Show The Deepest Coal Mine ia America The deepest coal mine in this country is at Pottsville Pennsylvania Pennsylva-nia The shaft is 1570 feet deep From its bottom almost a third of a mile down 200 cars holding four tons each are lifted each day They are run on a platform and the whole weight of six tons is hoisted at a speed which makes the head j swim the time occupied in lifting a full car being only a little more 1n m u II uaii u IUJLIUIU JIIB nuibung ana lowering of men into coal mines is v regulated by Jaw in that state and only ten can stand on a platform at once under penalty of a heavy fine However carelessness cannot be prevented and unaccustomed visitors visi-tors are appalled by it A person of weak nerves says a correspon dent should not brave the ordeal by descending the Pottsville shaft The machinery works as smoothly as a hotel elevator but the speed is so terrific that one seems falling through the air The knees after a few seconds become weak and tremulous the ears ring as the drums of these organs are forced inward by the air pressure and the eyes shut involuntarily as the beams of the shaft seem to dart upward only > a foot or two away As one leaves the light of the upper day the transition to darkness IS fantastic The light does not pass into gloom in the same fashion as our day merges into night but there is a kind of phosphorescent glow gradually grad-ually becomming dimmer and dimmer dim-mer Half way down you pass with roar and sudden crash the ascending ending car then at last after what seems several minutes but is only a fraction of that time the platform begins to slow up halts at a gate and through it you step into a crowd of creatures in the shape of men but with blackened faces the glaring eyes and wild physiognomies physiogno-mies of fiends j I |