"Against the law," was the crisp answer. "That's the A B C of mining. And I'll show you why! All mines are required to have two shafts, in case of accident. That law was passed because of a famous disaster that happened in England nearly a hundred years ago.
"In those days, colliers had only one shaft. One day, the beam of an engine which was directly over a shaft snapped, and a huge piece of machinery, weighing several tons, tumbled into the shaft and stuck, not far from the bottom. As it fell, it ripped away the planking which lined the shaft and a whole lot of loose rock and earth fell on top of the piece of machinery, blocking up the shaft entirely and stopping any air from passing. There were over two hundred men and boys at work below ground.
Miners Descending a Shaft.
From an Old Print.
Falling-in of a Mine.