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1 December 1863 — Dowlais House, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan | |
Tuesday. 1st December [1863]. Was in pretty good time for breakfast. After breakfast I played 2 games of billiards with Mr Thomas and had lunch at 12½. Then got myself up in my roughest and scrubbiest apparel & took off my crinoline and amidst the pouring rain I, Mrs Clark, Connie & the M. set off to an expedition to the coal mine. We walked to the top of the incline and went into the engine house to dry our clothes till the train came to take us to the Pit. Here Mr Menelaus & Mr Martin joined us and we all got into a covered train with no ventilation but a door & went 4 miles to the colliery. Arrived there I, the M, Mr Menelaus, Mr Martin got into the shaft—a cab—and we were soon on the descent at a speed of 10 miles an hour. The sensation was peculiar & so rapid was the motion that at first it made one cling closely to the iron bars but soon in the darkness it was hardly distinguishable whether we were movg up or down or were stationary. We were soon at the bottom and found ourselves in a lofty whitewashed passage and we wasted a few minutes till the others joined us, were provided with lamps and set off to walk thro’ the various passages wh were nearly always high eno’ to admit of our walkg up right and were very well ventilated. We were at this time 400 yards below the ground & on a level with the sea. We walked on till we came to men workg out the coal and Connie & I each hewed out a piece of coal with our own hands and we had a good deal of chaff abt it. After walkg thro’ several passages we returned to the shaft and walked thro’ the passages running the other direction & were shown a Davy safety lamp and how the foul air was kept out, lastly we were taken to see the flue—a large fire for the purpose of ventilation. I and Mrs Clark, Mr Menelaus & Martin then ascended to the level of the ground of wh we were not sorry, we then went to see all the different engine houses and the machinery for winding the shaft, also the rubbish wound up from the new shaft in the course of construction to the same mine. Then we jumped into an open [car] and Connie & Mr Menelaus on the engine & Connie drove it all the way home. We walked home from the top of the incline and reached home at 5 rather tired with our expedition. I havg had a bad headache all day retired to my room where I had tea & rested till dinner. Mr & Mrs Jones the new rector & his wife dined. Directly after dinner the M. & Mrs Clark went to the sewing class & I & Connie played to & amused Mrs Jones. I worked all the eveng & the rest played billiards, we retired to bed at 11½ rather tired. | |
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