DOWN THE DEEP SHAFT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1111, 21 December 1869, Page 3

DOWN THE DEEP SHAFT.

(From the "Tuapeka Times.")

■■ Have you been down the Deep Shaft P" —"No." " Well I hav'nt ; but I'm on to go down to-morrow, if you will." — " Done ! I'll go down with you. I'll meet you at six o'clock in the evening." | — ** Agreed." Such was the rash promise I I made in an unguarded moment to my J friend H — . To-morrow (Wednesday | last) came. I felt a degree of satisfaction when my friend did not make his appear- 1 ance at the time appointed, and had'ifcnofc been that I would have looked such a coward. I wouldhaye made thaJLa go^od : reja^ son for getting out of the fix I felt in; Half-past six came — still no appearance of bim. Five minutes to seven, and the apparition appeared before me. " Well," said he, " are you going P" — he looked as if he wished to get oufc of ifc himself. Mustering courage, and with an air of the greatest confidence, I at once replied in the affirmative : " Decidedly, decidedly ; did you think for a moment I should back out'?" We then started for the Deep Shaft, which, as yet, is only celebrated for its great depth — some 430 feet. The distance from Lawrence is about a mile. On the road, I did my best to assume a merry and careless manner ; but ifc was awfully forced, for every time I looked my friend in the face I imagined he turned paler and paler. When we arrived at the shaft, tliere was no one present: it happened to be the change of shifts, and the miners who had been at work during the day were enjoying a cup of tea after their dismal work in the bowels of the earth. " There is a chanco of getting out of it yet," thought I hopefully to myself. " Let's take a stroll for a few minutes," said my friend ; they are at their tea, and I never like to rob working men of their meal-hour." Generous soul ! I believe he would have been as much delighted as I would have been had that meal-hour been prolonged ad infinitum. I was aware there was a day and night shift on the shaft, but sharing, I believe, my mate's nervousness, I had a dim apprehension | that the wish, on this occasion, would be father to the thought, and that something was wrong with the gear, or with the whim, or with something or other. With trembling steps I approached the mouth of the abyss and looked down. " Darkness there and nothing more. I shrunk back — every nerve in my body shrunk also — a creeping sensation all over. I was inclined to vow that I would not, no, not for Joseph, go down that awful depth into the bowels of the earth. I never had been down a shaft in my life. " And," I shudderingly murmured, " what's the use of going down there p If I do, I'll nevor return." A presentiment echoed — "Nover return ! !" We lingered among the old tailings for half an hour, passing tho time as best we could. At last, " Here they come !" said my friend. They came, and I had even the courage to state the object of our visit. " Oh, yes, you can get down ; the night shift is just going on." Bad luck to ib ! was my own privato opinion, however mucli I thanked them for their kindnoss. The horso was then har* nessed to tho whim. I looked at it — a good old stager. I looked at tho whim — a strong, substantial piece of workmanship. I looked afc the rope— it was one sufficient to lift several ton weight, far less its own, with a small weight of lOst. (P) added. My courage revived. Mr. Neill, the contractor for the shaft, supplied me with an old coat and hat, which I put on, and prepared myself for the descent. I lmd fully expected to go alono, but Mr. Neill tho younger, who was on the night shift, said he would go down with me. I overheard the brother make some slight objections to this, as the rope at one place was a little chafed, and nofc altogether to be depended upon. Was that not enough to make the strongost man quake P Here was a man who had been engaged at similar work all his days, and he raiges a» objection of this description ! Did I show signs of excitement, and he wished to make me worse P — Cruel man ! The objection, by some means or other — I was not in a state of mind to listen — was overruled, and the bucket was raised, and all ready. I had heard of an old-experienced miner, of long standing in Victoria and Tuapeka, who, before descending the shaft, [ got himself strapped fco the rope or bucket,

so that falling^ through cramp in the arms or legs, would be impossible. I thought of asking Mr. Neill to fasten me in, a like manner, but it seemed so very cowardly that I refrained from making the proposal. Mr. Neill the younger then caught hold of the chain, and placing a foot on each side of the bucket handle, asked me to do the same. With a convulsive grasp I seized the chain and placed my foot beside bis. Two seconds and we were balanced. "All right!" was the cry. We move gently down— down — down, very steadily, and. the feeling of danger very present in !my mind. Down, still down. The light I from the top of the shaft quite disappears. The bucket occasionally scratohes against the sides of the shaft ; my coat also rubs against the sides ; but steadily we descend. The water comes dripping from the sides the further we go. "We are half way down; do you hear the other bucket P' Here the rising bucket came bump against the centreing. I imagined the rope was giving way. I gave no reply, but listened with breathless excitement — my nerves being on the greatest tension — to the ; dripping of the water and the hum of voices on the top, and anxiously waiting for the end of the tether. " Stop her 1 ' was at last sung out ; we had reached the bottom in safety, to my great relief of mind. It is astonishing tho feeling of pride which swells in one's bosom after encountering a danger, whether real or imaginary. I felt a load taken off my mind. I began talking as large as . possible of my knowledge of reefs and deep sinking in general. But now the bucket ascends, and my friend, who is a " stout lad," and must come alone, descends. Mr. Neill and I waited for him at the mouth of the shaft. He got down safely, although he was nearly precipitated into the well beneath. This well, which is dug in the reef some seven or weight feet deep, was sunk to receive the surface water which percolates v through the lining, of the shaft, or for any water that accumulates in the drive, and for these purposes ifc answers admirably. With each a candle in hand, we walk along the drive, which extends some 130 feet from the mouth of the shaft. This drive, we were informed, was only made some 20 feet, when a monkey shaft was sunk 18 feet, at which depth the reef was struck, dipping at an angle of about 45deg. The Shaft Committee decided upon following the reef for some distance, which was done for a distance of over 30 feet. The working under this process was found to be both difficult and expensive, and that course was abandoned in favour of another which seemed more practicable, namely, to continue the drive 80 feet in the same direction, aud again sink a blind shaft. This was done, and before the contractor had sunk 10 feet he struck what was supposed to be the opposite reef, dipping at a still more acute angle than the first. To the committee, as well as the contractor, this appeared a hopeful sign; they imagined that now they could point with certainty to the long-looked for gutter. Calculations were made, and a plan drawn, which showed, with what was termed " mathematical certainty," that by sinking a shaft so many feet from the first blind shaft, and so many from the second, the deep ground could not be more than 70 or 80 feet down. A shaft was therefore sunk at the spot which was to decide the prospecting of Wetherstone's Flat for ever ; but lo and behold I the depth of 9 feet again discovered the reef, and not the deep ground. What was now to be done P It was evident from the fact of the miners having sunk 18 feet and followed the reef 30 feet in the first blind shaft, that there was deeper ground than that they had last prospected; so the Committee decided upon sinking another blind shaft about midway between tha •fir.H ancl last shafts sunk in the drive ; and it •>.-_ afc this shaft the contractor was at work when my friend and I encountered the perils of the deep [shaft.] I hope with all my heart some good will result from this &reat undertaking, which, if successful, would create quite a revolution in mining in New Zealand. I may mention two or three things I was pleasingly disappointed in observing, namely, the cleanliness of the drive, the so-far-as-I-could-judge good workmanship, and the apparent safety of the workings, but, above all, the purity of the atmosphere, even at such a great depth. Having seen all that could be seen, we returned to the main shaft, and prepared for the elevating process. With my feet on the ring of the water-bag, and my hands clinched to the chain, and, what served mo equally well, a much better supply of courage than before, I slowly moved upwards, the word of command having been given, "Go on — a man coming up." Slowly and steadily upward. I heard the return empty bucket half way. My arms began to feel stiff holding on by the chain. Hooked up, and saw nothing, but got several drops of water in my face. Slowly upward. I again looked up, and saw daylight above rae. A few seconds, and I was landed safely at the surface, when I felt myself again. The time occupied was about four minutes on my way down, and about the same on my way up —four minutes of breathless suspense. My friend next ascended ; and after reaching the top and doffing our diggers' dress, we congratulated ourselves on the great feat we had accomplished, and returned to our respective homes, to boast of our great achievement and indomitable valour.