20 



the inclines by rope drums regulated by brakes, the 

 full cars descending by their own gravity, the emp- 

 ties being drawn up at the same time, the track gen- 

 erally being double. At the foot of the inclines 

 the cars are taken away by the motors, in return for 

 empties brought in. I am now alluding to what is 

 called down the mine the inside levels in distinction 

 to the main slope, to be shortly noticed. 



THE MINE VENTILATION. 



The ventilation is upon what is known as the sep- 

 arate split system and the mine is divided into dis- 

 tricts entirely independent of each other. The fresh 

 air is taken in from the Protection Island shaft which 

 is connected with the workings of No. I shaft, and if 

 necessary all the miners could be hoisted up to the 

 Island. As to fresh air, I have enjoyed good air all 

 the time of my stav and have even felt cold and as if 

 in a draught now and then, although the natural 

 temperature of the mine is according to depth sev- 

 eral degrees warmer than at the surface. After hav- 

 ing noticed the self-acting inclines, heard the rum- 

 ble, and seen the rush past of the mule trains, I enter 

 several of the stalls, and here there is a well, a 

 pit(iful) smell, arising from powder smoke and from 

 the fish oil used in the lamps, as well as from the oily 

 stuff with which the car wheels are lubricated; there 

 is also dust in the air coal dust and I become 

 aware that I am gradually becoming what is known 

 as "blackened up". The air is conducted into the 

 "stalls" (often called "rooms") and a miner is as at- 

 tached to his stall, as many a lady is to her drawing 

 room. All the miner wants is a good face of coal and 

 fair wages, and in this pit he appears to have both 

 at command, and fair play as well. Pure air is con- 

 tinually passing from the brattice or partition which 

 leads the air as near the face is it is possible and at 

 the same time avoid the breakage of the partition 

 (formed of inch rough lumber) by coal blown out by 

 "shots." The miners seem happy enough at their 

 work, and I could not help noticing the immense size 

 and weight of the lumps of coal which the miners 



