Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 Send TopicPrint
Normal Topic Smith County (Read 6259 times)
Scott LaBorde
RHL Administrator
*****
Offline


"Rock it" science!

Posts: 2960
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Joined: Sep 28th, 2010
Gender: Male
Smith County
Jan 15th, 2013 at 7:30pm
Print Post  
Elmwood Mine

4.5 x 4 x 2.5 cm
  

xx337.JPG ( 364 KB | 167 Downloads )
xx337.JPG

Scott LaBorde
RockHoundLounge Creator
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Ezdiggin
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


RockHoundLounger

Posts: 18
Joined: Nov 7th, 2012
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #1 - Jan 15th, 2013 at 8:46pm
Print Post  
Nice pic and specimen. Did you collect this piece?  I got to collect there in 2001, the most amazing trip of my life. I really like how you stack your photo, I really need a program to do that.  Need an app for that!
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Rebecca
God Member
*****
Offline


I Love YaBB 2.5 AE!

Posts: 653
Joined: Nov 11th, 2010
Gender: Female
Re: Smith County
Reply #2 - Jan 16th, 2013 at 11:39am
Print Post  
How did you get to go there, Ezra? I thought that place has been closed for 20 years or more.
Very beautiful specimen. That stuff from there truly is very fine.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Ezdiggin
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


RockHoundLounger

Posts: 18
Joined: Nov 7th, 2012
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #3 - Jan 16th, 2013 at 8:40pm
Print Post  
I went with my geology class in college.  It closed in 2003, pumps shut off and started filling with water. Have heard rumors of it reopening soon.  The mine was active the day we went down in the mine.  We went about 1000 feet down I think, the deepest part was about 3000 feet in the Cumberland mine.  Three mines make up elmwood.  We had to dodge huge ore trucks driving through the shafts.  They wouldn't even slow down as we were riding in a truck in reverse to avoid them until the driver could find a side shaft or room to pull into.  We had to sign our lives away and wear metal tags to identify our bodies if we died in a fire or were crushed.  It was very hot, 100 % humidity, and smelled like rotten eggs(sulfur from the sphalerite).  Sounds like hell but when we finally got to see the drilling machines in action and explore a huge room for vugs it was awesome.  There were vugs about 2'by 2' everywhere, some larger that we could reach into and chisel out what we wanted.  We got to see some vugs that were 10' x 15'.  Spent most of the day underground then went to there vault where they housed their big finds.  Huge plates 4'x4' of fluorite, sphalerite, barite, calcite, dolomite, marcasite, pyrite, and who knows what else.  Amazing, wish I had taken pictures. A friend of mine recovered big pieces in the mine as his job back in the 80-90s. He has some of the best pieces I've ever seen.  I hope one day it opens again and offers collecting, that would be a dig to remember.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Ezdiggin
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


RockHoundLounger

Posts: 18
Joined: Nov 7th, 2012
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #4 - Jan 16th, 2013 at 8:56pm
Print Post  
I don't have the camera skills as Scott but here are some elmwood.







  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
JoeM
God Member
*****
Offline


I Love YaBB 2.5 AE!

Posts: 4179
Location: Wake County, NC
Joined: Sep 30th, 2010
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #5 - Jan 16th, 2013 at 9:21pm
Print Post  
Those pics will work just fine, EZ.
Thanks for posting and telling us a little about the mine.
It is an amazing locality and you are very lucky to have had
the opportunity to collect there.
I can only imagine what some of the owners specimens look like.
Maybe they'll open it up one day. Wink
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
mr
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


RockHoundLounger

Posts: 18
Location: Asheville
Joined: Dec 28th, 2012
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #6 - Jan 17th, 2013 at 7:12am
Print Post  
Nice pictures EZ. The place is legendary and, while I have seen a lot of material from the three mines, I have not met many who had the privilege to collect there. Would love for it to re-open one day.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Rebecca
God Member
*****
Offline


I Love YaBB 2.5 AE!

Posts: 653
Joined: Nov 11th, 2010
Gender: Female
Re: Smith County
Reply #7 - Jan 17th, 2013 at 11:16am
Print Post  
Wow! The description of the working mine sounds amazing. That is so crazy deep! It sounds a little freaky, really. I would love that experience! LOVE it! You are very fortunate, indeed!
Thanks so much for sharing the story and the beautiful specimens. We can only hope...
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Scott LaBorde
RHL Administrator
*****
Offline


"Rock it" science!

Posts: 2960
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Joined: Sep 28th, 2010
Gender: Male
Re: Smith County
Reply #8 - Jan 17th, 2013 at 1:19pm
Print Post  
Great pictures EZ!  The specimens from there never get old.
  

Scott LaBorde
RockHoundLounge Creator
Back to top
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send TopicPrint