Found something

[Sample Pan Dan]

Just not sure what the hell it is. Looks to me a water pump? This was a very heavily mined area 1880s thru 1960s...and kinda convinced not a whole lot of people have been in there since. Not prospecting anyhow :-) also this little building next to where this thing sits. Looks like what would be a little pump or well room today.
As I upload these pics, I sure wish I had more/ better.. Always next time!

 

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[Astrobouncer]

Sweet find man, looks like a hydraulic monitor. It needs to be in a museum!

 

[smokeythecat]

The engine out of the 1880 Batmobile? But actually no clue.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks Astrobouncer, with all the artifacts we have found in this area, I'm grateful they haven't tried to turn it into a state park. Shhh.... Don't tell anyone ;-)

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

The engine out of the 1880 Batmobile? But actually no clue.

Lol... Maybe found a Batman ring 1/4 mile from it!

 

[B H Prospector]

Don't think it is a monitor but a water pump maybe that leads to a monitor. Notice how the exit port narrows to force more pressure. Cool find!

BH Prospector

 

[Aurabbit79er]

Yep, you found part of a pump, that definitely is a pump housing.
It is missing the driveshaft, impeller, intake housing, and a few bolts and gaskets.
and you are going to need a big electric motor, or huge waterwheel. :-)

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks B H.

That necked down narrow part looked like where the input or output shaft would have been connected. I'll take some more pics next time/ hopefully just a couple weeks weather permitting.

 

[Goldwasher]

Nice pics and spot have you detected there?Not a Monitor. it does look like a pump.Monitors are more like a Cannon and have a long taper wich coupled with more pipe that steps down over distance and drop from a higher resevoir or flume creates an amazing stream of water. I have seen a small one running at less than production volume and it was still like a firehose but more focused. They used the small ones down in the pits to move material and actually stack rocks by pushing them up grizzly contraptions called Hydraulic elevators,and they would move material into the sluices and head races that way. and the big one wich I think are actually the ones given the name "Monitors" were used to break down the old river gravels and wash them into the pit. No mechanized equipment..they had rock pickers made from pine tree trunks rigged by men who used the sail the High Seas, Hydraulic force,and a lot of broken backs.

 

[Fullpan]

Hey, pville - did they use the "big booms" to stack all those river boulders or did they have mules hauling and stacking? I always wondered about that - wish
there were old photos! Anyone got some?

 

[Astrobouncer]

Yeah I meant its the pump for the monitor like the one in the 2nd pic here:

Hydraulic Monitor definition of Hydraulic Monitor in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks Pville,
Yes we have swung detectors in there, lots of trash. Lead and she'll casings everywhere with the occasional old beer can or pull tab. Did find ¢36 and a ring in there today :-) lol

 

[Lanny in AB]

You're getting in to some cool sites--keep the pictures coming!

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks Lanny, I'll definitely get more pictures out there, and I think we starting to put together the puzzle in this area.. Closer and closer to the gold, I can almost taste it :-)

 

[smokeythecat]

My father in law made a water wheel once to generate electricity and he had some very old machinery around. Looks like the impeller housing for a very old water pump, pre 1950.

 

[Goldwasher]

Nice that there are spots close to San Diego to explore. I grew up near Perris and did my first prospecting and relic hunting as a teen there..alredy too crowded back then.Cool link Astro. Ive never seen modern monitors, notice how the diagram on top has no pump looks like it was fed "Old School" with head pressure. It says the pump fed one is for UNDERGROUND use WOW. I also like how there is a warning because the info is from RUSSIA and old. Fullpan I have never seen pictures with mules in the pit but I am suer they used them for certain tasks..maybe to power the Rock Pickers that they did use to move multi ton boulders. I have a lot of pictures they are in the old Dept. of Mines Publications. I have several hardcopies and you can find them online.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Kinda strange that this area has seems to be overlooked by modern day prospectors. The rest must be going further up to Banner or Juilian for the placer gold in the river, or a little further to the desert. Don't hurt my feelings none :-) yes most of it is still locked in rock, and it is tiny gold, but its there for me to find and recover.... And it's only about 35 min from home.