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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



1, 



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THE MULE STABLES IN A COAL MINE 



Often down a quarter of a mile in the earth are stables kept as clean and as sanitary as 

 a race-horse barn. The mule is brought down the shaft in the cage, or elevator, blindfolded, 

 and he stays down below until he dies, or is rendered "hors de combat" by accident. If he 

 is sick there is a "barnyard" covered with white sand — the only touch of white to be seen — 

 where he can roll and rest to his heart's content. 



every part, must cross its own path many 

 times, just as a man, covering all four 

 sides of every block in a city, would have 

 to cross his own tracks. In the mines 

 this is accomplished like a railroad cross- 

 ing by bridge instead of at grade. When 

 a crossing point is reached, there is a 

 tunnel opened up through the solid rock 

 above the roof of the mine, and through 



this the air rushes at right angles to its 

 former direction. 



To get the air properly distributed, it is 

 necessary to make splits, so that the cur- 

 rent can be divided and sent into different 

 sections of the mine. These air splits are 

 doors which permit only half of the air 

 coming their way to pass. The remainder 

 must find some other way through. 



