The Child of the Cavern
The city beneath the Earth is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne. The novel was first published in 1877 under the French title Les Indes Noires by the publisher Pierre -Jules Hetzel. The first German -language edition published in 1878 under the title Black India.
Action
In the Scottish county of Stirling is the Dochart pit, in the original coal was mined. The mine was abandoned when all the known coal seams were mined. The former Obersteiger Simon Ford could not accept the fact that there is no more coal in Aberfoyle. With his wife Madge and his son Harry, he settled down to below ground, to search for new coal deposits.
After ten years, he comes in a distant part of the pit on Weather gas, which points to another coal deposits. He sends a letter to James Starr, the former technical director of the pit. This gets another anonymous letter that says that Simon Ford is subject to error. Starr travels yet to Aberfoyle to the living underground family. Just arrived in the pit, Starr is nearly hit by a falling stone. The accompanying him Harry referred to the incident as an attack.
In the pit they set off to the place where Simon Ford has noticed the gas reserves. The attempt to prove the gas deposits again, but fails. However, you discover that the opening from which the coal mine gas had leaked out, must have been clogged by a human. You then manage the detection of weather gas. The next day they blow up a larger opening freely and find a cave system in anthracite and an underground lake. However, they are trapped by an unknown man in the cave system. The rescue is performed by Starr's servant who had read his post, and a friend who was looking after him. You will be guided with the rescue team from an unknown person to those trapped.
Three years later flourishing in the mines of New Aberfoyle again coal mining. Starr a dwelling has now also gained underground, Simon Ford is now active in the management of the mine. One day, Harry finds in the pit of a sixteen year old girl. You find out that Nell grew up in the pit. Otherwise, it remains silent about her life. Nell and Harry fall in love and want to marry.
Thus begins a series of mysterious incidents. First, the water of the Katrin Lake pours into the pit. Harry escapes several times successive disasters in the pit. At the front door of the house of the Ford family, they find a message from Silfax, the last so-called penitent of Aberfoyle. This filled in the old mine, the task of an early warning against driving weather. He accuses them of having taken his Nell, and threatens all of New Aberfoyle mischief.
Nell then tells them her story of how she grew up with Silfax and the eagle owl. Sentinels are distributed throughout the pit. Nell and Harry are to be married by a priest just to the underground lake, as a large rock from the cave ceiling collapsed into the lake and Weather gas leakage. Silfax emerges with his eagle owl and a Davyschen safety lamp on a boat in front of them. He destroys the safety lamp and commands the owl to fly into the cloud of gas with a burning wick. However, Nell can attract the owl. Silfax realizes that his plans have failed and plunges into the underground lake.
Six months later marry Nell and Harry and lead a happy life. Silfax is gone forever.
Background
As a black - India, the British called their vast coal districts. Since this title is now obscure, the amendment was republished under the title The city under the earth.