Miners Killed in Explosion - Abandoned Black Bear Gold Mine Claim

[@tr154]

I like that you edited in dates and photos of the equipment you were showing. Very informative. Thank you.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

We appreciate your feedback. Thank you for watching.

[@Live-ed-G]

Thanks for doing these mine visits. Great to have video record of the old remains and vanishing relics. The chance to see inside the mines is just fantastic.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you we are glad you enjoy them.

[@brysonalden5414]

Thank you very much for documenting this. It seems doubtful most of us will ever see a mine the way you folks did, so your efforts are most appreciated.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

We love it when we can bring places to people who may not otherwise be able to see them. We appreciate you watching and your comments. Thank you!

[@milesbeavis4252]

New subscriber here. It's a relief to see that experts are at work here. I like the fact that you take the time to really show all the interesting objects and explain their function or design with the appropriate technical terms.⚒

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you appreciate your comments, and glad to have you!

[@Safety3d]

I'm used to exploring abandoned coal mines. THIS is sooo different and pretty awesome. So much cool equipment left too. Great find, man!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you very much!

[@dennisjamieson3328]

Sure appreciate you taking us on this interesting journey through this old gold mine. 👍

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you!

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

And I thought the hills we explore were pretty dramatic but that's on another level. Love that crawler truck, never seen one of them before. Stunning mine, especially just in the entrance.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It really is a spectacular area. We appreciate your comments.

[@tomgray3804]

Such a cool looking hike up to the entrance. Thx for sharing it. Cool mine, great video.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you. We appreciate it.

[@Arkansas_Off_Grid_420]

I just wanna thank u for sacrificing your time and body's to hike up and view these mines. and share them with the world. History is amazing and to see this stuff from my comfy chair just makes my day, another great video.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very kind of you to say we appreciate your comments and you watching

[@mwebb-01]

I love the places you visit most my family lives near SEATAC. It would be nice to get out there and see these pieces of history. Thanks fir the content.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Appreciate you watching. Thank you!

[@wendypeppercorn1914]

Sooo cool! So very interesting! I love it! Thank you!❤️

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very kind of you say, we appreciate you watching and your comments.

[@ericprater4017]

Wooden pulleys, they would have hung from a overhead shaft on the ceiling with wide belts going down to the tools which would be on the floor, one shaft would be 10' or longer with multiple pulleys, wide belts and machines working off of it. No guards on anything. My Dad had a climbing buddy named Tom, he was a boy scout leader also, he looooved nothing more than taking his troops on a "bushwhack" up a valley filled with impenetrable brush/scrub! Good times! Wonderful stories of pain, torture and adventure!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Appreciate the information and comments. Thank you for watching.

[@BrianDoherty-e8s]

Amazing that the old boys could get all that equipment back into these valleys. Back when men were men and people took huge chances to strike it rich.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

No doubt.

[@Bill-xx2yh]

And people died early in life but long in chronic pain.

[@dennisjamieson3328]

Brought up in pieces by pack mules and put together at the mine site I would venture a guess

[@JohnnyDanger36963]

men today are learning the hard work of drag Queen shows.

[@brianschmidt2747]

I am amazed every time I see an old mine. I'm just amazed. The top shelf quality.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you for the comment.We appreciate it.

[@jamessutherland1911]

Really cool thanks!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks!!

[@johnwick-ii6il]

Take a minute to imagine the logistics of moving all that heavy equipment up there. Large teams of horses for each piece Etc.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

At many locations, we ponder this very thought.

[@Robert-bh1ox]

Thinking that myself…how much of that equipment was brought up whole or maybe assembled on site? Either way, quite the feat!

[@RichardMccalib]

Very cool tim

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you much appreciated.

[@Sailor376also]

The barrel at 1:58 was a wood stove.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@daryljacobson7462]

Nice video Tim. Just too bad the lower tunnel is caved now. We were in it many years ago. Stuff to see in there too.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It would have been great to see the lower. Thanks Daryl.

[@outdoorloser4340]

Awesome stuff 👏

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you!!

[@casedoumasr656]

Great Exploring a nice Adventure most people wonder how the equipment got way up there well the air compressor on the big fly wheel is a 2 piece bolted together just my little tidbit to add ⛏️🤔🇺🇸

[@williamh3823]

Stayed at Barron's gold district 1974..abandoned mine near there had a bunkhouse with pool tables...park district was tearing everything down by early 80s

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Would have been great to see back then. Thanks for the comments.

[@markclifton14]

It would be interesting to know how they got at machine into the mine. With the tunnel entrance being so thin and small. It would also be nice to see that machine recovered and put in a museum so more people could access it. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks for the comments appreciate it.

[@FlashInYourPan]

Hey guys, it's amazing how the old-timers got equipment into the high country to work their mines. You mentioned this mine was on the west/wet side of the cascades. Is the Black Bear Mine in the Money Creek Mining District in King County? No need for specific locations, I was just wondering. Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing, the only bad thing when I watch your videos is. It makes me homesick LOL

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very near by there

[@mikeph4]

don't gatekeep

[@yeahok115sure]

What's truly amazing is the fact these men got that equipment to these sites. Just imagine the time it took and how many Kent it took to carry these machines

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

We always talk about that when we are exploring these sites. It is very impressive what they accomplished. Thanks for the comments.

[@yeahok115sure]

@@ghosttownsandminesofwashington have you been to the old silver city mines above the town of silver city?

[@yeahok115sure]

@@ghosttownsandminesofwashington Idaho

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

No we have not ​@yeahok115sure

[@davebeckley2584]

Without more information regarding the explosion and litigation, it's very likely the miners who were killed and injured were mishandling the dynamite. Glycerine (Nitroglycerine) is the active component of dynamite which is perfectly safe when stored in a cool, dry place and not kept for a long period of time. For all I know they could have been warming the sticks if the outside air temp allowed them to freeze. Fresh Dynomite doesn't weep Nitro but when it does little crystals and actual drops can be visible on the paper. It's a shame lives were lost but mining is a dangerous business. Really cool explore.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very interesting thoughts. We have thought about scenarios as well. Appreciate your insights and comments. Thank you for watching.

[@naughtiusmaximus830]

The metal working looks top quality like really top quality. DC power in a mine? First rate operation.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Yes it is very impressive craftmanship. There was a small power plant constructed on a nearby creek that provided power to the compressor motor. Appreciate the comments.

[@dkohler5226]

DC no, AC power took over after about 1886.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

@@dkohler5226 Just going off of the historical documentation.

[@pigpaul]

Awesome!!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks!

[@moonstruckmoth]

Very good commentary, u seem to know ur stuff

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you we are glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching.

[@Goz-The-Greek]

Caught this video on a search and watched it, I live in Washington so its interesting, That compressor that you say is 128 years old was only 60 years old and possibly usable when I was born 68 years ago.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very much appreciate your comments and giving us a watch.

[@patfromamboy]

I’m just a young whipper snapper at 62 and have lived in Washington my entire life. I live in Yacolt now but was born in Vancouver and grew up in Hazel Dell. Yacolt is near the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and St. Helens.

[@keithrimmer3]

Thanks for sharing this interesting old mine

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you!

[@buckwheatsofia]

Very interesting and spooky

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks!

[@cindkmac]

I watch these and think of the blood sweat and tears. Hard working men and the families who had support and pray for them. Folks lived short lives back then full of strife and stress that most today know nothing about. Imagination runs wild!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It was a hard life, no doubt. Thank you for the comments.

[@jbrobertson6052]

Awesome video guys, I'm up here on Vancouver Island and I do the same as you guys except I don't film. I have found a few mines. But I would like to mention 1 thing, I don't know if you follow David Paulides and his Missing 411 books, movies and his daily podcast but he has found that a lot of people go missing in Boulder fields and what you are hiking through at the beginning so I just wanted to say to take extra care when going through these types of terrain. Cheers

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you for watching and your insights. we very much appreciate it.

[@richardbruce8111]

Wow! Take care lads!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@baerster]

What a beautiful basin!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It really is a spectacular area.

[@BrettHoustonTube]

Cool adventure!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you!

[@philliphall5198]

It’s shocking how they got things done and the amount of time it took to get it all working and producing materials , would be nice to see but it’s not my thing 😊

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It is very impressive for sure. Thanks for giving us a watch very much appreciated.

[@patfromamboy]

Looks like the northern Cascades because I live near Mt. St. Helens and Gifford Pinchot National Forest and it doesn’t look like that here. Are there any mines around here?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

This is the central cascades King County US2 corridor. There are mines in the Gifford Pinchot out of the Washougal area. Also mines around St. Helens. Obviously, a lot of the mines around the Spirit Lake area were lost to the eruption

[@joesample3796]

wicked cool! thanks for sharing!!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Appreciate that, and thank you for watching!

[@jagpilotohio]

Never ever ever would I go into that crumbling freaking hole. It’s Making me uncomfortable just watching you do it. 😂

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Sometimes, it makes us uncomfortable, too. Thanks!

[@JackStatzer]

That equipment had to be expensive back then so it was a good size operation

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Yes indeed. Thanks for commenting

[@BenUpinya]

OMG... That tract vehicle was Way Cool! I cant see draft horses pulling it up those mountains and if they used a steam donkey you would lean more to a skid or rail type trailer? So maybe some kind of continuous tracked tractor? What boggles me is that with the primitive equipment of the times, these minors were able to climb their way up, down, over, through some of the most unforgiving terrain, miles from anywhere and find these veins of ore, then get the equipment to the sites and dig these mines. They obviously didnt have crying rooms full with stuffed animals available for minors that got their feelers hurt... these guys were the real deal!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Yes, it is a cool vehicle for sure, and it is most impressive how they reached these sites. It was a different time and hard work. Appreciate your comments and insights, and thank you for watching.

[@ShaneMiller-w8b]

Man that’s some beautiful country I’d love to have a home there cabin on the hill side

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

It is a spectacular area!

[@terryrempel68]

Odd pads on the tracks...Snow pads? The crawler is most likely late 20s, just because miners usually bought used, not new for chancy mine op. I am not an expert in the field of old crawlers however.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very possible given the location. Appreciate the insights.

[@Glenn-em3hv]

That Engersoll so badly needs to be saved!!!!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@Robby_UK]

So did the miners live in the mines or did they have a camp or a settlement close by?.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

All the mines had a nearby camp in our area.

[@purplemoose6431]

I'm always amazed and confused that all these old mines are never cleaned up after mining is done. It doesn't matter what mine or in what state.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@Texas40years]

From an "imagined" thought process of one of the miners back then - "we spent a lot of time and effort hauling stuff up here on the chance that it would be worth it. The mine is played out, as far as we are concerned so eff no we're not going spend one dime on "cleaning up".

[@tommcelroy6975]

That cost time and money. Done is done

[@Glenn-em3hv]

How did they get that equipment up there? There must have been a road at some time???

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Yes there was a wagon mine to market road at one time.

[@02AMT]

What were the unexplainable events? There was a mention of tommyknockers at one point, what else did the team see or hear?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

On a trip several years earlier to this site, we had cameras and digital watches malfunction. On this trip, one of our team saw an orb but wasn't able to capture it.

[@02AMT]

@@ghosttownsandminesofwashington Thank you for the update. The reason I asked, is at time stamps 14:10, 14:24 and 16:09, there is background noise that does not sound like the person recording and speaking, were there any other team members in the tunnel at this time?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

@@02AMT I will have to go back and see specifically the time stamps you are referencing.

[@02AMT]

@@ghosttownsandminesofwashington did you ever figure out what the sounds were?

[@ModernDayProspector]

It says there’s a black bear mine gold mine right by me in California you mentioned Washington , so I’m presuming to different mines? However the dates are the same on this mine data also interesting

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Western Washington

[@tommcelroy6975]

Most mines are around the same years. Funny how that happenes

[@Cj-bw3hn]

Do you ever take a sump pump and drain some of the water out ?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

No these are remote mines many miles offtrail and climbing in some cases.

[@duru2882]

Plus it would be a never ending battle, very expensive getting equipment + people + animals + spare parts + supplies!!! Back then labor and pack animals was cheapest part of mining! It was a very “sparse lifestyle” existing in those mining camps! Getting all the machinery to “tame” nature, out into nature, and keep it running, was a “Tricky Business Model”…!

[@tommcelroy6975]

No one has that kind of time or way to get a heavy pump and power there for this

[@Glenn-em3hv]

If i had the money I'd rescue all that equipment and get it restored completely and running again just for fun and not have it rust away in that mine!!!!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

That would be cool for sure. Appreciate you watching and your comments.

[@Black43Rose]

The "Nuts" graffiti from 1944 was referencing the Battle of the Bulge.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Very good to know. Appreciate the comment.

[@todddanielson-n8n]

Just think that if they had all the laws and regulations concerning mines having to remove all traces of having any mining being done and total restoration like they do these days! Yourself and all the other old mine explorers wouldn't have anything interesting to show; RIGHT!!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Absolutely 100%. Appreciate the comments.

[@philliphall5198]

I’m never going into a mine with water standing in it 😢😢😢

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Don't blame you at all.

[@johnmiley458]

Amazing education In machinery.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thank you.

[@Errœr16]

25:21 owo was a thing in 1944?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

If referring to the modern slang meaning...no it wasn't.

[@GammonMaster-PcP]

Do you ever find gold in the collapsed stones? Seems like you would

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Unless it's free milling, it's going to be difficult to see as it is strongly fused with the host rock.

[@denianggaradytch2029]

Dulu membawanya kesitu butuh perjuangan,, barang2 tersebut

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@LTD99649]

That is not the "Black Bear Gold Mine". While I can appreciate the desire to keep these places somewhat of a secret, I don't think it's right to deliberately mislead people. Just say that you don't want to divulge its location, I think that's understandable

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

That would be the factual historical claim name. Nothing misleading or whatever else.....

[@LTD99649]

@@ghosttownsandminesofwashington Black Bear may be the name of the actual claim.The name of the mine is something else. There are mines named black bear. Just not in this district.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

​@LTD99649 Yes that is correct, that is the discretion part you mentioned. We also disclose in the video description all names are changed.

[@chris-nwue_B]

Not a fan of changing names either. I spent many years going to all these mines and the names are a part of the history. This is so remote almost nobever goes here.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

​​@chris-nwue_B Understand completely we don't disagree. We have done many revisits to mines that we had been to multiple times in the last 10 years. There has been significant damage done to several. One in particular you are familiar with has an amazing bunkhouse with original hand hewn wood floor boards. All the floor boards were ripped out last fall by someone. We are just trying to balance sharing the history with protecing the site. Remote isn't so remote anymore.

[@ronniecardy]

Leave it to bad actors makes it hard on the good people that want to preserve things for the rest of the people that cant go to these places to see them like Disabled ones

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Appreciate the comments. Thanks!

[@GOWIN8109837]

THERES STILL AU THERE. Almost immediately.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@charlierubenstein2886]

Where's the gold?

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

In the host rock.

[@vanderluiz2135]

Esses guerreiros americanos estão de parabéns, saudações daqui do Brasil. Abs....

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks

[@johnanderson2977]

Please keep you fingers out the video! Use your words!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

No we did not.

[@gerardboulanger3702]

du QUÉBEC .♥

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks!

[@gem6240]

Thank you. Very interesting area. No safety nets back then. Hard way to make a living. No welfare, no food stamps, you had to work or starve! The way it would have been!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks for the comments.

[@davidrussell8795]

Ya came ya mined,ya forgot yur crap! Come back and take it out with you!

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks for commenting

[@tommcelroy6975]

You just don't get it

[@ryandavis7593]

I can’t like your video because Google Ads spammed me with endlessly long commercials ever two minutes! At nine minutes in, I have had three commercials of two to three minutes each for thing like free perpetual motion and special remedies that the establishment doesn’t want you to know about! Two minutes for thirty dollar a month auto insurance that the “they” don’t want you to know about. I really enjoy mining history but if you don’t push back against corporate greed there is no sense in me watching your channel.

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

👍

[@johnfraser6196]

When men were men and Republicans were scared

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

Thanks for commenting.

[@roberthorn3587]

1 MINUTE IN GETS YOU PAST THE HYPE!!?ACTUALLY 1.33

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

🤔

[@jonwhite2706]

at 17:44 was that a bat should of zoomed in :p

[@ghosttownsandminesofwashington]

No it was not a bat.