mines and caves question

[doc-d]

It one thing to explore a cave or a closed off mine (without evidence of collapse), and another to explore a collapsed mine…….
What could anybody think that would justify exploring a compromised, unstable already collapsed mine……..
The prior replies stand as testimony to common sense and caution which should be your guide………..

Yet there always some who know better, sometimes they have luck and survive, other times not……choose wisely.

 

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[Red James Cash]

Thats the thing that gets me.Those who choose to go into mines such as the OP suggests not only puts themselves in danger but also those whose job it is to rescue them in case of an accident,cave in,or otherwise.Talk about being selfish.Uncover it,go on in.Just remember in case of another entrance cave in while youre in there,there may be water in there,but,very little food.It could take you a month or two to die of starvation.Good luck,leave us some last words just in case."I screwed up would suffice"

 

[Boatlode]

Snakes in a mine? Not a problem.

 

[Limitool]

Does that test for flammable trapped gas too?

I farted once (maybe more?) in my cave. So there is some trapped gas there now! But the frogs, lizards, crayfish and insects all seem alright (those slightly traumatized).

 

[Limitool]

Yes, and farting in a cave makes you feel better!! It sounds better too. Makes you feel like you really accomplished something when it echos!

Also a very good scientific test, to see if something growls back at you!!!

"Scientific test" be damned... if something growled back right then this would immediately lead to the "next level" and I don't carry toilet paper into a wet cave.

 

[Limitool]

lBrings a whole new meaning to.."time to go"!

Hell partner... by that time your LATE!!!! Funny thing is I've been there and DONE THAT within the cave with an animal. And it was most seriously NOT FUNNY... then.

 

[gollum]

If you need advise on how to spot snakes in the wild, how can you possibly think you can clear and/or enter a collapsed mine?



Chris W.

THIS has been the absolute best reply so far to this thread!

To NEO:

1. Do you know how to safely test the cave/mine rock for unsafe fractures that could lead to a cave in?

2. Do you own a multi-gas detector (like this for example):


3. Have you ever heard of Histoplasmosis?

If your answer is NO to ANY of the above questions, then keep your a$$ out of caves/mines. Mt Lions, Bears, Snakes, and angry Badgers are the very least of your worries.

1. Slightly bump up against a badly fractured and worn wall causing a cave-in and you're dead.

2. POISON GAS as has been mentioned is not a great concern in NC. In California, they used a lot of cyanide leaching in the old pits. Cyanide got into the the ground and water table, and when it outgasses in old mines/caves, it comes out as Hydrogen Cyanide Gas (deadly). In NC, you only have to worry about Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Bad Air. Without a multigas detector, here is what happens: You are wandering into a cave/mine. You get to a low spot where the bad air pools (CO, CO2, and bad air are all heavier than air). You breathe in, and immediately fall to the ground unconscious. Nobody to help you, you suffocate within a minute or two. Another gas that is common in old mines is methane. So you smell something funny, then you bump against a wall of the mine/cave, and your rock pick makes a spark. That sets off an explosion of the methane in the air, which in turn causes a massive cave-in. You are probably already dead from either the explosion or the cave-in. Your family probably won't have a body to bury.

3. Here is what happens with Histoplasmosis: As you are wandering around the cave/mine, you are inadvertently kicking around the dirt on the floor of the shaft. A few days later, you get the symptoms of a bad case of flu. Headaches, body aches, joint pain, fever. You give it a few days to pass, but it doesn't. By the time you go to a hospital, it may be too late, and all they can do is make your last days on Earth less painful with medication.

When you were kicking up that cave dirt. It contained a fungus from bat/bird excretions called Histoplasmosis. When you breathe it in, it goes directly into your bloodstream from your lungs. The fungus grows feeding on your blood. Once it reaches a point of no return, the only thing that MIGHT save your life is a complete blood transfusion. Even with that, you might still die.

So Neo, after seeing what I have posted, do you still feel like wandering into that old cave alone?

Mike

 

[Jason in Enid]

That's the exact unit we use in our hazmat response truck. Too bad they are so expensive, it could literally be a lifesaver for anyone exploring caves/mines.

 

[gollum]

Yes Jason,

After a lot of research, I personally bought one. I got it used on ebay for $150. I bought new sensors, a new air pump, and a calibration kit. I am in for about $800. Works like a charm. I learned how to calibrate it myself (which should be done a couple of times a year depending on usage). New ones typically run about $1200 (depending on which gas sensors you require). These are simple, rugged, and will keep you alive.

Mike

 

[doggrowl]

Neo,

I passed this question on to my brother-in-law because he was a member of the National Spelunking Society and helped map many of the caves in Missouri. He said that snakes generally live around the entrance, but he hasn't seen them farther in the caves. But he did give the same warnings you are seeing from the members on this forum. IF you are not trained in cave entry and exit, don't go alone. He has told me crazy stories of rescuing people sitting in their undies because they made torches out of their clothes to light their search for a way out. One of the things he mapped was elevations because you have no horizon and can't tell if you go down or up and then you make a wrong turn on the way out. He also said that a loose rock is deadly and if you get wedged in a tunnel, hypothermia will claim you quickly. He routinely wore a diver's wetsuit under coveralls to retain body heat. And the most important tip on caves was all NSS members were required to have 3 sources of light and are required to make an entry plan with others notified of the entry time and expected exit. Treasure in caves will be safe from me.

 

[neo]

Maybe with all that equipment I've heard of all these things there in Wc Jameson's book as for snakes i meant under rocks I've heard there's a certain way to move rocks to not get bitten. I'm more concerned with local historical sites over caves though.

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I agree with the majority of the comments. You really have to know what your doing before you enter in any Cave or Mine !!

Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[Silver Searcher]

I think this guy's cheese has slipped of his cracker There are plenty of other ways of dying...STAY OUT.

SS

 

[walker614]

I will say this. During my scuba diving days, I dove a few different caves. Two pieces of equipment that are must haves are:
1. Light (at least 2 minimum. 3 preferably)
2. A spool of cordage.
100-? Feet worth. As much as you want to carry. But one continuous length. Tie one end off OUTSIDE the cave/mine and spool it out as you go in. When you run out, stop. That's as far as you go. And that leads you back out. Or in case of cave in leads rescue to you.



Chris W.

 

[nakita]

you should get an expert advise and only then you should proceed. but I would literally avoid it.