The ChinaMan's cave was a natural cave, more of a rock bluff/overhang on their property near the old Cassidy speedway. It was a place where the coal miners camped. There was furniture, shelves, pots and pans, a natural spring and lots of old bottles in there. "ChinaMan's Cave" was what her family referred to it as, because all the bottles had Chinese writing on them. There's not much left there anymore, vandalized and overgrown over the years.
Old Mine site
- Thread starter mr killer
- Start date
F
Fishalot
Guest
Are you f$cking kidding me? You are considering bringing your kids into an abandoned mine shaft?[:0]
P
playnow2
Guest
"the only thing I was worried about was the cribbing falling on us it's not holding up the ceiling "
ARE you kidding me. I guess the old miners mined for a job and put up cribbing for a hobby.
ARE you kidding me. I guess the old miners mined for a job and put up cribbing for a hobby.
Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
Just crammed my butt off for an exam that focuses on mass movements and i would be very careful! Thats not solid rock or at least not all solid rock. Most of that looks like compact till which under the right conditions will eventually collapse and any movement could be the trigger. You have to do a ton of tests to determine factor of safety. It is cool though.
geo_tonz
Member
I'm with Kell on this one. That siltstone mudstone and shale that makes up that coal mine can be pretty solid, but it is in layers that the shaft is running parallel to. That means large slabs could separate and fall from the ceiling. Active mines 'scale' to knock that kind of stuff down or rockbolt and/or shot-crete to reinforce. Or historically they cribbed. The cribbing's not touching? That's 'cause rock has fallen away from the ceiling and left a gap with no one to shore up the cribbing, not because the miners liked to play giant Jenga! As such the cribbing is no longer effective and the overlying rock is not supported and may be just barely holding on, with water running all through the cracks...
Don't get me wrong, cool picks and thanks for sharing but others who think this is a good idea be warned!
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
Paul Burak
Member
Hey Mr Killer the first mine I know of is an old gold mine up at the Nanaimo lakes and it is a hard rock mine that you can walk in and it goes under a small creek/ river and sometimes in the winter you can hear it going overhead. The second is mine a lod moylbeum mine and it is in the cassidy area wear a plane crashed into the side of the mountain in the 50's. I'am free the weekend Mr Killer if you want to meet up.
mr killer
Active Member
PB, i'm working in whistler this weekend but soon I'd like to meet up I'll show you my spot then I'd like to see your spot I've heard of that goldmine is that the joyce mine? and I've heard of that other mine with the plane crash I want to see both of these, I could hook up next week, or the weekend after. did you go to ND by any chance grad 94?
Kelly Geo Tonz, I can assure you we were being very careful, being quiet not touching any of the remaining timbers holding up the remaining cribbing. there's got to be some rocks held up by the raimaining cribbing so if any of that collapsed it would be dangerous. you can see the different layers of rock butting together which I guess would be weak spots. here's what makes me think the slope is solid, 70% timbers and cribbing have collapsed after you get about 40 feet into the mine so your climbing over all the collapsed timbers and cribbing the whole time your in there, they are all over the ground, what you won't see are any big rocks on the ground or any signs of collapse, I'm pretty sure you could take 100% of those support structures out and you'd still have a sound slope, I could be wrong and I really don't want to find out, but after seeing the lower section where all the cribbing and timbers have rotted and collapsed you still have the solid tunnel with no rock collapsed any where, Geo tonz is right this is stupid and you shouldn't be going into mines with the risk of collapse and gas. I've seen alot of mines I wouldn't go into but this ones the most structurally solid one I've seen which made me feel safe enough to go in and explore, another note I wouldn't go into this thing in the summer pretty much guarantee some nasty gas in this mine this slope extends to 550 feet below the surface the water line is about 200 feet right now which I assume would keep the gases in check.
Kelly Geo Tonz, I can assure you we were being very careful, being quiet not touching any of the remaining timbers holding up the remaining cribbing. there's got to be some rocks held up by the raimaining cribbing so if any of that collapsed it would be dangerous. you can see the different layers of rock butting together which I guess would be weak spots. here's what makes me think the slope is solid, 70% timbers and cribbing have collapsed after you get about 40 feet into the mine so your climbing over all the collapsed timbers and cribbing the whole time your in there, they are all over the ground, what you won't see are any big rocks on the ground or any signs of collapse, I'm pretty sure you could take 100% of those support structures out and you'd still have a sound slope, I could be wrong and I really don't want to find out, but after seeing the lower section where all the cribbing and timbers have rotted and collapsed you still have the solid tunnel with no rock collapsed any where, Geo tonz is right this is stupid and you shouldn't be going into mines with the risk of collapse and gas. I've seen alot of mines I wouldn't go into but this ones the most structurally solid one I've seen which made me feel safe enough to go in and explore, another note I wouldn't go into this thing in the summer pretty much guarantee some nasty gas in this mine this slope extends to 550 feet below the surface the water line is about 200 feet right now which I assume would keep the gases in check.
quicksilver11
Member
It's not the falling rocks that will probably kill you just the gas if it is present. Awesome pics though.
geo_tonz
Member
Hey Mr. Killer,
Found this map. Your coal mine on it?
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:...nd_landmarks_in_the_Nanaimo_area&ie=UTF8&z=11
GT
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
Found this map. Your coal mine on it?
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:...nd_landmarks_in_the_Nanaimo_area&ie=UTF8&z=11
GT
The worst day fishing is better than the best day working...
Paul Burak
Member
Yes I did go to NDSS and I did graduate in 94 the gold mine at Nanaimo Lakes isn't the Joyce mine this is a different one it started in 1860 till 1940's I think
Paul Burak
Member
Hey Mr Killer keep in touch
mr killer
Active Member
Hey Paul
I'll let you know when I'm back next week, I'll be free any day from wednesday to new years let's check those out I'll drive. we know each other already, I went to school with you and you also went to school with my wife, small world.
Our kids also went to pre school together last year. You've probably got it figured out now
I'll let you know when I'm back next week, I'll be free any day from wednesday to new years let's check those out I'll drive. we know each other already, I went to school with you and you also went to school with my wife, small world.
Our kids also went to pre school together last year. You've probably got it figured out now
Degree of Freedom
Active Member
quote:Originally posted by mr killer
Hey Paul
I'll let you know when I'm back next week, I'll be free any day from wednesday to new years let's check those out I'll drive. we know each other already, I went to school with you and you also went to school with my wife, small world.
Our kids also went to pre school together last year. You've probably got it figured out now
small world...I graduated ND in 93
mr killer
Active Member
here's another one that is basically a big coal seem the miners have cleaned it out it's braced as you can see in some spots pretty nuts alot to see in here, old cart tracks, didn't have the good flash or very much light wasn't ready for this one but still got some good photos,
mr killer
Active Member
here's another one that is basically a big coal seem the miners have cleaned it out it's braced as you can see in some spots pretty nuts alot to see in here, old cart tracks, didn't have the good flash or very much light wasn't ready for this one but still got some good photos,
M
Morty
Guest
Cool pics,Mrkiller.Are those stalagmites or just icicles in that last one?
M
Morty
Guest
Cool pics,Mrkiller.Are those stalagmites or just icicles in that last one?
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