Looking for opinions and info from mine explorers!

[insomnia509]

Hey folks, my name is Drew, I'm studying geology at Eastern Washington University working on a project that could use input from inactive mine exploration experts.

What I'm looking for is a mine that is inside the US that has a shaft (including ventilation shafts) not in current use, is vertical or otherwise at a very steep angle, and runs straight for 2000 feet or so (anything higher is great).

Any ideas that that anyone has would be a big help! If any details are known, feel free to add those too (such as location, how long ago the mine closed, etc).

[Danb]

Here is a video of a 900 foot shaft at Frisco, Utah.
It is about 30 min. You will need a high speed connection.

http://www.historicsilvercityidaho.com/webmaster/videos/kingdavidmine.htm

Enjoy,
Dan

[insomnia509]

Here is a video of a 900 foot shaft at Frisco, Utah.
It is about 30 min. You will need a high speed connection.

http://www.historicsilvercityidaho.com/webmaster/videos/kingdavidmine.htm

Enjoy,
Dan

Thanks for the information and the link Dan!

[Mike Schriber]

The Gold Crown mine in Joshua Tree might fit the bill. We're unsure how deep it is at this point but it's substantial. It's slightly inclined (80 degrees or so).

Mike

[Stuart]

Welcome to M.U.!

I know of several 2000'+ shafts. My favorite deep shaft (2200+) is the Cullen Shaft of the Moscow Mine in Beaver County, Utah. If you have any specific requiremts or geographical preference I can accomidate and provide info on other shafts.

[insomnia509]

Thanks for the replies Mike and Stuart.

Specifics for what I'm hoping to identify (other than general research into mine infrastructure in the west), is an inactive mine with a main shaft that fits the following criteria:

Reaches surface
2000 feet long, without "kinks" or bends (i.e. line of sight to the bottom - no "kinks", bends, or cave-ins)
Vertical (or nearly vertical)
Preferably not flooded (not a deal breaker, but the less flooding the better)
Concrete reinforcement is preferred, however timber will work if there's not significant deterioration

For location: if the shaft surfaces in a valley or in hilly terrain, that's a plus. Also, the higher the elevation the better. All things said however, the most important factors are the actual physical dimensions and orientation of the main shaft. Any state is fine, western US preferred.

Thanks in advance folks!