55 gallon drum

[JimmeyC]

Hi all... ok. A question. My Dad and I are meeting for our annual gold mining trip west. He is already there with his metal detector and called me the other day. He has found a 55 gallon drum burried a foot or so, upright with a few large rocks on top. His shovel went through the top so he peeked in with a flashlight and it is filled to within a foot of the top with dirt. He is waiting on me to excavate but we are trying to think of logical or possible reasons for it being there. The area is 1850's mining town and there was a house here at one time.

I did look up the drums and found they were invented in 1905 by a woman.

Our thoughts are if it was for water storage it would have been elevated. Cold storage, it would have been more accessible. Privy would not have a lid... possibly just chance burial with tailings, but the time frame don't seem quite right for that.

Does anyone have a similar story or any insite? The only thing I can make sense of would be to hide something. But a 55 gallon drum

Looking forward to any and all thoughts!!! HH.....

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Be careful with that, any number of negative things - toxins, chemicals, bodies, as far as the imagination could travel...

 

[JimmeyC]

I was thinking of things like that also... yikes

 

[10claw]

jimmy, i think the sensible thing to do would be to dig around the outside down to at least halfway to see if you have some kind of line in to it and a line out. if so, probably an early septic tank, or there may be only one line in. if no lines proceed with caution. rubber gloves to handle any of the dirt. do not dig with bare hands for any kind of reason.
possibly an old hidey hole.

 

[JimmeyC]

Thanks 10claw... sound advice. Definitely curious. If it was an early septic it would be simply dirt by now.

 

[Panache]

Rural areas still use them for skeptics in hunting camps.

 

[WIDirtFishing]

I'm Going with...


Who is Jimmy Hoffa

 

[d3t3ctr0n]

I would be careful. I am thinking its either a septic or possibly something chemical or toxic related that was buried a while ago. I don't think someone would put their stash in a drum that size.

 

[JimmeyC]

Thanks 10claw... sound advice. Definitely curious. If it was an early septic it would be simply dirt by now.

Don't think it would be chemical due to the fact that banded lid barrels were used for dry goods. Welded lids for liquids.

D3T3... I also think it's rather large for a stash. A simple mason jar can hold quite a bit.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Not sure how they stored it but I have heard of cyanide capsules in barrel, in mine camps. Be very careful. I live out west here in California this is where I have heard about some finds like that. Unsure of what they used the cyanide for in the mining process.Not familiar with old mining practices.

 

[WIDirtFishing]

Not sure how they stored it but I have heard of cyanide capsules in barrel, in mine camps. Be very careful. I live out west here in California this is where I have heard about some finds like that. Unsure of what they used the cyanide for in the mining process.Not familiar with old mining practices.

Are you thinking of mercury?

 

[JimmeyC]

Thanks back of the boat. I will definitely use caution. I am going to investigate it but may abandon it quickly. Gold mining is our main focus... but who knows.... we have found some nice things the miners left behind.

 

[JimmeyC]

Mercury came in clay jugs as far as I know. Could you even move 55 gallons of it!?!?!

Yes syanide (not sure it is the correct spelling) was used in mining. Not so much in placer but in the process of ore refining in hard rock mines. This process was done at mills that crushed the ore.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Get really long drill bit and drill into it. You could also take a small metal pipe and force it down into it and you would be able to bring up a core sample. You need to satisfy your curiosity.

 

[WVPapaw]

Hi all... ok. A question. My Dad and I are meeting for our annual gold mining trip west. He is already there with his metal detector and called me the other day. He has found a 55 gallon drum burried a foot or so, upright with a few large rocks on top. His shovel went through the top so he peeked in with a flashlight and it is filled to within a foot of the top with dirt. He is waiting on me to excavate but we are trying to think of logical or possible reasons for it being there. The area is 1850's mining town and there was a house here at one time.

I did look up the drums and found they were invented in 1905 by a woman.

Our thoughts are if it was for water storage it would have been elevated. Cold storage, it would have been more accessible. Privy would not have a lid... possibly just chance burial with tailings, but the time frame don't seem quite right for that.

Does anyone have a similar story or any insite? The only thing I can make sense of would be to hide something. But a 55 gallon drum

Looking forward to any and all thoughts!!! HH.....

Could have been used for home made septic tank. If so will find pipe going into it and drain line coming out or drain holes in it. If used for this purpose, would eventually fill fill with solid matter.

 

[Gold Maven]

Uhh......I lost a barrel full of gold ore.....if that's what it is, please contact me.

 

[GrayCloud]

Poor Mans Septic Tank. I confess as I have put two of them in myself, back in the late 60"s.

 

[mical66]

i have to agree with most of the other posters that it is probably a septic tank .
i remember my dad doing this when i was a boy , i was the middle kid of 11 and seemed our septic filled up quite fast , so dad dug one of these and replumbed the bathroom sink and kitchen sink to dump into it thinking less water in the septic.

 

[JimmeyC]

I definitely agree with the septic possibility. To the best of our knolage the house was not located in close proximity to it. Not expecting anything but worth a look. I'm heading out in 10 days but no phone or internet... a month of placer mining and metal detecting in the wilderness!