Help with old spanish mine.

[Mad Machinist]

Once again I was crawling around in old shafts and found what appears to be a VERY old mine. Didn't make it in to far before the old spidey sense went haywire. I froze and started slowly looking around a came face to face with a nice ligthning bolt pointing upwards.

From what I have been reading on here, the main shaft (probably what I found) is always rigged to do something and the actual entrance is one of the air shafts. Is ther anyway to disarm the "traps" after finding the "real" entrance?

I know the Spanish were active in this area as artifacts have been found in some of the caves here. Any info on Spanish activity in SE Arizona would be appreciated.

 

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[allen_idaho]

The Spanish first came to Arizona in the late 1500's. But mining didn't really take place until the 1600's after a series of Spanish missions had been set up across the southern half of the state.

Around 1580 or so, silver was discovered by Spanish explorers but not mined.
By 1700, there were several active Spanish mines in the mountains surrounding the Santa Cruz valley in Santa Cruz County, Arizona which were recovering mainly silver and copper.

Supposedly there was also a Spanish gold mine in the Sierra Estrella Mountains, southwest of Phoenix.
However, the Spanish were not the only miners in the area. Some Native American tribes were also operating mines at the time.

 

[minetres]

You have found one that is trapped and I would be really careful, but you must have something there to be trapped. Finding the pozo would be ideal but may be difficult. look for any thing at the ceiling where a post could have been placed between it and the floor on both sides and you may be able to cut some 4x4's to size and fit them in to support the ceiling. You should be able to see something which will show you where to place the posts. since this trap has not been sprung you may have a very good cache there that has not been disturbed. I would also go outside and above where the tunnel is and look for any monuments pointing or looking at a spot that may have a pozo, it should be less than two feet in depth and the cap rock will be shaped like a tombstone.

Minetres

 

[Gooner]

You have found one that is trapped and I would be really careful, but you must have something there to be trapped. Finding the pozo would be ideal but may be difficult. look for any thing at the ceiling where a post could have been placed between it and the floor on both sides and you may be able to cut some 4x4's to size and fit them in to support the ceiling. You should be able to see something which will show you where to place the posts. since this trap has not been sprung you may have a very good cache there that has not been disturbed. I would also go outside and above where the tunnel is and look for any monuments pointing or looking at a spot that may have a pozo, it should be less than two feet in depth and the cap rock will be shaped like a tombstone.

Minetres

The "something" may be a vein or seam of ore bearing material. For God's sake don't go there alone just in case...

 

[Curtis]

What we have done is throw some smoke bombs in the mines/caves as far as we can, give it about a 10-20 minute break and you may see the smoke coming out of an airshaft covered with rocks. Do not go in there - send a motorized fourwheel drive remote controlled truck (80 bucks at Sam's club) with a camera mounted on it to do the scouting! PM me and I have a great solution for finding out if there is anything in there without risking your life.

 

[goldentruth]

I would go into a old Spanish Mine but I don't Speak Spanish. But if I would goin a Spanish mine, I would have to throw in a bug-bomb for all the spyders, bats,rats and fleas. Always have a friend and a good lantern after the gas clears and "Do Not Smoke"! If no friend is with you, be sure you tell someone where you are also leave a note at home, You then get a big long rock climbing rope and tye it off outside and connect it to you while you wear a gas canister for the natural Methane & Arsenic. Once your in the cave you will not need a bear-horn or bear-spray because he will be on you like a cheep suit, So carry a short Sword, I carry a Katana (A small samuri sword) for bears & Mountian Lyons. (Better than nothing). (& bring a extra pair of shorts!) lol
Anyways...Good Luck hunting for those Spanish Dabloons.

 

[deepsky48]

While in Arizona between 1976 and 1978, I roamed the southern areas ( lived in Phoenix and Sierra Vista), I went into many mines (Globe, Rowley, Dogwater, Arivaipa, Red Cloud, Cortland /Gleason mines) to name a few...and never ran into any animals, or snakes ( though I did kill a few rattlers at the near-entrances).
After a while, I decided to pack heat (a .38) due to the increasing dangers inherent in hanging around in the "outlands" with criminals and illegals coming across the border.
One day I was going down the cable into the Defiance mine ( may have been the Silver Bill...recollection is fading) when all of a sudden an old fellow came up and out and he looked at me and said in a gruff voice, "what you wearing that hog leg for young whippersnapper?"...to which I replied, " for snakes!" and to which he replied, "hell, they ain't no damn snakes in there". I smiled sheepishly and replied, "the two legged kind, old timer". He grinned and left and I descended to look for wulfenite or other mineral specimens.
I might add that the years of 1976 to 1979 were the best years I found in Arizona because the old mines were abandoned and accessible (though on private lands) and you were not bothered by no trespassing signs or legal ramifications. I hear now that many mines are blasted shut or fully claimed and working and its a shame...The Old West and its spirit is surely gone.

Clint