Death Traps??

[Magnum (using a) PI]

Has anyone ever come across a death trap protecting a cache, or evidence of one that was "sprung" and the cache long gone?

It would be great to see some pictures of real Death traps in situ!!

 

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[Hitndahed]

Me too,,
I would like to see some also.

 

[Jason in Enid]

you watch too many movies.

 

[miboje]

The thing about that is you probably won't actually find many pictures, unless you find them in a book. You can read Charles Kenworthy's Death Traps to Treasure to have an idea of what you are looking for. Most people that actually do find a large cache will do very well to keep their mouth shut and lay low, know what I mean?

 

[miboje]

you watch too many movies.

How was that helpful? If you don't actually know anything about what a person is asking for help with, then why reply?

 

[Jason in Enid]

How was that helpful? If you don't actually know anything about what a person is asking for help with, then why reply?

This is a forum, a place for discussing like and UNLIKE sides of a topic. You are wound way too tight! have a beer and relax.

 

[civil_war22]

Finding a death trap associated with a cache and for it to still be functional this many years after being put in place would be the equivalent of getting struck by lightning bending over to dig a target up while detecting. I see Jason in Enid point. It's an open forum and anyone can post what they want as long as it's not questioning ones finds or legitimacy of it or flat out calling someone a liar.

 

[Ammoman]

When i lived on Guam and Okinawa i was always told to watch out for booby traps planted in caves by the Japanese. I never ran across any but then again, maybe i did. I suspect, given enough time, most if not all booby traps will fail due to corrosion and deterioration. Springs rust and lock up, ropes degrade and break, pits fill in and collapse and so on. So, unless the treasure is new or recent i would not worry too much about such things.

 

[Jason in Enid]

When i lived on Guam and Okinawa i was always told to watch out for booby traps planted in caves by the Japanese. I never ran across any but then again, maybe i did. I suspect, given enough time, most if not all booby traps will fail due to corrosion and deterioration. springs rust and lock up, ropes degrade and break pits fill in and collapse and so on. So, unless the treasure is new or recent i would not worry too much about such things.

I can totally believe that soldiers left behind booby traps. It's been going on for a long time, especially with items that someone would want as a war souvenir such as helmets, weapons, etc. Its like laying land mines as you retreat to slow and demoralize the enemy.

Now, if you tell me there are ancient (hundreds of years old) giant hoardes of wealth (another giant fable) guarded by "death traps" I call poppycock. There has never been a real world example cited.

 

[Honest Samuel]

NO to # 1.

 

[Tony_agr]

The only hing I ever saw was on that TV show where the guys were looking for the lost dutchman mine, they had come across an old mine and I remember them describing what some wire did if you hit it or ??
I got to say, your post got me thinking, I live in an area that has lots of old gold mines and plenty of history, I just approach these out of the way spots willy nilly, never gave death traps much thought.. good question.Thanks

 

[elh]

This is a forum, a place for discussing like and UNLIKE sides of a topic. You are wound way too tight! have a beer and relax.

Speak for yourself about being wound too tight. Beer drinking is not very good language on open forums.

 

[elh]

I can totally believe that soldiers left behind booby traps. It's been going on for a long time, especially with items that someone would want as a war souvenir such as helmets, weapons, etc. Its like laying land mines as you retreat to slow and demoralize the enemy.

Now, if you tell me there are ancient (hundreds of years old) giant hoardes of wealth (another giant fable) guarded by "death traps" I call poppycock. There has never been a real world example cited.

You never read the newspapers?

 

[smokeythecat]

Found 2 caches in my life. One in a building, the other spread out early 1800's US coppers scattered over about 10', Can't imagine a booby trap really. I think it's possible, but never saw one. Did find an old rusted animal trap in the woods once.

 

[civil_war22]

Speak for yourself about being wound too tight. Beer drinking is not very good language on open forums.

Beer drinking is not language it's an action. Nothing wrong with beer drinking. Excessive drinking or alcoholism would be a bad thing. Jason wasn't wound too tight he was speaking the truth. Maybe you're wound too tight

 

[MiddenMonster]

The only hing I ever saw was on that TV show where the guys were looking for the lost dutchman mine, they had come across an old mine and I remember them describing what some wire did if you hit it or ??
I got to say, your post got me thinking, I live in an area that has lots of old gold mines and plenty of history, I just approach these out of the way spots willy nilly, never gave death traps much thought.. good question.Thanks

I'd say any old mine is a death trap in and of itself. Construction workers get trapped and killed all the time when trenches collapse, so anything held together with old timbers and tales of riches are going to be dangerous by definition. Nitroglycerine also gets very touchy as it ages, so if it was used by mines in the past you have to look out for that, as well. And don't forget old blasting caps. They can do a lot of damage to your body, and if you are in an old mine and one goes off it could start a cave in.

 

[miboje]

This is a forum, a place for discussing like and UNLIKE sides of a topic. You are wound way too tight! have a beer and relax.

Your reply would be correct if the OP asked if death traps were legitimate or fictional, but is that what the OP asked?

 

[miboje]

When i lived on Guam and Okinawa i was always told to watch out for booby traps planted in caves by the Japanese. I never ran across any but then again, maybe i did. I suspect, given enough time, most if not all booby traps will fail due to corrosion and deterioration. Springs rust and lock up, ropes degrade and break, pits fill in and collapse and so on. So, unless the treasure is new or recent i would not worry too much about such things.

One can only hope that you are correct, A. But I would not go by that, because in the end it is your life on the line. Any potential treasure site is going to potentially carry a death trap, and one should always be on guard for safety reasons.
Over the summer my husband and I watched the treasure hunting show based in the Superstition mountains. Those folks did come across a death trap. I cannot remember if the wire was still functioning or not, but it would have been deadly if so.

 

[miboje]

The only hing I ever saw was on that TV show where the guys were looking for the lost dutchman mine, they had come across an old mine and I remember them describing what some wire did if you hit it or ??
I got to say, your post got me thinking, I live in an area that has lots of old gold mines and plenty of history, I just approach these out of the way spots willy nilly, never gave death traps much thought.. good question.Thanks

I saw the TV show episode that you are referring to. I cannot remember if they said the wire was still functioning or not.

 

[miboje]

For those of you who think no such thing exists, I highly recommend watching Legend of the Superstition Mountains on the History channel.
About Legend of the Superstition Mountains - HISTORY.com