Arriving at Empire Gold Mine
John Teaching Us All About the Shafts
One of the Old Shafts
There were hundred's of miles of tunnels under this area. The deepest shaft was 11,000 feet down. The men would descend in carts at a rate of 600 feet per minute!
One of the Cart Tracks That Runs 1000's of Feet Down
One of the Mine Shafts
You can see way far down into the tunnel, but it is barricaded off. Next year they are going to be creating an underground entry, so that people can see from the lower side.
The Shaft
Rock Stamper
This was how they crushed the rock that they brought up from the tunnels that held gold. They could then work with the smaller pieces of rock in a smaller machine.
Showing Off the Cart
These carts were what brought the hard rock up from down deep under the earth.
We only had a couple days with my cousins, but they, being wonderful hosts, made sure we saw locals spots of interest. John took the boys and I to see the Empire Gold Mine. That was fascinating, because the buildings and machinery are still all intact.
John has so much knowledge that just walking anywhere with him you are filled with so many interesting facts. It amazes me how much he knows. At the mine there was no need of a tour guide, because John knew all the information and was able to share and explain it all to us!
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