the underground city-第4章

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The　Yarrow　shaft　was　situated　four　miles　from　Callander。　　Whilst　walking；　James　Starr　could　not　but　be　struck　with　the　change　in　the　country。　He　had　not　seen　it　since　the　day　when　the　last　ton　of　Aberfoyle　coal　had　been　emptied　into　railway　trucks　to　be　sent　to　Glasgow。　　Agricultural　life　had　now　taken　the　place　of　the　more　stirring；　active；　industrial　life。　The　contrast　was　all　the　greater　because；　during　winter；　field　work　is　at　a　standstill。　　But　formerly；　at　whatever　season；　the　mining　population；　above　and　below　ground；　filled　the　scene　with　animation。　　Great　wagons　of　coal　used　to　be　passing　night　and　day。　　The　rails；　with　their　rotten　sleepers；　now　disused；　were　then　constantly　ground　by　the　weight　of　wagons。　　Now　stony　roads　took　the　place　of　the　old　mining　tramways。　James　Starr　felt　as　if　he　was　traversing　a　desert。

The　engineer　gazed　about　him　with　a　saddened　eye。　He　stopped　now　and　then　to　take　breath。　　He　listened。　The　air　was　no　longer　filled　with　distant　whistlings　and　the　panting　of　engines。　　None　of　those　black　vapors　which　the　manufacturer　loves　to　see；　hung　in　the　horizon；　mingling　with　the　clouds。　No　tall　cylindrical　or　prismatic　chimney　vomited　out　smoke；　after　being　fed　from　the　mine　itself；　no　blast…pipe　was　puffing　out　its　white　vapor。　　The　ground；

formerly　black　with　coal　dust；　had　a　bright　look；　to　which　James　Starr's　eyes　were　not　accustomed。

When　the　engineer　stood　still；　Harry　Ford　stopped　also。　The　young　miner　waited　in　silence。　　He　felt　what　was　passing　in　his　companion's　mind；　and　he　shared　his　feelings；　he；　a　child　of　the　mine；　whose　whole　life　had　been　passed　in　its　depths。

〃Yes；　Harry；　it　is　all　changed；〃　said　Starr。　　〃But　at　the　rate　we　worked；　of　course　the　treasures　of　coal　would　have　been　exhausted　some　day。　Do　you　regret　that　time？〃

〃I　do　regret　it；　Mr。　Starr；〃　answered　Harry。　　〃The　work　was　hard；　but　it　was　interesting；　as　are　all　struggles。〃

〃No　doubt；　my　lad。　　A　continuous　struggle　against　the　dangers　of　landslips；　fires；　inundations；　explosions　of　firedamp；　like　claps　of　thunder。　　One　had　to　guard　against　all　those　perils！　　You　say　well！　It　was　a　struggle；　and　consequently　an　exciting　life。〃

〃The　miners　of　Alva　have　been　more　favored　than　the　miners　of　Aberfoyle；　Mr。　Starr！〃

〃Ay；　Harry；　so　they　have；〃　replied　the　engineer。

〃Indeed；〃　cried　the　young　man；　〃it's　a　pity　that　all　the　globe　was　not　made　of　coal；　then　there　would　have　been　enough　to　last　millions　of　years！〃

〃No　doubt　there　would；　Harry；　it　must　be　acknowledged；　however；　that　nature　has　shown　more　forethought　by　forming　our　sphere　principally　of　sandstone；　limestone；　and　granite；　which　fire　cannot　consume。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say；　Mr。　Starr；　that　mankind　would　have　ended　by　burning　their　own　globe？〃

〃Yes！　　The　whole　of　it；　my　lad；〃　answered　the　engineer。　〃The　earth　would　have　passed　to　the　last　bit　into　the　furnaces　of　engines；　machines；　steamers；　gas　factories；　certainly；　that　would　have　been　the　end　of　our　world　one　fine　day！〃

〃There　is　no　fear　of　that　now；　Mr。　Starr。　　But　yet；　the　mines　will　be　exhausted；　no　doubt；　and　more　rapidly　than　the　statistics　make　out！〃

〃That　will　happen；　Harry；　and　in　my　opinion　England　is　very　wrong　in　exchanging　her　fuel　for　the　gold　of　other　nations！　I　know　well；〃　added　the　engineer；　〃that　neither　hydraulics　nor　electricity　has　yet　shown　all　they　can　do；　and　that　some　day　these　two　forces　will　be　more　completely

utilized。　　But　no　matter！　　Coal　is　of　a　very　practical　use；　and　lends　itself　easily　to　the　various　wants　of　industry。　Unfortunately　man　cannot　produce　it　at　will。　　Though　our　external　forests　grow　incessantly　under　the　influence　of　heat　and　water；　our　subterranean　forests　will　not　be　reproduced；　and　if　they　were；　the　globe　would　never　be　in　the　state　necessary　to　make　them　into　coal。〃

James　Starr　and　his　guide；　whilst　talking；　had　continued　their　walk　at　a　rapid　pace。　　An　hour　after　leaving　Callander　they　reached　the　Dochart　pit。

The　most　indifferent　person　would　have　been　touched　at　the　appearance　this　deserted　spot　presented。　　It　was　like　the　skeleton　of　something　that　had　formerly　lived。　　A　few　wretched　trees　bordered　a　plain　where　the　ground　was　hidden　under　the　black　dust　of　the　mineral　fuel；　but　no　cinders　nor　even　fragments　of　coal　were　to　be　seen。　All　had　been　carried　away　and　consumed　long　ago。

They　walked　into　the　shed　which　covered　the　opening　of　the　Yarrow　shaft；　whence　ladders　still　gave　access　to　the　lower　galleries　of　the　pit。　The　engineer　bent　over　the　opening。　　Formerly　from　this　place　could　be　heard　the　powerful　whistle　of　the　air　inhaled　by　the　ventilators。　It　was　now　a　silent　abyss。　　It　was　like　being　at　the　mouth　of　some　extinct　volcano。

When　the　mine　was　being　worked；　ingenious　machines　were　used　in　certain　shafts　of　the　Aberfoyle　colliery；　which　in　this　respect　was　very　well　off；　frames　furnished　with　automatic　lifts；　working　in　wooden　slides；　oscillating　ladders；　called　〃man…engines；〃　which；　by　a　simple　movement；　permitted　the　miners　to　descend　without　danger。

But　all　these　appliances　had　been　carried　away；　after　the　cessation　of　the　works。　　In　the　Yarrow　shaft　there　remained　only　a　long　succession　of　ladders；　separated　at　every　fifty　feet　by　narrow　landings。　Thirty　of　these　ladders　placed　thus　end　to　end　led　the　visitor　down　into　the　lower　gallery；　a　depth　of　fifteen　hundred　feet。　This　was　the　only　way　of　communication　which　existed　between　the　bottom　of　the　Dochart　pit　and　the　open　air。　　As　to　air；　that　came　in　by　the　Yarrow　shaft；　from　whence　galleries　communicated　with　another　shaft　whose　orifice　opened　at　a　higher　level；　the　warm　air　naturally　escaped　by　this　species　of　inverted　siphon。


〃I　will　follow　you；　my　lad；〃　said　the　engineer；　signing　to　the　young　man　to　precede　him。

〃As　you　please；　Mr。　Starr。〃

〃Have　you　your　lamp？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　only　wish　it　was　still　the　safety　lamp；　which　we　formerly　had　to　use！〃

〃Sure　enough；〃　returned　James　Starr；　〃there　is　no　fear　of　fire…damp　explosions　now！〃

Harry　was　provided　with　a　simple　oil　lamp；　the　wick　of　which　he　lighted。　In　the　mine；　now　empty　of　coal；　escapes　of　light　carburetted　hydrogen　could　not　occur。　　As　no　explosion　need　be　feared；　there　was　no　necessity　for　interposing　between　the　flame　and　the　surrounding　air　that　metallic　screen　which　prevents　the　gas　from　catching　fire。　The　Davy　lamp　was　of　no　use　here。　　But　if　the　danger　did　not　exist；　it　was　because　the　cause　of　it　had　disappeared；　and　with　this　cause；　the　combustible　in　which　formerly　consisted　the　riches　of　the　Dochart　pit。

Harry　descended　the　first　steps　of　the　upper　ladder。　Starr　followed。　　They　soon　found　themselves　in　a　profound　obscurity；　which　was　only　relieved　by　the　glimmer　of　the　lamp。　The　young　man　held　it　above　his　head；　the　better　to　light　his　companion。　　A　dozen　ladders　were　descended　by　the　engineer　and　his　guide；　with　the　measured　step　habitual　to　the　miner。　They　were　all　still　in　good　condition。

James　Starr　examined；　as　well　as　the　insufficient　light　would　permit；　the　sides　of　the　dark　shaft；　which　were　covered　by　a　partly　rotten　lining　of　wood。

Arrived　at　the　fifteenth　landing；　that　is　to　say；　half　way　down；　they　halted　for　a　few　minutes。

〃Decidedly；　I　have　not　your　legs；　my　lad；〃　said　the　engineer；　panting。

〃You　are　very　stout；　Mr。　Starr；〃　replied　Harry；　〃and　it's　something　too；　you　see；　to　live　all　one's　life　in　the　mine。〃

〃Right；　Harry。　　Formerly；　when　I　was　twenty；　I　could　have　gone　down　all　at　a　breath。　　Come；　forward！〃

But　just　as　the　two　were　about　to　leave　the　platform；　a　voice；　as　yet　far　distant；　was　heard　in　the　depths　of　the　shaft。　It　came　up　like　a　sonorous　billow；　swelling　as　it　advanced；　and　becoming　more　and　more　distinct。


〃Halloo！　who　comes　here？〃　asked　the　engineer；　stopping　Harry。

〃I　cannot　say；〃　answered　the　young　miner。

〃Is　it　not　your　father？〃

〃My　father；　Mr。　Starr？　no。〃

〃Some　neighbor；　then？〃

〃We　have　no　neighbors　in　the　bottom　of　the　pit；〃　replied　Harry。　　〃We　are　alone；　quite　alone。〃

〃Well；　we　must　let　this　intruder　pass；〃　said　James　Starr。　　〃Those　who　are　descending　must　yield　the　path　to　those　who　are　ascending。〃

They　waited。　　The　voice　broke　out　again　with　a　magnificent　burst；　as　if　it　had　been