1885 cinncinati coal works drives Air shaft

A SUCCESSFUL SHAFT DRIVEN—WORKING AT THE DIGGING—NATURAL GAS PRESENT 

 The new complete air shaft at the Cincinnati Coal Works, located near Mingo Presbyterian Church, is now compliment to the messrs Wall and Hartrick, civil engineers, in charge. 

The shaft is 208 feet deep, and when the penetrating heading struck the shaft bottom, it was found that the surveyors  had "HIT IT EXACTLY 

This is a difficult piece of work, under all circumstances, rendered more so  in this case, by an exceedingly crooked, entry  way, and rugged character of the over hill. In this respect it seemed incredible that a survey line could be run inside as far as possible, then coming outside go  completely over the hill and begin where the underground line left off; then to direct the sinking of the shaft and the driving of the entry so that both would "head out to a dot; every explorer knows the difficulty of this operation, and Messrs. Wall and Hartrick can be who so congratulated.

The shaft was put down by Mr. Thomas Holland of River View Contractor, an old and experienced "miner" as he is termed, his profession being entirely the penetrating stone and slate. He has been at this specialty all his life, born and in England, his earliest success was a  1,100 foot shaft at Fenton course, South Staffordshire, England. 

He sank the Buffalo shaft at Mingo Creek. Mr. Holland is a craftsman with large experience, and one point as such to which he calls our attention to is worth noting that in all his experiences he has  never met with so much gas. 

This vast well is 208 feet deep and 7 feet in diameter is now  full of gas and he says if anybody is hunting for Natural gas, the Mingo Valley is surely a rich field.

The scene of Tuesday working is one that only a graphic pen could portray, Inside the pit, after months of entry driving, the engineers tell the men they are near the bottom of the shaft, gas is present, and the greatest care must be taken with every pick hole. Black visaged men with brave hearts work by the light of the Davy lamp. Working in silence  Naked lamps clung on coats with brass belts, by the light of these lamps, work is conducted, the lamps grow hot with a internal heat,  as if angry and red, at being thrust into the very face of this dangerous explosive, they have to be carried back and cooled,  men work on carefully. Working with their lives in their hands. Pick by pick slowly and steadily the work goes on. The engineers stand by watching with interest  Failure here is a stigma upon their profession James Louttit, Mine Inspector, always found where danger threatens the men whose lives the state has given him watchful care over ready with tender caution and intelligent advice. 

Pick, pick, the pick fall, the entry way creeps on; all is breathless, each nerve is strained,  every muscle taunt. Pick, by pick, and the hours go by. 

Every ear raises to catch, the answering  signal call from brave Tom Holland, who stands at the bottom of the shaft—his work done, waiting to catch a sound from within. His ear against the damp blue slate, listens for a sound from the workmen who have gone in at the other side of the hill, miles away, and are now coming toward him inch by inch. What if the compass has failed; what if the calculations are at fault;  what if cool headed of John Wall has figured wrongly, or artist draughtsman Hartrick's pen has erred? Listen again—we listen for a sound!  Pick, by pick—and then, as so many times before "Hello!"—"Tom hears it as he listens and answers. Pulses beat  faster, the iron crow eats into the coal

.Louttit seizes a drill rod, and begins to wire into its breast. Presently the rod slips into thin space , It is withdrawn, and the victory is won. As soon  as the orifice is opened, the gas, that terrible enemy  of all who dig, the dusky diamonds rushes through with a sound like the air splitting whistle of a mill. It echoes and reverberates in the aisles and corridors of the mine. 

The miners rest upon their tools, and the engineers retire to cool their "Davy lamps". It is a triumph of science, and the heading driven a few feet farther shows that plummet and line have not failed , but true to their name, the bottom of the shaft and the entry "justify" and the work is done.  go we outside again, to see of what manner is this earth crust; we find from Holland’s carefully kept register we have the strata as follows:

• 05 ft ............ Surface and Clay ............ 05ft 00in
• 10 ft ............ Limestone ....................... 15ft 00in
• 04 ft ............ Blue Slate (soft) .............. 19ft 00in
• 07 ft ............ Dark Slate ....................... 26ft 00in
• 17 ft ............ Sand Stone ...................... 43ft 00in
• 10 ft ............ Black Slate (G) ............... 53ft 00in
• 07 ft ............ Coal ................................ 60ft 00in
• 12 ft ............ Fire Clay (soft) ............... 72ft 00in
• 78 ft ............ Hard Slate/S.S. ............. 150ft 00in
• (to the pit)

The shaft was begun Oct. 6, 1884 and completed March 18, 1885. The working  force has been three men down, One at the mouth and one  at the engine; two shifts, day and night except for 11 weeks in a single turn 

 Mr. Holland has two contracts ahead which he will begin at once; the first to "blow down a swamp" in the Cincinnati mine, the other to blow down two dips in Black Diamond. Recuring  again to the gas, Inspector Louttit inflated a rubber ball with it, which in his office last evening before a number of men, he expressed  with good effect as to a bright and steady gas jet