The World of Mining Museum, and an underground tour
Our underground tour was under this head frame.
In the old days, the headlamps were made of water and calcium carbide ( like an acetylene torch)
The danger of fire was extreme, and one of the worst disasters was from one of those fires.
The temperatures were 150-165 degrees, and the miners had to empty their boots of sweat several times a day. At the end of the shift they had to shower with clothes on (remove all the acid) and hang them to dry til the next shift.
Ready to go down 100 feet
We were lucky enough to listen to an 86 year old recount his experiences of working in the mines.
Up to the top
(not really, we had to walk up)
The whole area is a museum, and they have a cute town of donated buildings from the area.
This chair and drill were owned by a traveling dentist.
He carried them in a covered wagon to help the settlers.
Brothels too!
and a tractor for Lou!
Mules were used extensively in the mines, but getting them up and down into the mines was no small task!
Butte was the richest hill in the US.
There were so many mines that the town has 10,000 miles of underground workings -- 4,200 miles of vertical shafts and 5,600 miles of main horizontal openings.
Berkeley Pit
A former open pit copper mine.
When mining operations were ceased, the underground waters in the mines filled this lake.
It is so acidic that it is similar to Coca-Cola, or lemon juice, or gastric acid.
The black cone in this picture represents Berkeley Pit.
The colored lines represent all the horizontal and vertical mine shafts.
