Jim Sheil's Photo Gallery
Chip Sampling
We executed a small chip-sampling program in the Banks Mine in the summer of 2022. Silver and gold were present, but grades were not economical at current prices so we decided not to pursue a lease on the property.
No. 2 Decline Portal
Portal of the Ash Peak No. 2 decline. This was driven with rubber-tire equipment and cuts the Shamrock Shaft at the 100-foot level. Several thousand tons were mined from a longhole stope developed from this decline.
Center Mine Decline
View down the Center Mine's decline, used for haulage by R&B Mining Co. in the 1980s and 1990s. The decline is flooded before the first drift level.
Jim Crow Mine Headframe
Headframe over the Jim Crow No. 2 inclined shaft including ventilation pipe and dump frame.
Nitt Shaft Steam Engine
Single-piston steam engine at the Nitt Shaft. This engine was replaced by a gasoline-powered hoist and compressors.
Nitt Shaft Air Compressor
One of two Ingersoll-Rand piston air compressors at the Nitt Shaft.
Checking Roof Conditions
Documentation team member examining roof conditions in the Derby Underground mine. Ground conditions in this mine were generally excellent until reaching the northern edge of the mine, where a large roof fall was found.
Derby Mine Map
Partial map of the Derby Underground mine, with legend. Most of this mine is flooded and inaccessible without hip waders or a raft.
Derby Mine Flooding
Edge of the flooded portion of the Derby Mine. Most of the mine is flooded one to three feet deep and we did not have hip waders!
Derby Mine Roof Fall
This severe roof fall was encountered on the northern edge of the Derby Underground Mine, roughly 1/4 mile underground. It appears to have coincided with a production blast in this heading.
