Year: 1876

to the lett of the foot of the incline,
while the gangway where the coal is
being mined is to the right.


The first signs of life found IN the
r,incs were two cats. They have been
kept there long time, make no efforts
to leave; are very tame, apparently con.
tented Their use is to catch the rats
and mice that cat the provcnder and
feed upon the mules. Employed under
ground are two mules, AMI their two
friends the cats. Above ground four
mules are employed hauling the cars to
the coal wharf from the top of the IN.
cline


After being some time in the mine,
we experienced no trouble in seeing our
way along the gangway, passing the
mules drawing several trucks at time
to the foot Of the incline, and returning
with empty cars. The sides and top of
the gangway are supported by very
solid frame work Of timbers. The coal
has all been worked out of the gangway
for its full size, on the ri ght hand side
of the gangway are breasts or places 30
feet wide where the coal is being
worked


There are eighteen breasts, two load
ing stations to each breast, adjoining
the gangway portion of the coal be.
tween each loading station is left un-
worked as n support TO the gangway.
The layers of coal incline 50 that by fol"
lowing it, the chutcs are Of sufficient in
cline for the coal to 90 down their beds
from where it is mined to the loading
station. Some of these Chutes are over
800 feet long, from where the men are
now working in the breasts to the gang
way, where the coal is loaded on the
cars.


The coal is some 10 or 10 feet thick.
separated into four layers, by three dirt
bands, or layers of a sort Of pipe clay
formation. The lower and upper layers
of coal are each about feet thick. Then
between two layers some q feet thick,
These layers of clay arc each somewhere
from 9 to q inches thick; Mt first it is
almost like stone it, after awhile, upon
exposure softens, and becomes like the
fine alluvial clay from tide marsh.


We climbed our way up one chute of
q breast to where two miners were at
work preparing blast, to blast out the
coal then passing by the face of the
breast, VIC started down the other chute
back again to the gangway. The bot
tom of the chute is graded on regular
incline; q frame is made upon which
boards are spiked so MS to make the bot
tom like the interior segment of circle.
Upon this flooring Of boards, sheet lion
is nailed, 30 that the coal by its own
gravity slides down the chute and at the
same time keep the iron polished like u
mirror.


When we descended to the gangway.
Mr.. Lewis took the lead, set down on
his feet like We see children sliding down
a board. / initiated his example, placed
my hands upon his shoulders, He reg.
ulated the speed by catching hold of the
sides OF the chute, and in scarce no
time we were at the gangway again.
Thence to the incline, where we put our
feet on the bumper of one of the cars,
and was drawn by the hosting engine
back again to daylight. We were some
three or four hours in the mine.


These mines are in excellent working
order, thoroughly ventilated, no use for
safety lights No fire damp Not
troubled with black damp, Black damp
is allowed to accumulate in the un-
worked portions OF the mines as safe
guard against spontaneous combustion.


The foreman of the mine, Mr.. Lewis,
my attentive and gentlemanly guide is
an experienced miner, several years in
the employ of the company. Has been
foreman of the mine for about ono year
past.