Exploring Endless Tunnels in the McDoom Mine

[@laroccam]

Frank, I'm a new subscriber. You are the Bob Ross of mine exploration. What great videos; thank you.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+laroccam thank you for subscribing. Welcome aboard! Glad to have you along for the adventures. Always feel free to leave a comment or ask a question on any video. Thanks for your support!

[@RobFarrowATV]

Could you hear the creaking from the wooden door while you were in the main haulage tunnel...pretty creepy! Another awesome video Frank, thanks!

[@bbroogs]

+Rob Farrow Yea that wooden door really creeped me out too!

[@JL-yg3ku]

Yeah, very creeping. BTW did you hear that beeping?

[@_Brohan]

+James Larson I think that was his O2 meter.

[@trainzguy2472]

Probably an oxygen meter or some safety device like that.

[@Unit38]

Another interesting video. I have never set foot in a mine but for some reason I am fascinated by them. Stay safe.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Unit 38 Hey, thanks for commenting! Always appreciate hearing from involved viewers who are enjoying the vids and getting something out of them. Saw you are/were a United States Marine. I'm a Navy veteran. Glad to have you along for the explorations, shipmate!

[@gomercoggs6622]

Just think you commented this three years ago... do you even still have this account

[@Up2_nogood]

@@gomercoggs6622 he just commented on something 9 days ago, so yep! Even 2 more years later.

[@ExploreWithUs]

Awesome explore! Some seriously dangerous shafts in that one.

[@672egalaxie6]

Another fascinating exploration. I don't know how you remain so calm. This one looked especially dodgy in certain areas. So much fun to watch these. Thanks for your service, I read in comments you're a USN vet. My childhood friend served in USCG and then worked in Tonopah and lived in Fallon, worked for LORAL doing weapons testing with Navy jets. He was on the ground. Beautiful area, I'm in NY and can't wait to retire from FD to see this part of our country. Thanks again

[@AbandonedMines11]

+672E galaxie Glad you liked this one! There is an entire upper level that we never got to, so this mine is pretty extensive.

[@danmiller6051]

Another great video, Frank. No one understands how to make a video like you. Keep up the great work.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you, Dan!

[@MinesoftheWest]

Great video, Frank! I had almost forgotten how extensive that mine was, wow! That door was pretty eerie too! haha

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Mines of the West Yes, it was extensive. Imagine how extensive the upper workings are!

[@JL-yg3ku]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ what was the beeping?

[@mfowlify]

+James Larson most likely a carbon dioxide detector

[@GarryStebbings]

Thanks Frank lots of interesting winzes and raises, certainly would have to keep eyes open with some of those unprotected ones. Usual good video.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Garry Stebbings Right on, Garry! Thanks again for your support.

[@fredsullivan9008]

Great video and adventure. Hope to see another one shortly.

[@o2wow]

IMO, the strange machine is a boiler that looks like it exploded. At 12:19 the box with the fancy sides is the firebox. Those "rollers" are boiler tubes in which the steam flashes off. The flames went around the pipes and out the top of the iron box. You can see the lime deposits where the water flashes off to steam inside the boiler tank at 12:45

[@markhinr]

+o2wow That's my hunch too. It looks like an old water-tube boiler, though the dead-ended water tubes seem unusual. The steam drum on top looks like it failed under pressure and broke if not exploded. The rusty fittings on the ground nearby look like they might have been steam engine cylinders.

[@PerfectTangent]

Field tube boiler?

[@Mike-tg7dj]

wbbh I guess that there's why we have boiler and furnace inspectors these days! Exploding boilers!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Anthony Davis very true, very true.

[@christhornley1664]

An interesting and quite complex mine working. It's amazing how each mine you explore has its own unique atmosphere. Also some interesting artefacts and pieces of old equipment near the mine entrance. I always enjoy your videos Frank, it's a brilliant channel.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks again, Chris. Yes, this mine is quite extensive. Never did get to the upper levels in this one. Some day....

[@christhornley1664]

nick m If you consult an English dictionary, I think you'll find it can be spelt both ways, but it is usually spelt artefact, not that it matters all that much.

[@nickm9123]

+Chris Thornley sorry, I've never seen it spelt that way, but thanks. I didn't know that.

[@JohnMartens]

"Your papa cheated death," I know this has been a yearlong debate here, but I checked with my buddy whose first language is Spanish, and he had to ask his grandparents; allegedly it's an obscure phrase that's not used anymore

[@nate_ring]

Good work!

[@NOOOOOOO0OOOOO]

did you find out what the phrase means?

[@LemonJellyJ]

Chema is a nickname in the Spanish language. Tu papá Chema, perhaps that refers to a person. I’m not sure why muerte is in quotation marks. Normally to express cheating death you can say “burló a la muerte” (he/she cheated death). Maybe this phrase comes from Mexican Spanish. I only know Castilian (from Spain)

[@camilomartinez9001]

In fact, chema is the nickname in Mexico to José Maria, or Jose Manuel, so, the translated phrase means Your father José Manuel/Maria "Death". That Spanish usage confirm the fact, the person who wrote that was Mexican, or know the lexical of the Mexican streets. Sorry for my English, I'm not a natural speaker.XD

[@YoutubeCrittic]

B.C Canada eh! I like the vids..been watching a lot of them..been through a lot of old mines and some were just crawl spaces.but to find old relics from the past makes it so cool to explore.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+don ski A lot of the more easily accessible mines have had all of their artifacts taken decades ago. There aren't too many artifacts left out there to find and document -- except in the occasional extremely remote mine that I find and go to. Down here, haven't had too many mines that were just crawl spaces. Crawl spaces are rare down here.

[@markhinr]

Great video, and great to have you back, Frank! I think a lot of your regular viewers suffered from "Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ Withdrawal" last month. haha

[@AbandonedMines11]

+markhinr I did, too! Missed going out there and going underground! Lots of great things and awesome sites are already planned for 2016, so stay tuned, Mark! Thanks for watching this vid and taking the time to comment. I love hearing from the viewers, and I'm sure the other viewers enjoy reading the comments, too. Happy New Year!

[@markhinr]

Thank you, Frank! Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy (and safe explorations) 2016 as well. BTW - While missing your videos during December I checked out a number of other similar channels and found none that were quite comparable to yours. There are just a few good ones and almost all of them were inspired by your channel.

[@worldfilmclips1]

When you started to walk the plank above that stope..., I bet you tentatively🤔 tested it out🙂. When I was in UNDG Mining, our Oldman Cap Lamps had the main quartz halogen bulb and a backup pilot globe. The main bulb would fail sometimes and we would have to rely on the low wattage pilot globe. I hope you've got backup lighting just in case with all those deep winzes, ore passes everywhere here in this mine 👍.

[@EJ3001]

I love the exploration of mines. They've always fascinated me so much.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Ethan Jones Yeah, same here. The history, geology, and danger of these abandoned places is quite a draw! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, Ethan!

[@TVRExploring]

These guys were persistent to run tunnels those lengths... And interesting that they seemed scoured clean of equipment/artifacts. That raise that went up for hundreds of feet was incredible - I've never seen anything like that.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+The Velvet Rocket TV That second raise in the vide0 (the much taller one) actually goes up for 560 feet to the upper workings. A fellow explorer I know rappelled the entire raise from the top recently. In my shot looking up the raise, it doesn't look to be 560 feet tall but that's because he told me that the rest of the raise is offset slightly. When you get back over here, I'll have to take you, Chuck, and Nibs to some really cool mines.

[@TVRExploring]

560 feet is incredible. I can't imagine seeing that in person, let alone building it in the first place... I can't wait for all of us to get together.

[@dychui]

5:16 This creeped me out ! I could see less scrupulous KZbinrs milking this scene for clicks :) loved your video ! Keep it up and stay safe

[@AbandonedMines11]

Glad you enjoyed! I haven't watched this video in years, but I'm assuming that you are referring to the scene where that wooden door was creaking slightly. Thanks for your support!

[@royreynolds108]

Those are cylinders at 13:05. the other object beyond them looks to be another cylinder where a valve moved over the rectangular holes. The first two cylinders don't appear to be for steam while the smaller does.

[@stevew270]

Great vid, probably my favorite to date! Cheers!

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Steve W Right on, Steve! Love hearing that so early in the new year! Thanks for all of your enthusiastic support.

[@brotherseamus165]

happy new year. Glad to see you back :0)

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Dominic Saul Thanks, Dominic! Happy New Year to you, too! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Thanks!

[@RJM1011]

Amazing to see thank you for the video Frank.

[@1uptospeed]

2016 is starting off great frank keep it up !

[@AbandonedMines11]

+1uptospeed Thanks, man! It's starting off great because of enthusiastic viewers like yourself who watch, comment, and keep this channel alive. Thank you!

[@evper]

Were You Alone during this walk thru? As your pointing out the bats,I hear want sounds like a very fast low voice asking "Who Is He?" 1:10 to 1:12, Also at about 8:31 I hear what sounds like the Name "Tim", Listen with Headphones Interesting Video.

[@4WSPrelude]

interesting about the 1:10 mark, I think at the 8:31 part it was a transition from one clip to another patched together during editing, it seems the word "timbering" was cut out as he ended that clip and inserted the next

[@jeffd3865]

good catch

[@jeffd3865]

also 2 48 when he says dug out tunnel u hear a yessssss wow

[@pioneermega-ld3236]

Interesting. It sounds like there is someone behind him, whispering into the mic. I don't know if the words have any value to the person, if so it is probably somebody exploring with him behind him. It does sound very clear though, from my experience, spirit voices are a lot more garbled with static. Having said that, it does have the effect of sounding far away, which is typical of spirit voices. Nice find though, I wouldn't have noticed that.

[@AlphaFlight]

evper you scared me. but I think there is someone with with. listen to the foot steps

[@cvJs_]

thanks for sharing your exploring videos !! its very entertaining and interesting !! ive just been in arizona 1 month ago ;) greets from germany

[@AbandonedMines11]

+SaintRegis90 Arizona has its fair share of abandoned mines. Were you at the Grand Canyon by any chance? That seems to be the go-to destination for tourists.

[@cvJs_]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ ive been at the grand canyon longer ago.this time i visited my dad, he moved to arizona 3 years ago. as an example, we went to the western destinations close to black canyon city and i bought a chevy vega for myself in prescott valley to ship it to germany :)

[@MatzeTheExplorer]

Wow, this is a first class video!! Thanks for sharing!! Matze from germany

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Matze S. Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback. Happy New Year to you!

[@ExistedBefore]

Again an awesome video from an awesome person :3 still happy new year and keep youself safe in those mines :)

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Rep Tex Happy New Year to you, too! Thanks for watching and commenting, man! Really appreciate that. 2016 is lining up to be an incredible year of exploration -- the research is paying dividends, so get ready for some awesome footage of these historic, abandoned mines!

[@ExistedBefore]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ CANT WAIT :D!

[@ExistedBefore]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ CANT WAIT :D!

[@EmmaInCandyland]

It always scares me when you come close to a pitfall!

[@davidmurdock4740]

I'd like one McDoom! Hold the Doomsauce, please.

[@SunnyTacos]

Add a foot dive soda please.

[@ADITADDICTS]

WOW! Bitchin once again! That raise with the timbering that went up forever, I didn't catch if you found the top or not. Also, that squeaky door was so creepy but cool at the same time!!. Thanks for sharing with us northern folk and our tiny wet prospects! lol

[@AbandonedMines11]

+THE SLAKJAWMCGRAW Thanks, Chuck! The second raise I show which is much taller than the first one actually goes up 500 feet! A fellow explorer has mapped the entire McDoom Mine and actually rappelled down that raise from the upper levels! Yes, it's approximately 500 feet tall! It doesn't look that tall when I look up it with the camera because the raise is offset about halfway up. That's a seriously long raise!

[@ADITADDICTS]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ Yea that's a dam shaft! lol Was it an ore pass, Emergency escape, or just access to upper levels? It was very nicely made!

[@AbandonedMines11]

THE SLAKJAWMCGRAW That 500-foot raise was probably used for all of those things. I haven't been to the upper workings which that raise connects to. They are located on the other side of the mountain. I've heard that the upper workings are extremely extensive. You and Nibs need to get down here so we can go check it out!

[@ADITADDICTS]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ I'm chomp N on the bit!! That is absolutely crazy starting on one side of a mountain, lower, and ending up on the opposite side higher! I'm done with work btw after tomorrow until end of march early april. Time to put on my street walker clothes and hang out at the corner! lmao

[@IKS-Exploration]

excellent explore keep up the great work :)

[@MrSinfold]

That door in the breeze -- like something straight out of a horror movie

[@AbandonedMines11]

Sure was! Some other viewers have noted the same thing. I did not think much of it for some reason while I was there filming it. Thanks for commenting!

[@azdesertdog]

I was surprise at the lack of artifacts inside the mine. Chema means either shirt or a nickname for someone named Jose. I'll go with the latter. That area looked a little sketchy maybe there was a collapse and someone died.

[@Porty1119]

That stope is interesting. If I were to guess, I'd say that there is another, lower level for hauling ore broken in that stope, since I didn't see any winding gear.

[@AbandonedMines11]

You are correct! There are some limited lower levels down in that stope below the main haulage tunnel. A fellow explorer that I know mapped that part of mine recently.

[@woobyvr9654]

It's so interesting how the miners put there names in the mines so fascinating

[@AbandonedMines11]

+nathan wicks It is cool how they burned their names onto the tunnel walls at the end of the line. I suppose anybody would do the same thing after all that hard, grueling work. Coming across their names and dates is always a cool experience, especially when some of those names and dates are obviously over 100 years old in some cases! Glad you are enjoying the vids, Nathan! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@joesmoe71]

Do you guys bring some kind of poison gas detectors? If not it's amazing you haven't been killed given the number of old mines you've explored, especially the one with "bad air" painted across the entrance!

[@karlschweizer8836]

your vids are great man it takes a lot balls to go into them places i like doing that your very smart and know what you are talking about hope no bad spearits scare you out again

[@ammobake]

So many great videos on your channel and 2016 is already looking awesome. One thing I haven't thought of is earthquakes. It's amazing that these mines are so intact after not just decades but decades of weather and earthquake activity - especially those mines in California. You would almost expect more cave-ins but some of these mines are still in pristine condition with ore carts and all still on the tracks! Also, do you carry any protective equipment with you other than your new O2 sensor and the occasional dust mask? I'm curious now if they make GPS transponders that maybe you could place outside that can pick up a secondary device on your person - even if the signal gets weak. Probably not..

[@AbandonedMines11]

+ammobake Other than a dust mask and O2 meter, I do carry a 9 mm handgun. Whoever else might be with me is usually armed with something whether it be a knife, machete, or another gun. The seismic activity out here is really interesting. There is a great shot in my Carlyle Mine video where I look up a timbered vertical raise with ladders in it. The seismic activity over the decades has twisted the upper portion of that timbered raise like a corkscrew! Very cool! The footage of that is at 6:30 in the video that's located here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/anXOk4KVpLl7bNU Check it out if you get a chance. Often times the ore cart tracks in a mine will be bent slightly due to possible seismic activity. There is a great shot looking up the inclined shaft towards the top in my Southern Nevada Mine video where you can clearly see how the inclined tracks are deformed in one section due to earthquakes. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@markraymond3886]

I wonder if that boiler exploded? That's some seriously thick steel.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Mark Raymond I didn't think of that possibility either. Would a gunshot blast be enough to shatter it, too? You are right -- that was some pretty thick steel.

[@W7DSY]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ See my comments. I didn't see Mark's post until afterwards.

[@Moeledon]

+Mark Raymond that looks like a boiler explosion. 12:40

[@RENunez-sd6ov]

Your Papa cheated death, maybe he lived, when the boiler exploded. Ren here from Pomona Calif. the old home of the Big Boy 4014. Yeah I was thinking maybe the guy was real lucky, when it blew. Just sayin

[@Tom-cy5em]

Thanks Frank, for taking us along thats a very big Mine, were they mining gold ? That creaking door was kind of scary it must of had a good breeze to move it. Regards Tom

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Tom Larkins Hey, Tom! Silver, copper, and gold were mined here. But lead was the main mineral. How are things up there in Lida? You still there from time to time? I passed through there last month, but it was after sunset. Saw some lights on here and there. Wondered if you still go out there every so often.

[@docmccoy1928]

I think the pipes are to close together to be a crusher of any sort. Most crushers start with pipes farther apart then get closer. Since the bottom of the tank was open I'm taking a wild guess here that it was a boiler of some sorts that produced steam. I think the tank on the top held the steam and the rods were where the water was heated and turned to steam. This is just a guess. Hope your having a good new year Frank. As always stay safe.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Doc McCoy Thanks, Doc! Check out the comment on this video recently left by Cornish Mine Explorer. He provided a link to an old mining equipment advertisement in his comment which shows a similar device that was used to move stale air out of a mine. What do you think?

[@docmccoy1928]

Sounds like a very reasonable thing. Mine was just a wild guess. But when you consider all the tunnels etc. moving stale air sounds much more plausible.

[@adofusjooknow7654]

The equipment at the end is a small stamp mill and its designed to crush the ore. Imagine the flat portion of the bars facing downward and stamping the rock into smaller bits. The grated area at the top is the classifier that limits the size of the incoming ore to what the stamps can handle.

[@mollyquin5155]

Frank, I enjoy your mine exploration it's fascinating! The mcdoom mine seems deadly; alcohol & bottomless pits! did u try lowering a camera down the pits to see if anything's skeleton was down there? please show us the bottom of the pits if u can.

[@BoshiYoshi]

What's with the red letter "I" stuck on the wall at 3:21? I've seen those exact same cutout letters in one of your other videos. A few were stuck on boulders in a washout on the way to a mine and several more were plastered at the entrance and inside the mine. Is it some other mine explorer's way of tagging places they've been? Also a "B" at 12:00

[@AbandonedMines11]

Those letters were for an embedded puzzle that I was conducting at the time for one of my Subscriber Giveaways.

[@BoshiYoshi]

Oh, ok, thanks! I've watched Urbex videos before where I kept seeing the same grafitti character in multiple abandoned places. It was like some tagger's signature that he left everywhere he explored. So I thought maybe this was a similar case with some other mine explorer going around and leaving these letters at all the mines they explored.

[@davebeckley2584]

Great video. I still can't find an answer to the question of how they made the tunnel floors so flat and level. The last blasting charge to go off would be the lifting charge but I can't believe that charge would leave a smooth surface. I'm also curious about the passages that were bored straight up and cribbed on all four sides. Was that just a way to get to another level or were they actually following a vein?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Dave Beckley I'm not sure how they got the tunnel floors so flat. Perhaps a miner or former miner will see your comment and leave a response. Regarding the raises, I'm not sure if they were following a vein or not. The ones in this mine were probably used as an ore pass to get ore down from the upper levels that were a lot higher in the mountain. Not sure, though. I can't imagine them just tossing ore down a 500-foot vertical raise, so I think the raises were just used to get to other levels.

[@goldmining12345]

That was an interesting looking entrance, especially with all of the rocks. The gobbing is really cool too - as you've said before, it's all a lost way of art. And those bats looked really peaceful, from where they were clinging to. Wow, I must say that that one raise was extremely high! Also, in some parts of the video, the walls have a luster to them---it was kind of silvery. What was the main ore that they extracted from there? That Spanish writing seemed a little unsettling too. The machine with the rollers was probably for ore processing. Not too sure though, just guessing.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Rural Exploration Ben, lead was the main ore dug here.

[@raylowery9466]

Another great video Frank, Questions: what did they mine at the McDoom mine (what kind of ore) , and how do you tell the difference between a tunnel collapse and a backfilled tunnel, thanks for all you guies do, you are my #1 youtube sight to go to always. ray lowery (just settled into Henderson, Nevada after living in California since 1960)

[@AbandonedMines11]

+ray lowery Henderson, Nevada? You aren't too far from some abandoned mines, Ray! haha Seriously, thanks for watching this McDoom Mine video. I believe lead was the main commodity mined at this site. Not really sure how to tell the difference between a backfilled tunnel and a collapse. I kind of use the words interchangeably, I guess. Thanks for sticking around here and being a fan -- really appreciate your ongoing support!

[@ludo9234]

Ace video yet again .The boiler outside looks like someone used the last sticks of dynamite on it .

[@CornishMineExplorer]

Great footage as usual Frank, glad to see you back and posting again. Love that view back to the portal, a nice straight tunnel for sure! The strange machine at the end, was the rods inside hollow or solid bars?

[@CornishMineExplorer]

library.mines.edu/digital/archive/mmj/MMJ17no9_smaller.pdf See the top of page 4, looks very similar, used to draw stale air out of a mine!

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Cornish Mine Explorer I'm not sure whether the rods were hollow or solid. I checked out that link you provided. The piece of machinery shown at the link DOES look like similar to what I show in the video. I think you hit the bullseye on that one! Thanks for commenting and providing that awesome link. So cool to see an old advertisement like that AND to see the name Rix in the advertisement as well.

[@CornishMineExplorer]

No problem, great thing google, I was amazed myself that it found it too! Have a great weekend!

[@dawsosweekends9744]

I'm guessing they stopped digging when the gold/ore ran out but how did they know it had run out - were they following like veins of gold in the rock?

[@EJ3001]

Those pits are crazy deep!

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Ethan Jones They definitely are! As a matter of fact, I was wondering if that tunnel that had the pits was safe enough to be walking through. I do believe the lower stope undercuts that tunnel, so the tunnel floor might've only been a couple feet thick at some points. I'll trust that the miners knew what they were doing when they dug out the lower area underneath that tunnel. That part of the mine, though, is sort of like walking through a hunk of Swiss cheese in some regards.

[@jameshenry2457]

That machine is interesting for sure. The tubes seem to be hollow and one of them have blown out by pressure obviously. What's interesting is the sealed on one side tubes is not how fire or water tube boilers work. I would tend to go along with air compressor. The machine is not made of steel, but cast iron which is very brittle. The tank may have been cracked and whoever stripped the machine broke it off. I don't think explosion. Just getting caught up with the videos as I just got out of the hospital for the second time in two months (embolisms). But, I've survived so far so good. Now back to exploring (even if that means "arm chair" exploring for now.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+James Henry Thanks, James, for your comment! And welcome back! Didn't know you were in the hospital. I hope you're making a good recovery. Glad to hear that you are "armchair exploring" again via these videos. I love that! Everybody seems to have a different interpretation of what that machine was. I just saw someone's picture of the same machine taken back in the early 1990s and it looked like it was sitting on a different side back then because the top of it was open like a lid! The boiler was still in the same place in the 25-year old photograph, so I think my video shows the machine upside down. Someone must've flipped it over at some point in the past. Anyway, thanks for chiming in. Good to hear from you again!

[@Mariusdubose]

That piece of equipment at the end appears to be a water tube boiler. The firebox appears to be missing tho. As for the tank on top breaking...a build up of steam without a safety valve and the metal will split. I worked in boilers for a few years and seen 1 inch thick steel tank breathe. The metal flexed in and out so much the foreman and the engineer were concerned. It did not blow and they figured out a valve was closed when it should have been open.

[@190roverk]

I would be very curious to the of wine. Wish you told us more about the vintage...

[@whitetop11]

thanks mate I was waiting all week for this lol

[@AbandonedMines11]

+whitetop11 No problem! There will be another video uploaded next Friday as well. And the Friday after that. And then the next Friday after that one. Plenty of opportunities to get your abandoned mine exploration fix. haha Seriously, thanks for watching and being so enthusiastic! I love that!

[@crosslakerealtor]

Thank you for all the great videos, I continue to thoroughly enjoy each and every one. I have a question, probably a really stupid question at that! There seems to be no rhyme or reason which direction these tunnels travel. We're the miners following the good "ore" as they dug or how did they determine which way to dig?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Andy Loven From what little I have learned in the past few years, the miners followed the veins of ore. And some of these tunnels that you see in the videos, though, are simply haulage tunnels which were used to transport the ore from other parts of the mine to the outside. Sometimes the ore was found underground as a large body of ore which was slowly blasted away and removed truckload by truckload. The resulting chamber is called a stope. Thanks for your comments and questions, Andy!

[@AIM54A]

where was the wind coming from that was blowing though the door? Upper levels with shaft to surface?

[@spacecowboy2k]

Frank, it'd be great if you had a stick to put your camera on to get a good look over the edge of those pits! Nice work as always

[@AbandonedMines11]

+spacecowboy2k That's what Paul is for. Unfortunately, he was unable to accompany me on this exploration. LOL

[@pacoduz]

The spanish graffiti says: Tu Papa Chema "Muerte" Translation: Your father Chema "Death" Chema is a nick name, for those persons whose name is José Maria. I really like you channel, big fan from México.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for the translation! I appreciate you doing that. Glad to hear that you are enjoying the videos and are a big fan down in Mexico. I love hearing that! Feel free to chime in at any time on any other video. Thanks!

[@SirCrypt666]

What does the plastic (or so) letters at the dead-end and back of portal timbering for? Seen such letters many times in other mines.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Those neon colored letters were for the 20,000th Subscriber $100 Give Away contest that ended this past weekend.

[@salazar881]

So here in Northern California do you think it would be dangerous to explore mines in the area that the Carr fire came through here? I figure it could be weakened as well as a possible carbon monoxide leaking in from the flame, or even low oxygen from it being sucked out by the fire? It’s been a few months since the fire

[@emersonaz]

I believe the Reynolds Rix parts are cylinders to an air compressor. The Rix company still builds compressors. Can you imagine dragging all that weight out to the middle of nowhere, you have to admire the tenacity of miners back then.

[@GenJeFT]

Have you ever heard from the people who put their names at the end of the mines? That would be interesting if you do hear from one of them and you are able to interview them. It would sure be interesting from a historical perspective.

[@W7DSY]

Frank, I wonder abt that piece of equipment @ the end of your vid. That almost looked like flues inside that thing, and piece that was broken--man that was thick iron. Wonder if there was a boiler explosion or ? Just speculation, but that was some heavy iron. Re: Scariest, I get a little worked up every time I view the 2nd Horton Mine vid, and you don't seem like the kind of guy that things get to too easy.

[@bilboproudfoot]

That was a boiler. The rollers are tubes that have there ends welded shut. The tubes were filled with water that was heated by a flame, the steam was collected in the tank on top. They probably used steam hammers in that mine.

[@chesshirecat2]

I really enjoy watching all of your videos. The amount of exploring you've done is impressive as are your nerves when deep underground. I wonder how on earth you keep yourself from collecting goodies you find along the way (other than that little revolver you got working)? Thanks!

[@bobodriscoll]

Love all your videos mate, but was just wondering if you could tell us what they were mining for?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+bobodriscoll Lead, gold, copper, and silver were all mined here. I forgot to mention that in the video. Lead was the main commodity, though.

[@fabiolus2007]

great video, you are a brave person

[@turokk1]

Another amazing video Frank! Did you ever find out what exactly the machinery was out front? It looks very neat to say the least.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+turokk1 Thanks again for watching me stumble through another abandoned mine. haha If you scroll down through the comments on this video, others have offered up their take on that mysterious piece of machinery that was outside the portal. I'm not sure what to believe at this point....

[@itsmaxmint]

Man this door would have made me left this mine instantly! Atleast when you couldn't see but hear it from far

[@jrshumate4488]

Awesome video.

[@gilbertboshinsky2998]

can you please make a vido of all cool things that u found and brought home from the minns?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Gilbert Boshinsky Thanks for your suggestion, Gilbert! However, that would be a very, very short video because I just don't collect artifacts from the sites. There never is anything worth bringing home anyway. Keep in mind that these mines have been abandoned for 50 years or more. Hikers and explorers from decades ago have already pilfered these mines and removed all the good artifacts. There is nothing left at this late date and time.

[@christopherwade13]

again, an awesome adventure. that mine was full of pit falls. careful!

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Christoph W. Thanks, Christoph! Yes, those pitfalls in the tunnel floor are one reason why losing one's light source in a mine and trying to feel one's way to the portal in the dark would be deadly.

[@christopherwade13]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ agreed sir. stay safe out there.

[@chrizizdaman]

That's a cool Mine!! Do you think there are other levels to this mine??

[@AbandonedMines11]

There are other levels higher up on the other side of the mountain. That really tall raise you saw in this video goes up 500 feet or so to those upper levels.

[@chrizizdaman]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ. Thanks for the replay I'm glad your back I missed your videos in December hope you have a great new year! That's why I asked because of the huge raises. Were your able to explore the upper levels? I would love to see the rest of this mine!

[@SephBane]

What was with the paper letters? There was a red 'I' at the end of the tunnel with the graffiti and a blue 'B' on the portal when heading out?

[@AmyNeidlinger]

Yeah I was wondering about that too.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+Seph Bane That was for a $100 giveaway contest I had for obtaining 30,000 subscribers or something like that. The letters were part of the contest/puzzle. Incidentally, I just acquired 100,000 subscribers, so I will be doing another giveaway video within the next month. Stay tuned for that because you could win some cash!

[@TheFurriestOne]

Any idea what those stains on the timbers leaning on the wall were? Also- did you test that bridge in some fashion before crossing it?

[@truthseeker8123]

Think that is a stamp mill pushed on its side. A small one. Really cool

[@AbandonedMines11]

I didn't think of that! You might be correct! If it is a small stamp mill, I have never seen one like that.

[@ADITADDICTS]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ Were the bars inside of it worn out air drill bits that they recycled into that?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+THE SLAKJAWMCGRAW I don't think so. But don't take my word for it. Did you see the comment left on this video by Cornish Mine Explorer? He provided a link to an old 1890s mining equipment advertisement which shows on page 4 a picture of a similar device that was used to circulate air in mines. Check out that link if you haven't already. So cool to see the oldtime advertisements like that!

[@ADITADDICTS]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ Check n it out right now! soon as i put this lb of lard back in the fridge! HAHAHA!!

[@Renhorable]

let's be honest that squeaking door at 5:19 was pretty creepy, anyway that wine bottle was there date from what year it was ?

[@FastSickle]

curious about the letters in his video. you'll see and the end of the main tunnel he found a bunch of names and dates, and a random, big, red "I". I've seen this a few times in his videos. any idea what they are? he never mentions them.

[@jimsoutdooradventures2748]

Well, This looks like a good place to stop to drink a bottle of wine! Lol. wow, this one did seem endless.

[@_Brohan]

What was with the plastic looking B and I inside the mine?

[@EverestLabsFilms]

think the large cast iron box device at the end was a boiler, those tubes look an awful lot lie superheating tubes you'd find in a locomotive boiler, and i guess that small tank on top was some kind of accumulator for the steam.....

[@AbandonedMines11]

+EverestLabsFilms Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts on that broken piece of equipment. I really appreciate it! And thanks, too, for watching the video.

[@EverestLabsFilms]

Exploring Abandoned Mines No problem! the videos are great and I really appreciate you putting them out there; keep up the good work! :)

[@marbear5473]

Are you able to stand up straight when walking through? It looks very narrow.

[@Chompingsharks]

Do you guy's still find ore seams when you are exploring?

[@aiden9142]

What is the beeping sound? And how do you not get lost in these mines, been watching a few of the bigger ones you've explored.

[@kingjames4886]

kinda neat to think that when people wrote on those walls in the 40s they couldn't have possibly even imagined the internet being a thing, let alone someone recording their names on the wall and showing tens of thousands of people.

[@georgekuersten5984]

6:51 what kind of rock is that black formation ?

[@sylvaincousineau5073]

The McDoom Mine , sound like a James Bond villain's secret lair . :P

[@AbandonedMines11]

It certainly does! LOL It also sounds like something out of Shakespeare, too. Just so you know, if you anagram the letters in “McDoom” and drop an “m” you’ll have the real name of the mine. Yes, I sometimes anagram the real names of mines for - you know - fun.

[@JJ-ws3zn]

The word "Portal" alone startles me.

[@Mike-tg7dj]

At least it's nice and dry in the mine. Back east you don't always have that luxury. I think what's left there is the remnants of "Papa Death's" old boiler. Why they'd need a boiler at a mine is beyond me. Maybe they used it to run a compressor. I guess there were steam driven compressors in that time period. They used steam to run everything. In our city one of the water plants ran on steam when it was first built. Even now much of the equipment that's in the building is I from that period. 😰😱😨😲😵

[@AbandonedMines11]

Great comment, Mike! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@noisytim]

McDoom is such a badass name...

[@manbearcowpig3057]

That door creaking was so freaky haha

[@jafetsalo]

Your dad Cheima "Death" Cheima is a name (a really unusual one these days). That "Death" may mean difficulty getting there, take it as a way to say "I'm back from death" after doing something so exciting. "papa" at least today is an non common but used way to refer to someone (more often in countries like Venezuela, Costa Rica and others I'm not sure as a result of 'reggaeton' music culture expansion) meaning you're better in something than someone else, from that you're his "dad" in something. Grettings from Colombia :)

[@Michael_Michaels]

What are those colorful letters?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+MikeVonDoom Those were part of one of my Giveaway contests from earlier in the yea where the grand prize was $100r. I'll be doing another Giveaway contest probably in January to celebrate attaining my 100,000th subscriber recently.

[@smittenthekitteninmittens2679]

ahh damn i noticed them too...

[@kingjames4886]

they kinda detract from the video IMO... I'm sure it was neat at the time but now there are weird letters sticking out looking silly.

[@HoneyBadgerHog]

What's the scariest thing that's happened to you exploring a mine?

[@bearfingers1]

Check out the ending of his Horton Mine video.

[@AbandonedMines11]

+NeanerBeaner Did you see where my head almost got crushed by falling rocks and boulders that came tumbling out of a clogged ore chute as I was crawling past it? It's in my "Exploring Nine Underground Levels in the Abandoned Black Mine" video.

[@mattadrev471]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ no, but I will now!!!!!

[@mlwsmp]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ Seriously? A copy right strike? What a bunch of cry babies you are.

[@billconserva1461]

Why didn't you explore that lower shaft?

[@7318ify]

Have you ever investigated the people behind the graffiti? It would be interesting to see or even meet the relatives of those who actually drew the graffiti. Probably have great stories to tell!

[@blackscreen2321]

how did they write their names on the wall??

[@AbandonedMines11]

They would use the carbide lanterns in their helmets.

[@blackscreen2321]

oh ok

[@CSRAAW]

Have you ever got lost in any caves or mines before?

[@AbandonedMines11]

+CS RAAW No, i have never gotten lost. The video editing makes the mines seem very confusing and dis-jointed. However, nearly all of them are only one way in and one way out. Very difficult to get lost in. There have only been one or two mines that required I keep careful track of the turns I took. Those mines were massively multi-level with miles and miles of tunnels. Those kinds of mines, though, tend to be the exception and not the rule. Thanks for watching the vids here, man, and taking the time to comment. I appreciate your interest and support!

[@CSRAAW]

+Exploring Abandoned Mines in CA, NV, and AZ ok thanks for the reply

[@npsit1]

6:05 that is crazy high! Cool! 6:50 We call that a "noggin knocker".