Arizona & Copper: A Day in the Queen Mine

Last night was very windy and today was not much different.  We were glad that we were not traveling with the motorhome as the drive would be almost impossible.  I heard from another person at our campsite that I-10 had been closed at the border because of the blowing wind and dust.  We decided to see how the drive to Bisbee would be in the little truck.  We headed into Tombstone to get some fuel and then we were on our way.

 I didn't take pictures along the roadway as the scenery is not much different from what we have seen for the last week.  It did change, however, when we got closer to Bisbee.  In the valley leading to the town we began to see trees, real live trees!  The picture above was taken through our really unclean window on our first sight of Bisbee.  Gary and I decided it was a cross between Virginia City and all the little towns that you see along Highway 49 in California!

Our main stop in Bisbee was at the Queen Mine.  It is one of the biggest and best mines in Arizona though it is no longer in operation.  Notice that Gary has to hold on to his hat because of the wind!!

These are the coats, hats, belts & lights that each person who enters the mine must wear.  We signed up for the noon tour and had some time to look around while we waited.  There were displays showing some of the rocks and minerals found in the area as well as equipment used and safety structures built in the mines.

So, here are some of the rocks and minerals and ,,,,,

Here are some of the safety structures used in the mines.

 There is also a gift shop in the building (of course) and it was great to see some of the polished gems.

All of us who were going down into the mine were dressed in our mining clothes and went outside to get on the mine "train" that took workers into the mine.

Gary and I were dressed and ready to go!  As you can see by the sign above the mine opening this particular mine was started in 1915.

 

We were all aboard the "train" and ready to go!

When we got about 100 feet into the tunnel the operator stopped and made sure we were all okay.  I think he was checking to see if any of us were claustrophobic.  It's a good safety issue.

Some of the pictures I took today were in natural light and some were with a flash.  we were about 700 feet into the mine where we got off our cars and went up the stairs. 

Natural light, of course.  We were in a "stope" about 3 levels below the surface.  Our "train" was below us about two levels.

I tried to get a picture of some of the different colors of the rock (with flash) but it did not do it justice.

Our guide was an actual miner who had worked in Colorado and other parts of Arizona.  He did a great job explaining how the miners would build the safety structures as they opened up the mine.

We got back on our cars and traveled another 800 feet into the mine for a total of 1500 feet.

When we got off the cars this time I noticed all the signs posted showing where to go in case of emergency.  Safety was number one for the miners and the measures they took were for everyone's benefit.

At this point our miner explained some of the tools used to dig into the rock .....

and how to drill the holes in certain patterns to put in the charges to blast out the rock.  All along our tour he treated us as if we were miners being taught what to do and went in to great detail about all the methods used.

There was usually one person in charge of ringing the bells as the special codes were important to get right.  We saw a lot more than what I have pictures for as most of them turned out pretty dark.  It was a great tour and we had the chance to ask lots of questions of the miners while we were in the mine and after we got back to the fresh air!  One of the questions Gary asked was about the age of the miners.  18 is the youngest a person can be and most miners are out of the mines by the early 40's though they do other jobs related to mining.

We drove up one of the streets in the historical part of Bisbee while we looked for a parking space.  We later walked up and down this street and found a lot of art, antique or clothing stores.

Before we went on the walk through town we ate lunch at "Santiago's" Mexican Restaurant.

I usually don't take pictures of our food so this is a first!  Gary had Enchilada Suisse and I had a Chimichanga.  We each ordered black beans and roasted corn as our sides.  It was DELICIOUS!  I took home half of my lunch and look forward to eating it tomorrow as a leftover!!!

Outside the museum were a few of the engines and cars used in the mines.  Gary thought Doug might be interested in this one.

As we left Bisbee I thought it might be good to show the trees and greenery we saw on the way in.  I remember why I took this picture.  If you look close you can see a dust devil where the road disappears!

This one actually shows a little more greenery.

We were back out on the highway heading toward Sierra Vista.  It has been so windy that the dust has made the air look polluted.  It is just dust!

A stop at the grocery store in Sierra Vista let us replenish our food stock before we went back to camp.  The rest of the day was spent doing some laundry, watching TV, doing the blog and playing ....... cribbage.   I think I have only won about 10% of the games we've played.  Gary says he is getting in practice for our Nevada Samboree next week!!