Anyone familiar with the Kokoweef Peak story?

[lab rat]

This one is great-- the story of the cavern leading to the huge underground river with black sand beaches extending for miles-- black sand that assayed at 50 troy ounces per ton :shock: after going through the calculations, if the gold here is as initially reported there is enough to pay off the National Debt-- a substantial quantity, to say the least!

I'm convinced the location does exist, and the geology of the region is supportive of the story, but does anyone know of anyone actually investigating the site within, say, the last 25 years?

 

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[blazen70]

I am familiar with the story. A friend of mine visited the area of Kokoweef a couple of years ago. He ran into some people who were actively engaged in locating the mine. I think they may already have a claim to the area. As far as I know it still hasn't been found. It's on my list of places to visit. 8)

 

[lab rat]

I understand that there is an active Tin claim on the mountain which includes in its boundaries the site of the dynamited cave entrance. As I understand it, the cave itself is completely impassible, and the claimholders are aggressive towards any looky-loos. :idea: But the water has to be going IN somewhere and it also has to be coming OUT somewhere. I'm interested in maybe taking some arial photos and possibly some sensitive listening gear. All that water has to be making some noise, if it's flowing. There are active springs in the area, and there are also some other caves that are known about in the region. I forget the names. (Blazen70, if that's in your area, maybe you can recall?) Perhaps they are interconnected?

 

[blazen70]

I don't know of any other caves in that particular area other than "crystal cave" but there are several mines. Just to the north-west of Kokoweef peak there is a concentration of springs. There is one spring to the east and another concentration of springs to the south-west. I kind of have my doubts that the mine would be in that area. With today's technology they should be able to find caverns and underground rivers using ground penetrating radar, right? Maybe? Who knows? Besides there are two other stories that are very similar to this one, but in different areas. The first two were written by John D. Mitchell in "Desert" magazine, 1940 and 1951. The third story which is the one we all know was witten by Paul H. Patchick in "Desert" magazine ,1961. So there's a ton of research still to be done. I don't remember where i first read about this story maybe Lost Treasure. I do have a book called Lost Desert Bonanzas by Eugene L. Conrotto 1963, which briefly covers the three stories. BTW good book, lots of leads to other treasures. -Robert-

 

[lab rat]

In reading the story (I'll have to list the book titles later) I understand the cave to lead downward something like 1000'+, probably too deep for GPR, which probably wouldn't see much below the contact anyway, in my experience. :roll:

I'm interested in contacting this Larry Hahn... do you have more detailed info? (Like how his group became 'officially' involved?)

Even if the truth about the paydirt were stretched, I find the idea of an underground river in the desert believable and geologically fascinating.

 

[blazen70]

Here are the other two stories:

In the March, 1940, DESERT, readers were given the John D. Mitchell version of a persistent Mojave Desert lost treasure tale.

Mitchell's gold is discovered by two Paiute Indians "high up along the eastern edge of Death Valley and not many hours' journey from Scotty's Castle." The Paiutes were trudging along "over the hot sands on the western edge of a dry lake" when they spied the caved-in mouth of a tunnel. Investigating, they found a large underground pool and, of course, the gold-flecked black sand.

While attempting to swim to an island in the center of the pool, one of the Indians drowned. His brother, honoring a taboo against frequenting a place where death has entered, left the cave and never returned.

John Mitchell comes back in the August, 1951, DESERT, with a somewhat similar yarn. This one involves an old prospector who told his story to Mitchell around the turn of the century. The old man had picked-up four pounds of gold nuggets "in a black sand deposit near the Clark Mountains northeast of Nippeno (now called Nipton)." The cave of the black sands was "on the east side of a small limestone hill about 50 feet above the level of the dry lake bed."

-Robert-

 

[blazen70]

Joe, which time life book was it? Just curious. -Robert-

 

[BILL 1876]

FOUND THIS ARTICLE

Leon Davidson, in an early issue of Flying Saucers Magazine, spoke of a large network of "underground tunnels in the California desert, at Camp Irwin, near Barstow."

This may tie-in with an item related by a Los Angeles municipal water director, as related in an early issue of Richard Toronto's Shavertron letter-zine, stating that this water director knew of 5 large underground rivers which ran beneath the Mojave desert, and that die-traces showed that at least one of these emptied into the Pacific ocean through openings in the continental slopes (One source stated that such a river exited in the Gulf of California).

Other sources speak of a "Kokoweef" river-system which is alleged to lie below Kokoweef peak just east of Fort Irwin, which looked- -according to it's alleged discoverer, a Mr. Earl Dorr, and a few "Indians" who also claimed to have been in it--like a "Grand Canyon" underground.

It allegedly consists of a river chasm generally 500 ft. wide and over a thousand feet high-deep, sided by steep tiered-shelved underground cliffs, huge stalactites and cataracts. Also, the alluvial sands on the 'beaches' along the river, which allegedly hold a large percentage of gold dust, are said to be several feet deep. The entrance to this cavern was allegedly dynamited shut by Mr. Dorr to protect anyone else from getting to "his" gold. There is in fact evidence that Dorr did dynamite shut the lower level of 'Kin Sabe' cave in Kokoweef Peak, and there are present-day attempts to break through into this underground system. The water of the river allegedly rose and fell with the tides, suggesting that a very large body of water might exist upstream, that is if Dorr's account as well as the accounts of the Indians were not fabricated).

The municipal water director, according to the Shavertron article, spoke with a man who claimed that he was hired several years ago by the government to look for water sources for Ft. Irwin. He alleged to have explored an old mine in the area and found that deep down, the shaft intersected with an ancient earth fault or chasm- like cave which continued horizontally for a considerable distance. This government employee followed the chasm and allegedly emerged onto the bank of a huge underground river-cave over a quarter of a mile wide! The tremendous water flow-- possibly originating from the waters that apparently disappear beneath the Great Basin, the Nevada and Mojave deserts? -could have 'fed' the water needs of all of Southern California.

Paul Doerr (not to be confused with Mr. Dorr referred to above), in issue number 6 of his Newsletter Unknown, reports on the discovery of massive caverns in Toulumne Co., California, by three Oakland miners. The caverns were so extensive that a man would have to "take grub for a week, and plan to explore for a month."

 

[blazen70]

Did anyone ever hear the story about the WWII Japanese submarine that found where the underground river exited into the ocean, then followed it, almost making it to Las Vegas? :roll:

 

[Fred]

All this talk of underground river systems is interesting,however any one who has been in an old mine knows how dark it is which leads to the question"What sort of light source did these people have that allowed them to see such vast distances in those conditions. Further, todays batterys don't hold up all that well,I know, so again what was their light source that they could stay down so long and cover long distances. I don't mean to be negative,just cautious and a mite sceptical. Fred

 

[coinshooter]

They were using a Kryptonite lazer tazer with a super halogen bulb. It's really TRUE!!

 

[Fred]

That was good for 1 smile and a little snort,cs.lol Fred

 

[srferjo]

at this time we came across a cave this could be the cave dorr spent the rest of his life digging we are down about 2000 feet cant say were, and we still don't know if this is it.
for those of you who don't know about dorr. dorr went mad with gold fever those men he killed when he blew up the cave were his friends. he used a full case of dynamite to close it shut. that part of the cave was limestone you could dig for the next 20 yrs and still not get thru this was told to me by my great uncle ray dorr

 

[corncrasher]

srferjo
So are you with a group looking for this? My grand parents had a large ranch in this area, I have never been there but hope to get down there this summer. I had never heard this story before but it is interesting, I'm going to have to do a little research on it.

 

[cptbil]

? If you are interested, I am going to be out looking myself!
I have done a lot of the ordinary research, books, magazines, etc..
In the mean time,
I Have come up with a unique way,? factual & scientific, not a fantasy? ?method,?
That I think WILL! help to Find a way into the cavern!
If you'd like to set up a meeting, I should be in the area some after March or April!
In the mean time, drop me a line....
We can discuss the site.

 

[Bill]

Larry Hahn owns a war surplus store in Las Vegas, I believe it is located on Charleston Blvd. His group has claims on that area, and has been working for many years. They found the entrance to the cavern, and found the area that was dynamited by Dorr. Too much blockage to penetrate, so they decided to drill down from another area.? Also found was Dorr's name on a wall that had been written in torch smoke. (light source) One of the investors told me that they intended to construct a hotel in the cavern " if we reach that level". There are more stories connecting the underground river that have come to light. One of the best was Mitchell's story of Riley Hatfield. He told Mitchell personally about the cave while running into Mitchell at Cresent Peak. Mitchell had some claims in that area, and had some knowledge of the area. Hatfield told Mitchell that he had climbed Clark Peak to see if he could find water for his burros. He saw what appeared to be a lake to the south with trees bordering the water. Upon nearing the lake, Hatfield realized that it was a dry lake. (Ivanpah Dry Lake) He attempted to skirt the lake to the west as he was headed for Searchlight, Nv to a doctor. He discovered some "low limestone hills" that he investigated. That is where he found a cavern with running water and gold nuggets being washed up from a pool. He said the cave entrance was only about 50 feet up off the desert floor. Later when he was skirting the lake bed, he discovered black sand in the area that carried gold dust. He and his burros were killed in the area of Ivanpah Dry Lake before Mitchell could join him to mine the underground river. Mitchell never found the cavern. Years ago when I was living in Las Vegas, I went to the area of Kokoweek, and Clark Peak. The cavern is closed off to the public, and a lot of work had been done. I went part way up Clark Peak, and you can see the dry lake bed from there to the south. While there, I found a small shoe that belonged to a burro. When I came down from the mountain, I noticed some small hills to the west. Upon further investigation they were limestone, the only limestone hills in the entire area. I searched the area, but could find no sign of a cavern entrance. But the height of the hills, and the location is a perfect match for what Hatfield told Mitchell.
Another story that I am familiar with is of a man travelling in the area near Nipton, stopped to rest near some hills that had trees? at their base. He heard running water, and after investigation, found a cavern entrance. He never went in because of not having any light. The area Hatfield describes is slightly to the north of Kokoweef, and on the north side of US 15, but the area that was found by the traveller is to the south of Kokoweef, and close to Nipton. Three different stories, three diffent areas containing underground running water. I wonder if this could be part of the ancient river system that runs through California ?

 

[corncrasher]

I talked to my grandmother about this, they had a ranch down there and came to the area in the early 40's. I asked her about the story and she laughed. she said in the 30's this guy came up with the story to get attention and hopefully some income for whatever reason, she claimed he did the blasting just for the story and there was nothing to it. she however confirms the idea on underground caverns and rivers. Other people from the agree about underground water allso. The fact that there is mining in the area and most likely ungerground water and or caverns, it's resonable that there may be gold. I'm going to be in the area around may hopefully, I want to look around the ranch, which is now part of the national park. I would like to look into this story aswell. This must not be included in the new national park or else they would not be able to do anything, does anybody know? I have never been to the area but looking forward to going.

 

[NevadaDave]

I have obtained a a couple maps that I will be including that show the cavern of gold beneath Kokoweef Peak and nearby ridges. The drawing was drawn by Herman Wallace Jr. under the instruction and personal supervision of E.P. Dorr

 

[NevadaDave]

another map

 

[Roaddog]

Just another reply to the question of light sources. Carbide Lanterns. Carbide when mixed with water gives off acetylene gas which burns. These were used by miners in the old days. They are still used by cavers, which is where I started using them. Cavers use lots of battery lights but in long trips into caves they use carbide. I would think that many old prospectors were familiar with mining and carbide lanterns.