Ominous Subterranean Noises

Northern Advocate, 2 September 1947, Page 2

Ominous Subterranean Noises

Spelling the beginning of the end, the noises of pick and shovel, and skips on the rails, were interrupted at times yesterday by ominous cracking sounds like shots going off. They were caused by the movement of great masses of x-ock above the workings.

Several loud reports were heard during the morning and one occurred just before the mine manager (Mr P. T. Peattie) accompanied me down below. While we were underground another sharp crack sounded thi-ough-out the workings. It was comforting to learn that plenty of warning was usually given before anything serious was likely to happen. The inspection of the mine was not without its touch of drama and poignancy.

The trip down the drive in a skip—or small coal truck —was comparable to a l'ailway ride down, down, down, into inky blackness. It was neither uncomfortable nor unnerving. At the bottom of the 540 ft descent, a faint glimmer of light could be seen and, in a moment or two, the steep down grade levelled out on to the main roadway which seemed quite wide.

Here and there in the distance the carbide lamps of the miners bobbed about; gloomy blackness everywhere and a low black roof crossed with big beams. “Keep your head down” was the frequent advice. After about six solid bumps, it was discovered that such advice need be kept in mind the whole time.

Down the main roadway, from which numerous side roads branched off to blackness, the roof became lower. Splintered beams, an uneven ceiling hanging in great black lumps down towards the centre of the road and trickling water underfoot. Then the glimmer of lights to one side, the click of a pick and the scrape of a shovel. In pairs, begrimed and hot, the miners crouched at the face, hewing out the coal. Each pair working in a separate side road, they hewed until the trucker brought along a skip to be filled. Then they downed the picks and took up their big round shovels and working in unison, filled the big skip, which was pushed off again to join five others and then to be hauled to the surface.