The pit, 480 feet deep, with its colossal doors
and entrances leading into the galleries, looks like a picture of
the lower world, from which bridges of rocks, projections, arches
and caverns formed in the walls, ascend to the upper world.
The men
look like pigmies, and one cannot follow their movements until the
eye has accustomed itself to the depth and to the darkness
prevailing below. But the darkness is not very dense; I could
distinguish most of the ladders, which seemed to me like children's
toys.
It was nearly twelve, and the workmen left the pits, with the
exception of those in charge of the mines. They ascended by means
of little tubs hanging by ropes, and were raised by a windlass. It
is a terrible sight to see the men soaring up on the little machine,
especially when two or three ascend at once; for then one man stands
in the centre, while the other two ride on the edge of the tub.
I should have liked to descend into the great pit, but it was too
late on this day, and I would not wait another. I should not have
feared the descent, as I was familiar with such adventures, having
explored the salt-mines of Wieliczka and Bochnia, in Gallicia, some
years before, in which I had had to let myself down by a rope, which
is a much more dangerous method than the tub.
With the stroke of twelve, four blasting trains in the large pit
were fired.
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