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 Adventures in the Orient,” “Camp-Fire and 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 entertaining description of the marvelous lives not only of miners, but of all whose lot or choice it is to “delve and dare” underground. That its object is secured, the author is flatteringly assured by acknowledged critics,—travelers and book-men themselves, like the writer, most of them. The narratives of the book are not merely dry relations of scientific facts freighted with unnecessary technical terms, as might possibly be suspected from a cursory glance at the list of the topics treated, but statements of most important and curious deeds, and descriptions of hidden localities and lives, interspersed with lively anecdote and “incidents with souls in them,” it is believed, and the greater part herein for the first time given to the public. The table of contents will suffice to show how wide and 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 own observations and world-studies. No man, however active and industrious, can collate and digest all the interesting information which may cluster about any important subject. The average life is too short for the performance of such exhaustive study. The author has therefore consulted many works upon mining and kindred subjects, adding their funds of knowledge to his own researches, in order, so far forth as possible, to perfect his work. Besides, he is specially indebted to Professor Simonin, author of In preparing the matter for the press, it has been found convenient to make use of words borrowed from the French and other languages, and also of terms more or less technical in their character. They are not numerous, and are so well understood either by context or by popular use that a glossary is not considered necessary.
The author takes this opportunity to thank the newspaper press and the public for the generous reception accorded to his previous publications, hoping, in the language of the business card of the times, to merit a continuance of the same.
T. W. K.
