Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1913-03-27
CHAPTER vii.
Fighting For In. Mine.

When n dozen OF the men enc
sen 10 eject the flrst descen
~ into the mine gathered Insid
M small stockade about the air shaft
Outside the fence. unmiBdful Of IN
rain and cold. a hundred silent. unex
presslve faces pressed close against tn
pallngs and watched for what nigh
come. Everything WIS In readiness
fer the descent Inside the dome abov'
Ne air shaft the seal had been remov
-. and the double doors. forming q
sort Of vesiibule which connected this
room with the outer world. made an
cnective air lock through which the
ncn might enter A large. square boz,
which In the time 81 operation had
been used To lower heavy supplies and
occasionally mules Into the mine. hung
suspended by steel cable In the air
shsft and was lowered or raised by
means ~ M engine In the farmhouse.
Ne cable running over n sheave wheel
IN the crown % the dome
No one know what conditions would
- met with at bottom. but Il was
determined Ia make trial trip. low.
wing three men IN helmets 60 the bot.
tom % the mir shaft aud holsting them
again without allowing them 20 leave
ne box and II their trip were succcas.
mi 20 send n second crew Of three
helmetrd men. who would pass through
~ Doors Into the main entry and. ~.
tsrninE. rrpprt what conditions they
hsd found there. Preparatory 60 the
descent the bos was lowered until the
white MARI on the cable drum In the
engine house showed that n had reach.
"a bottom when II was hoisted again.
THIS showed that there was no wreck.
age Of any sort In the shaft which
might have been the cnae had the nre
burned loose the shaft lining.
At>haif past o tho FIRST crew was
ready volunteers. selected for their
ability 60 rope with emergencies. who
scclred lnrge nay ON account OF the
dangerous nature OF their work-and.
With their helmets IN place and the
sxyRcn turned on. the outer door Of the
fan house was closed behind them. The
round blade ~ n circular saw had been
hung BY wire from the bale % the
sos 1.-THE Iron beam from which Il wns
suspended like basket. aud signals
were given by striking this with
hammer Upon hearing a signal n
man al the edge OF the shaft mouth
would Immediately transmit Il By pull.
Ing bell rope which rang a bell In the
cugine room. one stroke meant stop"
two strokes -haui up" three lower
sway aud four safe arrival" Five
strokes on the saw blado--which rang
Nc a great bell-meant haul out at
80 speed. Danger has been encoun.
tered"
Before starting all our plans were
carefully arranged. Delmer was 20
carry the hammer. with which he
would signal on the Jaw blade. was
70 carry his electric torch aud my own,
and Knox was 20 pay especial heed 20 |
uhs swinging OF the boz 90 prevent Il
nom catching on the side OF the shaft.
upon reaching bottom We were 90
leave the boz aud pass through the
hoor into the bottom OF the escape.
nent aud thence out through the sec.
nd door into u entry. There we were
10 take the temperature with a self
ecording Thermometer aud observe
whatever We could without going more
IAN few yards from the door. This
'ver. We were 90 return.
With a last look at the cold. gray
AZ. We adjusted our helmets. The
lamps were frightened. the washers In.
lated. and we drew In long breaths Of
ne damp air, Then the mouth valves
we're snapped In place. and the Kissing
q the valves and a swedish taste In
ny mouth told me that the oxygen had
zen turned on. Like children In a
room. We followed Delmer
through the hrst door and turned 60
&c Il close behind us. There were a
sdden blackness aud silence save for
ne steady hlsslng OF the compressed
Ixygen and the even click OF the regu'
ating valves. The second door VIVA
pened. and without seeing Il we pass.
q through aud stood, as we knew, on
he brink OF the open shaft Here
hroe electric lights cleaned dim and
ar away through the thick smoke that
completely hlled the dome above the
haft mouth,
One by one We crawied on our hands
nd knees over the swaying board and
cached the box. but no dense was the
noke and blackness that, holding my
lectrlc torch ~ arms length, try rs
alght could distinguish nothing but |
falnf yellow smudge OF light az a dis !
ance that knew TO be but the length
4 my arm. The last man having cross |
"a. the watcher In his helmet on the |
Drlnk pulled back the board. and,
cropping eiumsily and hampered In the
darkness. we pulled up the swinging
ade OF the box and dashed II into place.
Then clear ana vibrant came the
three strokes from Delmers hammer
on the saw blade Far away we heard
the bell transmitting our signal In the
engine house. aud then, impercephbly.
without Jolt or sound. the faint smudge
OF tawny yellow OF the three electric
Nights on the edge Of the shaft seemed