
ght he cleared Of the smoke ana pos 'le'
meanwhile dozen men under ina 20,
defshlp of Boar had remained m a. a.
mine and were tightening the SION. WI
lss ana preparing for the work OF MA. ,na'
coming day. Il was about n si'o
loek that night when Boar heard ~
'ht explosion beyond the stopping NC, l.I'