8 



Nanaimo City's Auditor, I seek the motive power 

 of this great work. Close at hand the giant lives in 

 the engine room of a finely appointed house. The 

 engine driver has his hand on the lever and his eye 

 on the indicator, showing the different heights of the 

 cage in the shaft. Looking round I see the fireman's 

 record book and being open, read 'tis for the in- 

 formation of all concerned, and I am on next morn- 

 ing shift. "Bar. 30.2. Examined all the working 

 places and found all safe. James Price." "Bar. 30.4 

 at 2 p.m. Examined all the working places at 2 p.m. 

 and found all clear. M. Harris." These readings of 

 the barometer are recorded by the fireman at each 

 shift (thrice a day) from an instrument standing in 

 the engine room, and the report of safety is made to 

 the officer in charge of the mine before a man can 

 travel to his place. Four telephones decorate the 

 ante-chamber. All branches of the works, pits and 

 wharves have telephone cpnnection, and with the Su- 

 perintendent's office. 



The powerful winding engines rest so solidly and 

 evenly on their massive bedding that though going at 

 tremendous pressure, and with all the force of their 

 5oo-horse power, the movement of the connecting 

 rods, plunging away with an oily ease, causes not the 

 least vibration. At each fresh start the immense 

 drum over forty feet in circumference round which 

 the steel cables coil and uncoil, speeds round so rap- 

 idly as to cause a pleasant zephyr in the heated room, 

 and the cables to which the cages are appended, seem 

 to leap to the top of the lofty shaft frame and to drop 

 over the pulleys vertically into the shaft. The swift 

 movement of the engines, and the gliding of the 

 cables, that can lift six tons at the rate of thirty feet 

 a second, is fascinating and leaves an impression not 

 soon effaced. The signal, a steel spring, moved by a 

 lever pulled from the pit's bottom by a wire rope, 

 and falling on a gong, keeps incessantly striking, for 

 lowering or lifting the coal-laden cages, and at times 

 A precious human freight, which is done with seemly 

 care. The engines are of an imoroved modern type 

 for \\indino-; they are built by Oliver, of Chesterfield 



