The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
THE
Underground World:
A MIRROR OF
LIFE BELOW THE SURFACE,
WITH VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF THE
HIDDEN WORKS OF NATURE AND ART.
COMPRISING
INCIDENTS AND ADVENTURES BEYOND THE LIGHT OF DAY.
INTERESTING SKETCHES
OF
MINES AND MINING IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD—CAVES AND THEIR
MYSTERIES—FAMOUS TUNNELS—DOWN IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA.
VOLCANOES AND THEIR ERUPTIONS—PETROLEUM—UNDERGROUND
LIFE OF MAN AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. SUBTERRANEAN WORKS
OF THE ANCIENTS. BURIED TREASURES, ETC., ETC.
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED.
BY
THOS. W. KNOX,
Author of “Overland through Asia,” “Life and Adventuresin the Orient,” “Camp-Fireand Cotton-Field,” “The Boy Exiles,” etc.
HARTFORD:
THE J. B. BURR PUBLISHING CO.
1877.
Copyrighted.
The J. B. Burr Publishing Co.
1877.
PREFACE.
The chief intent of this work is the plain,sufficient, and entertainingdescription of the marvelous lives not only of miners, butof all whose lot or choice it is to “delve and dare” underground.That its object is secured, the author is flatteringly assured byacknowledged critics,—travelers and book-men themselves, like thewriter, most of them. The narratives of the book are not merelydry relations of scientific facts freighted with unnecessary technicalterms, as might possibly be suspected from a cursory glance at thelist of the topics treated, but statements of most important andcurious deeds, and descriptions of hidden localities and lives, interspersedwith lively anecdote and “incidents with souls in them,” itis believed, and the greater part herein for the first time given tothe public. The table of contents will suffice to show how wideand varied has been the author’s scope of observation and comment,covering all the most important parts of the globe.
But he has not been satisfied with relying wholly upon his ownobservations and world-studies. No man, however active andindustrious, can collate and digest all the interesting informationwhich may cluster about any important subject. The average lifeis too short for the performance of such exhaustive study. Theauthor has therefore consulted many works upon mining andkindred subjects, adding their funds of knowledge to his ownresearches, in order, so far forth as possible, to perfect his work.Besides, he is specially indebted to Professor Simonin, author of[Pg 4]La Vie Souterraine,and has relied upon him for many facts andfigures, particularly in regard to the coal mines of France and othercountries. Many individuals, professionally conversant with thesubjects discoursed of, have also been personally consulted invarious countries; while several literary gentleme