Year: 1860




Oh, .hus may we yet joy to see,


And meet old friends together!


Prrilous Adventure of two New York


Ladies!


During the present summer two young
ladies from the city of New York were
visiting at the residence of the supcrin-
tendent OF the great Forest Improves
ment Company's Mines, in the Schuylkill
coal region. The younger one was bu:
eighteen years of age, and both possess
ed that love of adventure which appears
natural to a city belle when relieved from
the contracted ard confping Influences
of metropolitan life. After sojourning
weeks amid the wild and beautiful scene
ry Of ''Woodside," they became anxious
for a novel excitement and determined
to Ego down into mine" This idea
once conceived could not be reasoned a.
way; into a mine they must. go, and the
deepest one must be selected for the ex
cursion.


An intelligent and brave Scotchman,
whose practical knowled ye Of mining is
one of the most thorough character, was
appealed TO, and he decided that an old
dry1 A DRIFT, reader, is an opening lead
ing horizontally into the side of moun~
tain, known as the lotto Mine,'' was the
most suitable for the proposed visit The
drift extended into the mountain a dis.
tance OF one mile and half, and had
been worked for years. TIE dangers at
tending the EXCURSION were not coz cealed,
but these only aided zest to the under
taking. Two young gentlemen, also from
New Y York, volunteered as escorts, and the
company was formed. 1t was arranged
that a drift car was to be taken to the en-
trance of the mine, and that this, drawn
by mule and driven by miner, was to
convey the party into the earth's bosom,
while the Scutchman was TO accompany
them as guide.


Having equipped themselves for the
journey, they departed at five o'clock in
the afternoon, and reached the end OF tic
mine in safety. Here an hour was spent
examining the coal formations and the
subterranean chamber, end, their cuHios-
ity icing thoroughly gra,iied, they pre-
pared to return. Mounted on their novel
conveyance they were proceeding merrily
along when one Of the young ladies ex
pressed desire to break off piece oI
coal as memento of their visit The
car was stopped, and armed with stone,
the lady com menced battcring at the gran
ite-like coal. While thus employed a
miner, who had been stationed at the out
let Of the mine, entered hastily, and in
formed the Scotch guide that the earth
over the passage way had commenced to
crumble.


This 10 miners, is an almost certain in
dication that a fall will take place-tht
dropping pebbles being but the forerun
ne- of the crushing rocks and ear h
The car was Immediately put in motion
with the hope that an exit might be gainee
before the danger arrived, but tEcir eflor
was in vain. They had gone but few
hundred yards, when lumbling like dis
tant thunder was heard-a rush of colo
air blew over them, and then all was still
as the grave.


There could be no doubt as to the cause
Of this phenomt non, the mine had cavct
in. Their mule was brought to stand
and the Scotchman accompanied by The
miner who had served as the Jehu of til,
party, proceeded onward to make an cx
| ploralion. In a short time they returned
and reported that the fall Of the earth an.
rock was SO great that it would take a
least three days to dig passage way ou
and that there was great danger of furth
er falls, the earth being now loosened.-
Here was a predicament. Buried be
meath mountain, beyond any possibl
help for three days, with no water or foo,
and the air SO close that unaccustome,
lungs could hardly breathe it; the hear
might well qnail at the contemplation Q
such condition But female heroisn
rose superior to the misfortune, and III
ladies Of the party "stood rs those VIII
championcd human fears" One of then
declared that they could 'kil the mules
AID live upon them for three days, or un
It'll they could be dug OUT