The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-01-17
The Air Shaft

and half. Inside, only an air course con-
nected them. The coal occurred in an I'M
even vein full of rolls and pitches and dips.
The drift at the left ran along steep
pitch to the side tracks; it was called the
level heading, to distinguish it from the dip
heading, which branched off from it at the
farther end of the side track. Beyond the
side track the level heading turned up grade.
As the heading neared the top of the vein
the coal became more level, but when the
men had driven the heading only short
distance further they ran into Squeeze
out" So they, turned the heading to the
LETT, over the top of the vein, and back in
the direction of the drift mouth. They
drove another road parallel with the head
ing and below it to serve as a room and an
air course. The manner of carrying an air
course is known as ''double entry.
Owing to the pitchy nature of the vein,
however, the air became ba d n the
"double entry In the calculations there
had been a slight mistake, and as con-
sequence the shaft struck the vein some dis
lance ahead of the face.
In addition to the bad air, the Red Rose
had to contend with another trouble.
Above the dip heading in the upper part of
the hill was the old Barnet vein; the work
ings there were abandoned and filled with
water, which of late had been leaking through
in greater and greater amounts.
All day the old pump had chugged and
gasped as. spouted dirty, oily sulphur
water from the dip, A week before the
water mad come in stream no larger than
your thumb, but now it poured in so fast
through spiders's web of spreading cracks
that the old pump was unable to keep pace
with it.
Everyone was working hard to get the
last car of loose coal from the heading be-
fore the water should come in too deep.
The drivers urged the tired mules up the
slope with the loaded cars and down with
the empties. The miners in the dip work
ed fevershly.
AT half past three Dode Bradshaw drove
his painting team out of the dip to the side
track, unlocked the spreader, turned the
team and hooked to an empty car. Then
he seized an oil can and replepished his
lamp.
"How many more are you going to bring
out, Dode?" asked Connolly, the outside
driver.
s'Thats the last one,' Dode replied. 81
am taking this empty down to bring up the
TOOLS
"Well, look out for YOURSELF" Connolly
warned him. ''She's gettin' pretty deep,
by the looks of the mules
"The mules are all right so long as their
ears are out of WATER said Dode
At the bottom of the vein three headings
branched toward higher levels. When
Dode reached the bottom he found the
) water already up to the bellies of the mules.
He sat on the edge of the car and held his
. feet up while the mules houndered through
and started up the branch heading at the
. right which soon brought them out of the
! water. Presently Dode came to the place
where the men were waiting for him. Turn
ing the mules, he hooked to the other end
and waited for the men to load their tools.
, ''Listen!" exclaimed a miner, and the
men all slaughtered up.
An ominous cracking sound came from
the dip. They looked at one another in
/ dismay.
'Sne's coming in!" another cried. owe
will have to 60 back. Unlock the mules,
; Dode, maybe they can get through. Give
5 'em chance anyway
: Dode hurriedly unlocked the traces, and
the animals, seeming TO realize the danger,
: trctted off in the direction of the dip.
Quickly picking up their dinner pals, oil
cans and the picks and shovels, the miners
+ hurried up the heading with the intention
of escaping by the way of the air course
: that connected the heading with the right
! drift, and that would be in no danger from
the water. They had gone only little
} distance when the heading turned to the
r right and dipped slightly.
| we It likely 10 run Into d llttlc water
down here," said Dode. 81 found water
. last time came through
The words were scarcely out of his
mouth when roar rolled out of the dip,
: and following it came a rush of air that
made the lights dance.
: "She's coming men!' Dode shouted,
'Hurry, or we'll never make it!'
, Stumbling over the ties IN their excite
: ment, the miners ran down the grade.
: A pickman named Brannigan who was
ahead, splashed into water and stopped.
S cts no use to 60 any farther" he said.
a "The heading dips still sharper little way
e farther, and we'd be in water over our
y heads inside of two hundred yards"
e While he spoke the water rose to his
: knees, and they knew they had no time to
$ lose. So they hurried back the way they
q had come.
S "Now," said Dode, ''there is just one
4 chance for us to get above the water We
: will turn into the COB I'D at the curve and