Beck #2 Part Two

[Stuart]

After getting a taste for the size and exploration potential of the Beck #2 on Wednesday, I decided that we should go back with some ropes and try and get deeper into the mine. On Saturday morning Troy, Miah, and I headed out to the mine and pushed some of the leads that I had. Following the airflow coming from the upper levels of the mine we were stopped by a near vertical 300' incline shaft heading straight up. We were able to make some significant progress rappelling down a 150' incline shaft that went to a large lower level of the mine. I was hopeful that we were the only ones to reach this level of the mine, but to my disappointment we found ATV tracks down there. It was fairly obvious from looking at the tracks that they were using the quad to pull carts out of the mine sometime before that level was backfilled. Since the lower level was sealed off we had to go back up the way we came. In a hard to reach stope of the mine we found a very interesting cave, I boosted Miah up on my back and he was able to climb up inside and take some pictures.

More pictures:


All Pictures: http://mojaveunderground.com/gallery...eck/?g2_page=2

[Derek]

Hmmm..it looks like the Humbug tunnels might be the best bet to get into the upper workings of the Beck #2. These Topo files also show the Old Beck Tunnel.

http://onlinestoragesolution.net/sloov187/Eureka_Quad.jpg

http://onlinestoragesolution.net/sloov187/Eureka_Digital.jpg

http://onlinestoragesolution.net/sloov187/Eureka_3D.jpg

[one_bad_rover]

awesome.. thanks for sharin on the pics!! This is a great site you guys are on. Did you manage to move that ore car? How about that galena/silver ore... thats some nice thick stuff, and probably will show an amazing value if you get it assayed.

[Troy]

The ore car was actually knocked down from a higher level. Stuart and Miah were able to access that level of the mine (i'm a wuss) and verify that somebody had pushed the cart down a chute. We didn't try to move it from where it is now resting. The pics of the galena/silver ore really don't do those samples justice. They sparkled like nothing i've personally ever seen before, and Stuart said they were among the best samples he's come across. I took a few pieces back with me;- and that's saying something since i'm not too much of a rock hound.

[Stuart]

I bet we could have moved that ore cart a bit with some help from pry bars, we didn't really bother though, just took some pictures and moved on. The galena in that pile is some of the highest grade I have ever seen, much better than most of what I have found anywhere else. I also brought out a few chunks to compare it to the rest that I have collected.

Derek, thank you for the maps! DeLORME topos are a great resource for finding mines. Thanks to the 3D map and the quad I now have a pretty good idea of where everything is in relation to all the other mines. I am sure now that the level with the ATV tracks is not the Old Beck Tunnel, but it is one of the other unnamed adits on the hill. It looks like you are right about accessing the upper levels via the Humbug tunnels, if they are still open.

[ExpUt]

Would anyone be interested in a side cut profile of the 'Beck Tunnel Shaft #2' workings?

Even hows a natural cave.

[Stuart]

I'm interested!

"Even how's a natural cave?" ???

[ExpUt]

Supposed to say 'even shows a natural cave'

Let me snap a pic

[ExpUt]

Here she is...


It does connect with both the Humbug Middle Tunnel and Humbug Lower Tunnel though a long series of stoping. The cave is shown at the 400 ft level. Shows the main BT#2 shaft as being over 1100' deep as of print (1919)



The Humbug Connection:



This is a working view from above, showing how they all relate on the suface to eachother. It shows that BT#1 overlapped the other workings but the side profile above doesn't show the connection, but in a 3D world it might?



I could get some high quality copies made before you head out next if your interested. Otherwise Russ might have digital versions of some of these maps? I've got workings maps of most of the bigger mines in the Tintic area as well as geology/history reports.

[lobster68w]

I've got workings maps of most of the bigger mines in the Tintic area as well as geology/history reports.

Is there anywhere to pick up a copy of that book, or is it out of print? I'd love to have that!

[ExpUt]

I've got workings maps of most of the bigger mines in the Tintic area as well as geology/history reports.

Is there anywhere to pick up a copy of that book, or is it out of print? I'd love to have that!

You can find them online from time to time but they have been out of print for 50+ years if not since they first printed them. Its several hundred pages long and then has an assortment of plates (maps) accompanying it. I'd be happy to get copies of specific maps made and anyone is welcome to stop by my place and peruse through them. I've also got similar books for the AF Canyon, Little Cottonwood, Big Cottonwood, Ophir and Park City areas in print and quite a few others in digital format (thanks to our reference hero Russ )

[ExpUt]

Sure enough Russ has us covered for a digital copy of PP107 ( Geology and Ore Deposits of the Tintic District, Utah):

http://www.archive.org/details/UsgsPp107GeologyAndOreDepositsOfTheTinticDistrictUtah

On that note, if you haven't stopped by adoptamine.org lately, go spend a minute peaking around. Some excellent material!

[lobster68w]

Sure enough Russ has us covered for a digital copy of PP107 ( Geology and Ore Deposits of the Tintic District, Utah):

http://www.archive.org/details/UsgsPp107GeologyAndOreDepositsOfTheTinticDistrictUtah

On that note, if you haven't stopped by adoptamine.org lately, go spend a minute peaking around. Some excellent material!

Excellent! Looks like there is a few other ones in there too. I'll have to download them and take a look at work tonight. Hopefully there is some info on the Lehi Tintic Mine, I want to try and get in there this weekend.

[Derek]

Is there a way on archive.org to search for items by the person that uploaded them? I did a quick look and didn't see where this would be possible. I want to be able to see all of the stuff Russ has posted like you could do on Scribd.

[Stuart]

Russ is pretty amazing, his Scribd collection is second to none! That is a pretty big cave! I wonder if it is the same cave that they were using to drain all the mines....I need to find a way into that lower Beck Tunnel!

Thanks for the pictures Kurt, they helped me remember that I have my own copy of this book in my file cabinet. I totally forgot to look in there for information on the Beck.