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Originally posted by flatpoint
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monoxide I believe is airborn, my mistake.Some say that if you listen to the little voices, you are open minded, if you answer them, you belong in a white padded room. I say, have a conversation!! -
[COLOR="Blue"]I guess a good rule of thumb would be to turn back if the mine starts to get real humid and warm or wet. Or if any decomposing materials are present. After entering 5483 mines it's not nessasary to go to the end of every mine.
mk[/COLOR]Comment
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good ruleSome say that if you listen to the little voices, you are open minded, if you answer them, you belong in a white padded room. I say, have a conversation!!Comment
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FYI: Abandoned Mines
SURFACE FEATURES
Many open pits exist in mining areas. Pit walls may be unstable and landslides may occur at any time. There may be overhanging edges on pit walls that could collapse when a person stands on them. The walls of the pit may be steep. Persons have drowned in the water in these pits because the water may be deep all around the pit with no ledge or place to hold on to. Diving into a pit is dangerous because there may be rocks just below the water surface. People have fallen to their death from the top of a pit or have been struck by falling rock when inside a pit. Stay away from open pits, quarries and gravel pits. :oops:
ADITS
Adits, unlike shafts, are openings into a mine that are level or nearly level like a tunnel. These tunnels may be dangerous because rocks can fall from overhead. There may be holes in the tunnel called winzes that drop straight down hundreds of feet. Old boards or timbers over these winzes may obscure them and may not support your weight:omg:
SWIMMING
Mining properties may have lakes or ponds in pits or reservoirs for mine operations. These water bodies are not for swimming, they may have steep banks, water may be very deep and cold. There may be underwater obstructions such as rocks or mining equipment. Cave-ins may have water in the bottom with steep sides and no place to hold on to. :shout:
WINZES
A shaft that is sunk downward in a tunnel or adit is called a winze. In many old mines winzes were sunk in the floors of the adit or tunnel and then boarded over. The winze may look like a puddle. But it may be a deep opening that is filled with water.
TIMBERS
Timbers were used to support a mine roof and walls. Wood may take a while to rot, but eventually the wood rots and decays. It may even appear solid, but it may be rotten and soft. You may step on a timber or board that may collapse or fall to pieces. It may be covering a deep hole. Even good timbers may be loose and fall with the slightest touch. An area may appear well-timbered and supported, when, in fact, it cannot support its own weight. There is a danger of brushing against a timber and causing an entire area to cave-in. :log::hide:
BAD AIR
Minerals and decaying timber may have caused a build up of gases or a lack of oxygen. A lit match may cause a flammable gas like methane to explode or you may become tired and dizzy from lack of good air. When mines were operating, the ventilation with good air was very important. Abandoned mines usually have no ventilation to get rid of bad air. In some cases people have lost their lives in pits because of bad air in the confined space. Also, sound may not travel as far in an underground mine. :poop:
WATER
A great danger in an old mine is that water over a hole may even be covered with dust and look like solid ground. It is usually impossible to see the bottom of water, standing water or flowing water. Even in a level adit, water may conceal a winze or chute or deep hole that is straight down. An underground area may even be dry while mined areas overhead are full of water. A sudden cave-in may allow hundreds of feet of water from levels above to rush into the dry area. Some mines had wooden dams to keep water from one part of the mine out of another part. These dams could break at any time. All abandoned mine water should be considered unfit for drinking. :oops:
UNDERGROUND FIRES
In some cases a fire may occur in an abandoned mine. Never strike a match or start a fire in an old mine. There may be no ventilation, odorless explosive or flammable gas may be present. Even if that is not the case, a fire could deplete limited oxygen, liberate dangerous gases and spread through the mine, cutting off any escape. :bolt::fire:
DANGEROUS ANIMALS AND INSECTS
Though many old mines in other parts of the country may have snakes, scorpions, and spiders, in California it is possible to stir up a black bear residing in an old adit or mine opening. Bears are known to occupy some adits. You cannot predict what a bear will do in a confined space. Bats usually occupy abandoned mines. Bats will try to avoid you, but they may startle you.
John & KristiComment
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[COLOR="Blue"]Thanks NT that was the info I was hoping for.
mk[/COLOR]Comment
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Well, this is good information. But I wouldn't let it deter me from doing what I love to do. It's a good reminder though.SBCO Fire Dept. CERT volunteer
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Eagle ScoutComment
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Oh absolutly......
....wasn't meant to stop ANY one from exploring, I would be the last person to have any sort of thought just a little heads up, spread the wealth kinda thing......Boys Scout code, always be prepared.
I'm sure Roger and Mitch know more of whats up then I every will......
Happy Hunting and I wannna go too.....John & KristiComment
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Your great post with information about things that we may not have thought about when entering a mine prompted me to start another thread to gauge people's interest in learning more about safety or technique in mines and caves.Originally posted by Nipple Twister View Post
I put it here:
http://www.myjeeprocks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16153
...and I'm with you. I don't want to stop anyone from doing what they want and I wanna go too!
Christian"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid." - Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)Comment
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[COLOR="Blue"]I didn't think NT post was to dicourage, but to raise some important safty points.
Thanks
mk[/COLOR]Comment
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