24. Cobalt, Ontario: The Practical Side in the Search for Silver
Last Updated: 25th Mar 2016By Frank Festa
Post Date: March 28, 2016Trip Date: Summer 2015
Cobalt, Ontario: The Practical Side in the Search for Silver
Introduction:
Let's face it……Silver is where you find it. There are no “secret spots” as some may believe. The Cobalt, Ontario silver area has literally been combed with a fine tooth comb in the search for silver. Very little of this highly sought after metal remains, but….for those equipped to locate the last remnants, the bits and pieces, scattered through the billions and billions of tons of waste rock piles, treasure awaits you.
What this article is not attempting to accomplish: present detailed geologic information concerning the Cobalt, Ontario area, discuss mines or mining sites in detail except to present photos of such sites, discuss localized arsenic pollution, nor will this article present in detail, rock or minerals in any degree, to the point of collectability, identification.
This article only hopes to present informational material one could find helpful on a trip to the silver riches of Cobalt. The practical things one sometimes overlooks but, could use, suggestions to think about, things to be aware of and be prepared for. Whether your collecting leads you to Cobalt or not, several issues here can be worth considering when on a collecting trip anywhere.
Who has not heard of the 1845 copper mining boom of upper Michigan? Sutter’s Mill or the California gold rush of 1849? The Cobalt silver rush of 1903. The Comstock Lode, African diamonds, Afghanistan mineral wealth, China, Russia, vast mineral discoveries have occurred over the entire planet from time to time. This not only includes the precious metals of antiquity, it includes the industrial minerals and all metals, the ores of Lake Superior, the gem stones, the talc, marble, on and on. People, no matter where the discovery was, or the time period involved, wanted a piece of it and if they could not be there physically they certainly dreamed of the riches to be had by simply digging in the ground or blasting through solid rock. Gold Fever they called it, as if it were a medical affliction. Gold rush, silver rush, land rush, whatever the source of wealth waiting out there, a stampede of humanity ran wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. Claims were filed, stock certificates were being printed by the millions, stakes, claims, headframes, hanging walls, footwalls, miners, saloons, life and death situations - “salted” mines (???). There were “get rich” quick schemes also. I wish I could have been a part of one of these “rushes”. Those were the good old days!!!
But if one really lets their imagination roam free, we (collectors) all are part of these old “rushes” of bygone days. We may have arrived a hundred or two hundred years after the fact but this is what makes any mineral specimen discovery and or finds all that more notable. The mineral specimens we locate today, from the old sites, were dug up from the Earth during those earlier times. In fact, many of the specimens we have collected already were part of much larger discoveries from one of these old mineral mining sites. If we are collecting on an old mining site, an abandoned site, digging through, metal detecting in or even using a Geiger Counter over, these old waste rock piles, we are part of history. The waste rock piles we search through today are the same waste rock piles that were generated years ago when the particular mine was active.
In the early attempts at extracting mineral wealth from the Earth, these miners, in their haste to get to the metals, ores, the veins did overlook some of the smaller, insignificant material being hauled up from a shaft or out of a mine. They may have simply missed bits and pieces of the valuable material upon inspection. Whatever or however is of no consequence today. We search through these waste rock piles for specimens that were left behind.
In the summer of 2015, Cobalt, Ontario and the many waste rocks piles in the area was my destination. Cobalt was one of those old mining towns. The last stock certificates were printed long, long ago, remnants of the old mines, now abandoned, flooded, idle, are still there. The waste rock piles are just as fresh and alive as they were during their “Glory Days” and most of these piles still contain silver specimens which were dug up a hundred years or more ago.
All of the metals of antiquity have extremely interesting histories. Antiquity as referred to as prehistory. These metals are seven in number and they are: gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, iron, mercury. Today there are ninety one known metals. It was the metals which commanded the greatest value and the greatest esteem and shaped our world. From antiquity to this very day, metals have been used to adorn our bodies, used for coinage, tools, weapons, planes, trains, spacecraft, nuclear reactors on and on. The search for metals has been a continual process since the beginning of time, wars have been waged over metals, civilizations rose and fell overs metal, a countless number of people have died over metal. Metals have been smelted, forged, annealed, melted, hammered, rolled, and alloyed.
From the earliest beginnings, the human species has forever been attracted to gold and silver more than any of the other of the metals. It is as if these two (gold more so than silver) contain some magical power, casting a spell on the human mind. Calling to us all, regardless our age, sex, place of origin, race, religion, these two metals call to all of us. What is this power it commands? Early man wanted it, the early civilizations wanted it, the Egyptian’s wanted it, the Greeks, the Turks, Romans, Russians, French, Aztecs, Mayans, Hindus, the Chinese warlords. All throughout human history our species have sought after gold and or silver. The alchemist’s goal was to transmutate base metals into gold.
Let’s have a little fun here and try an experiment of our own. For the sake of the experiment we must accept one or two premises as being truthful. If I posed a question…. being in all sincerity and truthfulness, and within the boundaries of the law, not being stolen or received as stolen and with no farther rebuttals or questions ….99.9% of you will answer in the affirmation. Let’s see. Here is the experiment….I have bars of gold and or silver in my passion weighing one pound each of 99.999% purity. You can choose a single bar of your choice of metal or you can refrain from choosing at all. What would your answer be?
Last year, on the television, a program conducted this very same experiment. Instead of silver however, they used a chocolate bar. The experiment went like this…….a man standing on a street corner would stop people walking by and ask if they would like a chocolate bar (a known brand still in the wrapper) or a comparably sized bar of gold. Yes, many people kept walking (which I probably would have done also) but a large number of people who did stop made a selection. Of the two selections being offered: gold or chocolate, 100% of the people who did make a selection chose……………It was uncanny that everyone made the same choice. Why is that?
For as bright as these metals shine, their shine is but an illusion. For these metals have a dark and terrible side. Another unseen power which borders on the perverse and manipulative by its nature. What do we see in these two metals when we peer into the shiny metallic rock? What we do not see is the metal itself. We see things other than the physical metal. We look beyond the metal as if this metal was opening a gateway to another place. Do we see wealth, fortune, new cars, houses, gambling, vacations? And, while we dream, do we also see trying to obtain more and more and more? Did anyone see themselves giving this metal, this bar of riches to a charity, a person in true need, a homeless person, a legless veteran?????? Yes, some of you may have. I personally feel the majority would not.
From historical accounts those who found the gold and or silver usually dreamed of personal wealth, wanted more, waged war to get more, caused untold and uncountable deaths and destruction. They were usually not of the mind to share the wealth. “The Age of Exploration” exemplifies this in no uncertain terms. Christopher Columbus, in Italian it is Cristoforo Colombo; in Spanish the name is Cristóbal Colón and in Portuguese - Cristóvão Colombo, just so it will be unmistakable to whom my reference is made, under the authority of king, queen, and Catholic monarchs, was provided the means to locate a short route to the spice lands. All four of his missions were total and complete failures but, he was able to accomplish the greatest feat possibly the Earth has ever seen. He is the father and the instrument of total and complete genocide of entire civilizations. It was through his explorations, he himself and those who followed, decimated human cultures as old as the earliest Egyptians. There can be absolutely no argument that could possibly be presented in his defense that would nullify what he caused. Does anyone think for one second the early explores were simply “nice guys” taking boat rides? No, all of them, each and every one were seeking wealth, fortune, fame, gold, glory, silver, jewels, land, slaves. And, if what they considered “savages” stood in their way they were simply removed by any means necessary. Killing them being the easiest. The early explorers raped, robbed, plundered and stole everything and anything they found being made of metal (gold or silver) or jewels. They enslaved the indigenous peoples, forced them to work or die. Took their mines, their women, killed their cultures, their religions, infected them with bacteria’s the indigenous people had no natural defense against. Today, we can only imagine the horrors committed against these people.
Many many similar events took place all across the world, in different times, lands, different people, and in what was later to become the USA. The American Indian had their land stolen, they were forced to live outside their ancestral grounds, treated less than a human being and finally decided to fight for what was rightfully theirs. Which did not end so well for them.
The United States government recognized the Black Hills, in the Dakota Territory, as belonging to the Sioux by the Treaty of Laramie in 1868. Sometime in1860s, a Roman Catholic missionary named Father De Smet reported to have seen Indians carrying gold which was said to have from the Black Hills. The “Black Hills Gold Rush: began in 1874, with the arrival of General George Armstrong Custer and a force of 1000 men. And again, a stampede of humanity ranning wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. Even though the land was owned by the Sioux. They did find gold in numerous places along their trip, but things changed drastically when the men reached Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks all in the Black Hills owned by the Native American Indians. These two areas were said to reveal a veritable fortune in gold. By 1876, thousands of gold-seekers flocked into the Dakota Territory and the Black Hills. Along with miners and prospectors came civilization and the famous “boom towns sprang up”. The rest is history…………..
Did anyone see the 1948 movie, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”? Excellent movie with an excellent proverbial ending. Well worth viewing.
Gold and or silver have no magical powers, no unseen control ray beams, no natural or supernatural powers. What they do have however is the ability to bring out the best and the worst in humanity. And with that being said…….. having the opportunity to dig for silver in Cobalt, Ontario was just as thrilling and alluring today as it was in days gone by, and well deserving of a rock collecting trip.
Historical background:
Cobalt, Ontario is labeled the “Silver Capital of Canada” and is a national historic site of Canada. During the summer of 1903, during the construction of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway, silver was discovered in around mile post 103. During the construction of any rail bed requires a graded, long, flat stretch of land, it must be above water, wooden timbers are cut to specific sizes and laid on a dirt or rocky base. Iron rails are attached to these timbers using metal plates and iron spikes or screws. This graded area is called the rail bed. The rail bed must lie basically flat as seen with a transit, not by viewing physically. In the case of dips, holes, wet areas, swamps, depressions, fill in the form of soil, sod, rock, boulders must be employed to fill in the depressions and create a flat surface. In the case of a steep grade, hill, mountain, arraignments must be made to lessen the elevation to an acceptable level or to tunnel through said elevations.
While digging and excavating in the area, rocks, boulders were blown apart using dynamite. Lowering an elevated area required removal of the material creating the elevated area. During this construction, silver was discovered while digging, dynamiting. The silver was found laying on the surface under brush, under fallen trees just lying there on the surface. Long deep, massive veins of silver lay on the surface for untold ages, eroding, weathering, exposing the metal. Most of the early miners were not even actual miners at all. They may never been in or worked a mine. The early miners simply dug the silver directly off the surface. These workers were employed to build a rail line not to partake in mining ventures. So their experiences were limited.
Names like Fred LaRose are synonymous with the silver finds of Cobalt, Ontario. Hired to work for the railroad as a blacksmith. Mr. LaRose set up a shack and shop at mile post 103 and proceeded to do what blacksmiths do. LaRose noted that he found a float as big as his hand, with little sharp points all over it. He said nothing, but thinking about the McKinley and Darragh discoveries earlier. Mr. LaRose said on two occasions he went out under the cover of darkness with pick in hand and on the secong trip out found the vein where his float was from. He had no idea it was silver, but thought it might be copper. He staked a claim and forgot about it. When his contract with the railroad expired, LaRose left Cobalt headed for his home in Hull, Quebec.
On his return, LaRose stopped in Haileybury to show the samples he had to a hotel owner. He also stopped in Mattawa and showed his samples to a local store owner hoping someone could identify them. In the meantime the hotel owner, suspecting La Rosa had found something, sent a cable to his brother in Montreal about La Rose’s samples. The brother met La Rosa in Hull and offer him $3, 500 for just one half the claim. Remember, in the early 1900”s $3,500would have been a sizable amount of money.
A short time later the hotel owner showed some of the samples to a guest named Thomas W. Gibson, the Director of the Ontario Bureau of Mines. Mr. Gibson identified the samples as niccolite, a nickel bearing ore. Gibson sends the samples to Willet Green Miller, a professor at Queen's University and Ontario's first Provincial Geologist. Along with the samples, Gibson includes a note that stated….. "If the deposit is of any considerable size it will be a valuable one on account of the high percentage of nickel which this mineral contains. I think it will be almost worth your while to pay a visit to the locality before navigation closes."
Within two years the Cobalt “Silver Rush” was in full bloom, attracting people from all over Canada, USA, UK, everywhere. Whatever the source of wealth waiting out there, a stampede of humanity ran wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. The town of Cobalt sprang up like a wild weed seed being watered. And, this is and was similar to the California towns which popped up as the result of gold fever and every other boom town. By the year 1908, the Cobalt area mines were producing 9% of the entire world’s silver production. It was reported in 1911 the silver mines had produced 31,507,791 ounces of silver. It was if this entire area was made of silver.
For nearly thirty years, men and mines penetrated the earth digging out the precious metal. From deep down within the bowels of the earth men lived, worked, aged and yes, some died down there searching, searching for a dream. Like countless numbers of people before them in all sorts of environments, on all the places of the planet men, like burrowing animals dug down and down, farther and further, deeper and deeper into the soil with but a single thought in mind…….silver. It has been said the only thing constant on Earth is change. And, as more and more and more of the silver was removed over the years, less and less was being found. And, like all good things, it had to come to an end. By the 1930’s the silver was all but gone. Some revival was attempted later here and there but not to the degree as in the early days. After it was all said and done, the Cobalt area mines produced 460 million ounces of silver. The silver was gone but the old mines remained. The uncountable pile after pile of waste rock brought up from the depths of the earth now lay on the surface. With no water management plans, the tailings filled local lakes to their brim, erasing them from existence. The area appeared as a moon scape, poked and pitted, scraped and scared. The forests were gone, the timber used in the mines as supports, as a source of heating, home building, town building, railroad building. As the silver petered out, mines shut down, employment was a difficult thing to come by. Jobs and a steady income was a major concern for all. So, people moved on. Moved farther “up the line” maybe to the gold fields maybe beyond. As they once flocked to Cobalt in droves, now they leave Cobalt as they arrived. Slowly the town of Cobalt grew less and less important, the train which in its hay day transported people, equipment, continuously into this boom town now made fewer and fewer stops here. But the railroad continued on and on transporting people, miners, equipment farther and farther.
As a special historical note…….as the rail line continued farther and farther and as prospectors, fur trappers and civilization in general traveled farther and farther north, gold was discovered at the Porcupine Lake area. This caused the Porcupine Gold Rush of 1909, the Kirkland Lake Gold Rush of 1912. The town of Timmins came into being as a place where trappers, prospectors and the like could find refuge. But as luck would have it, in 1909 a man named Harry Preston was doing some local prospecting. He slipped on a rocky hillside. Supposedly the heels of his boots, as he fell, stripped the moss off of a large rock and revealed a large vein of gold. Later this vein became known as the Dome Mine. This vein measured several hundred feet in length. Also, in 1910 the Hollinger Gold Mine was in production here.
For as many times as I fell the only thing I got was a bruise. Maybe I’m not falling right?
I had given some thought to driving a little farther north of Cobalt to visit Timmins possibly do some metal detecting, but decided against it. I had supposed, that since gold was involved there, all the properties there were most likely posted. And, searching for gold on private property was not a good idea. It is certainly best not to run afoul of the law when in a foreign country.
And, after it was all over, all said and done, wealth being measured by the ounce, fortunes made in very short amounts of time, people realized they were being poisoned from arsenic.
The Practical Side in the Search for Silver:
My visit to Cobalt was for a two week period. And begins with my arrival there. It was a long drive from the Pittsburgh, Pa. area northward to the Canadian-American border crossing in New York at Niagara Falls. Passing through Mississauga, maneuvering the myriad of highways like veins in the human body, Highway 11 was finally located. Now, it was due north, passing through towns like: Orillia, Washago, Bracebridge, Scotia, Trout Creek, North Bay, Owaissa, Latchford and finally the town of Cobalt itself.
Many town’s set-up large welcoming road signs to announce “You Have Arrived”. These types of signs are great to photograph. Usually this friendly greeting sign has the town name printed, standing out, bold and suggestive, colorful and ahead of and in front of anything else. It is a friendly way of inviting the traveler in and welcoming the them, like saying “Hi”. Having a photo of a town sign adds to the telling of a story. This particular sign at Cobalt had me slightly bewildered………..above the beautiful Cobalt “Silver Capital of Canada” were the overly large letters spelling out P-A-R-K-I-N-G (???) Obviously it means RV parking, but just maybe they should have two separate signs. One for the town greeting and one for the RV parking. In mu opinion the rv stuff spoils the beautiful town sign.
Cobalt, like all mineral “boom towns” is only a shell of its former glory. Cobalt is a small town with a population of 1500. I took a photo of another town in Ontario several years ago with a population of 5. Have always wondered if the population ever changed!
Staying in the Cobalt area:
For me, a rock collecting trip could last 2-4 weeks. During my stay, I want to be comfortable, as if being at home. Over the years, my “must have” list has grown continually with each new trip. My personal choice for comfort and accessibility is to rent a privately owned rental cottage. Unlike a short term, tight fitting motel room on the second floor, cottages have numerous advantages. A cottage has onsite parking, usually right by the front door on the ground level. A porch or deck at the entryway allows me to lay out wet clothing to dry, it offers a place to lay out all the treasures collected each day to look over and to hose off and partially clean and not bring loads of soil and dirt home. In the evenings a deck allows one to sit outside, maybe run a barbeque grill and listen for the loons. A cottage also offers kitchen space to prepare your own meals which saves money as compared to eating out every day. In addition, it offers multiple bedrooms, living room.
Staying at a privately owned rental cottage, maybe on a lake or stream, here you have privacy and are able to “get the feel” of the area, as compared to staying in a confined motel A search on the Internet for private cottages lasted weeks and turned up very little. The Cobalt area was a most difficult area to find accommodations. And, just not to upset local folks and or businesses, for my purposes, let me stress “my purposes” the Cobalt area offers little to no privately owned cottage rentals or even hotel/motel accommodations. Of the few private cottages located on the Internet, their rental price were far too restrictive. There are several motels and a number of small, rustic to very rustic cottages, campers and trailers available depending how far you want to drive and the amount of time you wish to spend getting to and from the old mining sites. I personally would not consider this area a vacationer’s paradise. The area seems to cater to the fisherman, lumbermen and overnight or short term stays, so the available rentals are geared as such. Lakes abound in this area, boat rentals, fishing gear are all available. I also prefer being in a centrally located spot, within a 5-10 mile drive to former mining activities, dining, grocery story, gas station, stores/shops no matter where my collecting leads me to.
After a long Internet search, I chose a motel complex site over a cottage and this particular motel site for several reasons. This site is not just a motel complex. It is a motel but also offers smaller cabin type rental units say for a one or two day excursion hunting, fishing, collecting or whatever. They also rent one or two larger cottages for guests who don’t like that “squished in” motel feeling. So, the biggest reason for choosing this site was because of the limited selection of privately owned cottages in a “reasonable” rental range. I rented one of the larger cottages overlooking Lake Timiskaming.
My “basecamp” is just outside of Haileybury which is close to Cobalt, directly across the lake is Quebec. This place has all the amenities I want in a cottage rental site, the biggest being its location in reference to everything else. It is centrally located and is a very short drive to get anywhere. From this location, a visitor has a very convenient access to the main highway, centrally located to the old mining sites, the town, shopping and dining spots. The rental price was fair, the cottage was perfect for my needs with small deck facing the parking and the lake with barbeque grill included. A wonderful lady lives on site who functions as the operator, the leaning lady, the rent collector, the landscaper, the "do's all", she can answer all your questions. She was a highlight of the stay. Also this site has on-site coin operated washers and dryers, which in itself is wonderful. And…….on-site Wi-Fi. What a place. This was the perfect choice for me.
Traveling with Pets:
This was my first trip to Cobalt. I considered leaving my best associate home. But, when he looks up at me with those big watery eyes and that sad face, I can’t help but to say to him ”OK…get in the car” My friend is a big, 98 pound Labrador Retriever, full blooded, male, named Keeno. He is an excellent hunter, watch dog, guardian, companion and a rock and mineral collector in training. Though, he sez all the rocks look the same to him. Big K or simply K-dog loves to ride in a car. Guess they all do, wonder why?
Pets are the same as you and I, they have the same needs as you and I. Food, water, some snacks, walking around and doing their business…….just the same as you and I. Think of your pet before yourself. And, never leave a pet in a car with the windows up. Your windows will be up because you had the air condition on. If you have to leave a pet, open the windows slightly, all windows so as to get air flow. Temperatures in a sealed car on a sunny day can reach upwards to 120 degrees, enough to kill an animal. They suffer terribly before dying. Place yourself in a sealed car on a sunny and see for yourself. It is always better not to leave a pet in a car but take them with you, on a suitable short leash holding them with both hands and not just one. Other pets can be carried in “pet bags”.
If you are crossing international boundaries, such as I was, find out what the laws are for transporting pets into foreign countries are. Otherwise your pet may be impounded. Do the research weeks before you plan going so you will have the time to ensure your pet has all the required shots and vaccines. You will also need papers signed by your veterinarian.
Bring your own dog food and bottled water for your pet. Better to be prepared than find out later. And while traveling, though you may be in a hurry and have a big bladder your pet has no sense of time and a small bladder. Make a few extra stops to allow your pet to relieve themselves. Have water available in the vehicle also.
Vehicle Rental:
After arriving, its first things, check in, unpack the rental vehicle, unpack the rock gear, attend to Keeno, then have some dinner. Renting a vehicle for a rock collecting excursion has many advantages over using your personal vehicle. If you rent, remember one very critical element…you will need a high sitting vehicle first off. I always rent a six seat van, unbolt the last two seats and leave them at home. This way room is no problem. Sitting high is a necessity in case you drive off-rode or on old mine roads. Expect roads to be washed out in areas, large puddles, flowing water, even an occasional stream to cross and the bump bump bump of railway timbers. Tire punctures are always a possibility. Without being prepared you could be in deep trouble.
Vehicle Necessaries:
Inspect the rental’s spare tire just to be sure there is one and ensure it is inflated just to be safe. A spare tire is good to have but, without a jack you are still up the creek. Ensure the vehicle has a tire jack, it is functional and you are fully aware of its safe operation. You will also need a lug nut wrench, which actually fits the lug nuts. Also, buy a tire repair kit. A real rubber tire plug kit. In the kit you need the insertion tool and pre-glued rubber plugs. You will also need to re-inflate a flat tire. Get a can of the fix-a-flat stuff or the Co2 inflator. Keep tabs on the tire inflation with a tire gauge. Another very good safety item to be aware of is the vehicle’s oil level. Check the oil level after arriving at Cobalt. Carrying an extra can of oil could be a lifesaver. One other helpful item… to carry is windshield wash stuff. Always comes in handy.
Rent a vehicle with four wheel drive or all-wheel drive, this is a must, don’t leave home without four wheel drive. I shop by cost, so what I rent has just the basic features I need: steering wheel, seats. You get the idea. No need to go overboard with satellite radio and all kinds of things you do not need. Also, and this is very important, you are responsible for the condition of the rental vehicle when it is returned. Before leaving the rental store, be sure to go over the vehicle with a store representative. Point out any dents, scraps, cuts, anything and everything of questionable quality. I always do this and photograph any problem areas just in case. Before you “load-up” have on hand or buy beforehand a large cheap piece of heavy mil plastic or a vinyl or plastic tarp of the appropriate size for the vehicle. Lay this down first, as a water or moisture barrier.
Next you will need to lay on top of the plastic, an absorbent material. Again, have on hand or buy beforehand at least two cheap heavy cloth blankets, or very large heavy rags. Old carpeting can also be used to lay down over the tarp. If using old carpeting, ensure it has the ability to absorb. What you are doing here is saving yourself lots of time cleaning and/or money later.
The barrier you have created is a twofold protective measure. The cloth material will absorb moisture, the vinyl tarp will keep that moisture from reaching the van carpet. You will thank me for this later. Remember you will be “throwing in” wet, dirty rock and stone specimens, muddy pack packs, dirty tools, shoes, pants. No matter how hard you try to keep the van inside clean, you will eventually fail. And, that can cost you money. Also, carry a box full of newspaper (not to read) or garbage bags to wrap really dirty stuff in, some cheap twine will come in handy to tie up wet papers. You can also have a spray bottle of diluted dish detergent handy with a small rag to wipe up things as they occur. This is how I do it. At some point you should lift up the floor coverings to let the van carpet air-out and breath. Clean up as you go, don’t wait until you get home to do it all at one time. Also, the driver and passenger seats need covered and any other seats. Use the plastic and fabric method, tying them on for easy removal. You may also want to try to protect the carpeting in the front of the vehicle.
OK….. moving on to dinner, I spotted a fast food place driving in, just up the street, quick and easy, back to basecamp to study the local maps. Keeno had his dinner, went outside and sniffed every single rock, tree, and plant, did his business and was ready for bed. He laid beside me on the couch and fell asleep. It’s not easy being a dog.
Reconnaissance of the Area:
Having an idea of the local and surrounding area is vital information. Local maps offer locations for all your needs. I find it very helpful to have this information before exploring. Reconnaissance is a highly over looked tool in many applications. The ability to see and know ones surroundings, installations, locations, having the knowledge of where things are in relation to the surrounding area is vital information. A new collecting area, a site, a town should first be “reconed” simply for the sake of logistics. Where are the dining spots, the shopping, the museums, the travel bureau, gas station, the mining sites……….would it be fair to say the local pub? Acclamation to ones surrounds is essential. So, I like to spend the first day or so of any collecting trip “reconing”. There is simply no need to rush to the old silver mines, or any of the collecting areas anywhere, they will be there tomorrow. Using your vehicle’s GPS or your handheld GPS unit is a great way to record the location for the grocery store, the museum, whatever. . So, on our first day we drove into the town of Cobalt, which was located only a few miles away. We also drove around the overall area visiting different sights, taking photos, infrastructure exploration if you will. If you take a dog you also need to know where the fireplugs are. Think of your pet first. They have feelings, they like to eat and drink and they also like to “do their business”. Just as you do. Carry small plastic bags to clean up after your pet.
We found a great spot right along the highway for lunch. It is obvious what was on my plate. Keeno was not so fortunate, being right beside the road, he stayed in the van and had his lunch, though he was not happy. The remainder of the day and the following day was spent driving here and there, sightseeing, eating, we were far more prepared for the remainder of our stay. We pretty much located all we needed to locate. I like to locate things first then return at a later time to explore them in more detail.
While on any rock collecting trip, I always have a “must see, must do” list. A local museum or any type of underground experience or tour is high-up on the “must see list”. The local museum is one of the best places to see what is or what was dug out from the local area, whether it be rocks, minerals, fossils this single site can tell you more than you could possibly find in any brochure. Lots of old mining towns offer guided underground tours of former actual mines. Cobalt is no exception.
From our reconnaissance, we learned there was one original main highway. Now there is a main “by-pass” roadway and the old original cobalt roadway. Highway 11 is also named the Trans-Canadian Highway, the town of Cobalt is on highway 11B. Cobalt itself is a small town, the once bustling Cobalt train station is still standing but is an unused rail station, the surrounding area appears to be rural and farming. Being on the main highway will take you to all what the area has to offer. The towns of Haileyberry, Temiskaming Shores and Cobalt are within a stone’s throw of each other. Old mine waste rock piles consume the landscape in Cobalt, rock dumps, rock piles, deep carved out scars in solid rock illustrate where rich veins of silver once were. We located the cobalt museum, local dining, fast foods, shops, the grocery store and other sites. I went grocery shopping now, since I was here now.
The Cobalt Mining Museum
One word of advice…..whether you explore the town and surrounding area or not….Before going out collecting rocks, silver or even going out on your own to locate some of the old mines….stop in at the Cobalt Museum first. This is on the “must see” list. Remember to take lots of photographs here because you are not going to see anything similar out in the field. The museum is small, dated, but a very pleasant experience viewing the many silver specimens collected from all over the surrounding area and numerous mines. Check the Internet for The Cobalt Mining Museum, several noteworthy sites are listed
Heritage Silver Trail:
http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/sites/default/files/geotour_pdf_files/geotours_cobalt_e.pdf
Also while at the museum……ask for a copy of the “Heritage Silver Trail” map. The map can be also downloaded from the Internet. This single sheet of paper is worth its weight in silver. The “Trail” is a self-guided, self-timed driving tour throughout the Cobalt area. Nothing more I like than self-guided. The local area is clearly mapped and the easy to follow trail is laid out according to sequentially numbered sites. Start at number one and at your own pace visit each site. The trail will take you on locally traveled roads to some of the former major mining sites, mills and mining attractions. A large informational sign will be positioned at each stop to correspond with the map. I must commend the town for this grand tour. Plus you will not need a GPS unit and all kind of coordinates. This sight-seeing extravaganza is free of charge, highly informational and doesn’t get any better than this.
Please include this tour your plans…..this is certainly a “must do” if you travel to Cobalt. While looking at this map there are 19 sites/attractions listed as being on the trail (on the map copy I have number 9 was skipped). There are also several other attractions not on the actual trail but well worth visiting. I’m counting another 9 so you have 27-28 mapped attractions to visit. What could be better? Certainly other similar places can and should pick up on this very informative and unique way of enjoying mining and the old mining sites. If you have or have done some research and have sites not listed on this map, you have more than enough places to search for silver. You are not going to thoroughly cover them all. And if you rush, you are just wasting your time. Better to have stayed home than come here and rush.
Sights to Explore on the “Heritage Silver Trail” map:
1. Townsite Hedframe
2. Glory Hole
3. McKinley Darragh Mill
4. Little Silver Vein
5. Cart Lake Tailings
6. Nipipissing 96
7. Nipipissing 81 Open Cut
9. Right of Way
10. Agnico Eagle Mines Refinery
11. La Rosa Blacksmith
12. Nipipissing 73 Meyershaft
13. Coniagas Headframe
14. Pan Silver Headframe
15. Mileage 104 Stamp Mill
16. Colonial
17. Nova Scotia
18. Crown Reserve
19. Silver Sidewalk Vein
Sights on map – But not on the “Heritage Silver Trail”.
O’Brien
Crosswise Tailings
Dominion Reduction Tailings
Nipipissing Tailings
Nipipissing 407
Provincial #2
Silver Summit
Lawson
SMC McAlpine
Legal Issues to consider:
I have no authority to offer legal advice. It is far better for you to inquire about trespassing, injuries and/or metal detecting from other sources. Here, I am only offering my personal thoughts and opinions. Remember, all the sites on the Silver Heritage Trail and simply all the sites in the Cobalt area have to be owned by someone. The old mines may have been abandoned years ago but the property should still belong to someone. With land ownership comes all the liabilities associated with it. Certainly officials for the town of Cobalt and those sponsoring the heritage trail are aware of this. Please check with the town of Cobalt or the museum concerning laws governing property insurance, trespassing, injuries sustained, and/or metal detecting allowances. During my travels in Cobalt and the abandoned mines very very few “no trespassing” signs were seen. Do not take for granted the lack of posted property signs as a meaning of permitable access. Know what is permitted before entering. Obviously a posted property means to "keep out".
Colonial Mine Tour:
http://cobalt.ca/visitors/tours/
And finally, while at the museum, ask about the Colonial Mine tour. This is another “must do” activity while in Cobalt. The tour starts at and leaves from the museum. Pay for the tour here and get a ticket. The mine tours are scheduled so check for presentation times. When taking the tour, you will drive in your own vehicle and follow the lead tour vehicle to the Colonial Mine. This is only a few mile drive. After arriving at the site, you will be given instructions, mine information, head protection gear. Like all underground attractions, mines, caves, caverns, the temperature drops drastically while underground. You should be prepared by having a sweater or jacket handy. You also want to bring your camera. Your phone will not work. Your tour guide will highlight the mines activity, amount of silver mined, number of miners. If they miss some info you would like to know about, simply ask. You will be in an actual mining tunnel, this is as real as it gets.
I love to take these underground tours and when available always make it a part of a collecting trip. It never fails though when underground I always stop to think “how did people work here”? When these old mines were in production the lighting was very poor, it was a damp – wet environment. Ground water would seek through cracks in the rock and drip from the ceilings, Troughs had to be made to carry the water away. Loud, heavy drilling machines and equipment were used, explosives were used to crack loose large chunks of solid rock. The blasted rock fell to the floor kicking up enormous amounts of dust. Don’t think for one second these miners had modern day safety equipment. They had a neckerchief to place over the mouth and nose to block out the dust and two fingers, most of them had two, to force into each ear to hold back the tremendous “boom” of the exploding dynamite. Mining was not one of those old romantic type settings that the movies portray. Mining was and still is a serious business. Mining is hell……..
Historical Note: The Cobalt Lake Mine was probably not named because the mine sat above ground at Cobalt Lake. Most of the 47 acres at the Cobalt Lake Mine sat below Cobalt Lake. Besides being underground, it was under a lake. In 1932 while engaged in a blasting operation, the explosives used, cracked the bedrock above the mining operation, which held back the lake water above. The ceiling collapsed and an estimated 400, 000 tons of sediments, tailings and water poured into the mine.
Starting with day three… play time was over, all the recon is completed, the refrigerator is loaded. Time to get serious and prepare for what we came here to do………find silver.
Expectations:
Whatever you are expecting to see and or find here is most likely incorrect as far as silver is concerned. I had studied, researched, read Serdiades, silver, cobalt, calcite over and over, had pages full of notes, a laptop loaded with files and maps and maps and maps. On my visit, I was certainly was prepared after all the research, reading and studying I did do.
What I was not prepared for was Cobalt itself.
You can almost be guaranteed……you will not find silver with your naked eye. It is just not going to happen. But, there are exceptions to everything and there are plenty of rock piles to look at. It is the same as going to Arkansas, USA to locate diamonds at the “Crater of Diamonds” national park. Your chances are slim to none you will find a diamond. I’ve been there.
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1325/5.+Diamonds+R+Waiting+4U+At+The+Crater+of+Diamonds+State+Park
But, everyday some will find an almost microscopic sized diamond. So exception do exist. Water is helpful to see silver but you will not have access to it unless you carry it in bottles. These old mines and mining sites have been looked over, walked over, crawled over, drove over, bled over and even cried over for the past 100 years. If there was silver on the surface to be found it certainly would have been found by now. Do not in your wildest imagine ever think you will locate an exposed vein of metal or even a small specimen on the surface. You are most likely not going to locate any silver on the surface.
What you will find on the surface however, will be everything no one else wanted including but not limited to: old rusty drilling bits, bits of broken bottles, plastic water bottles, rusted nuts, bolts, nails, screws, building materials, bricks, stone, framing lumber, rusted braided metal cables, rusted pipes, various pieces of metal, aluminum cans, animal bones, old rusted machinery, old rusted mining equipment, copper and copper wires this list is pretty much endless. The list could go on and on. And, after you pick up your fiftieth drill bit you will finally ask yourself, just the same as I did, want do I need these for.
Basic Equipment:
Should you travel to Cobalt on a silver collecting trip without the proper equipment you will return home the same way you left…..without silver. Like all rock collecting trips there are the usual couple of things necessary to be successful. First you need a back pack. Size is your preference. In this back pack you will be carrying most of your gear. You will need some kind of hammer. Hammers of varying weights come in handy. Chisels, various chisels bladed and or star pointed. You could use a pry bar, newspaper for wrapping specimens, drinking water, GPS, notebook, several pencils, compass, first aid kit, maps and whatever you deem necessary. Carrying a large knife as a protective device is your choice. I certainly do. When silver collecting, sure all the gear mentioned is necessary…up to a point. The most important piece of equipment you will need and use during your entire stay will be a metal detector and a digging tool. Without a metal detector do not bother to travel to Cobalt in search of silver. Any respectable metal detector will do. You may even do well with a cheap $25 unit. It is imperative to have and use a metal detector. It is best to bring your own, in town or the surrounding area I did not see or hear of stores or shops renting them, but that is not to say there are no rental shops. Best to be prepared and carry your own.
On a collecting trip to the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan in search of copper, I used a cheap $5 child’s toy and it was effective. Searching for copper is not like searching for silver. Copper can easily be seen on the surface as oxidized bits and pieces of a bluey, greeny, patina colored material. This coloring is quite distinguishable from surrounding rocks. When you see the coloring you have copper. A metal detector is not truly necessary. In the case of silver, its oxidized coloring blends all too well with the surrounding rocks. Plus the simple fact that silver, being a more valuable metal than copper, has all but been picked off the surface. A detector will be your best piece of equipment to locate silver.
Metal Detecting:
Metal detecting may seem so straight forward and so simple a child could do it. That is perfectly true, Keeno can do it. It is extremely easy to use a metal detector. First turn on the unit, place the ear phones over your ears or go without and slowly move the scanner coil over the ground without touching the ground. Bingo bango you get a hit, a beeping or chirping sound. Set the detector down gently, dig in the soil and pull up a rusted nail, bolt, piece of aluminum foil, aluminum can pull tab. You will undoubtedly and indisputably locate metal with a detector. That is what the machine is designed to do and it does do it very well. But, we are not searching for any metal especially not for ferrous metal. We are searching for silver. And, this is where we separate the ones who have experience and or who have practiced thoroughly from the ones who haven’t.
Having and owning a metal detector, keeping it clean, undented, stored under the bed in its original box is different from becoming acquainted with the controls, practicing using the detector in different situations, in differ environments, burying coins, small test pieces of copper, brass, aluminum, iron, stainless steel, nickel, silver of even gold if you have such. I certainly can not go into the details in the use of a metal detector here. But it is far more than just turning the unit on and scanning the ground. If your ability using a detector is limited, yes, you could get lucky and dig up a piece of silver. But knowing the detector inside out, knowing the controls, listening to the sounds, experimenting, practicing, and practicing and practicing will allow you to have a much better chance at finding the silver. And, even then you may not find any.
I enjoy history, any history, anywhere. One of my other interests beside rocks are the old stone iron furnaces of Western Pennsylvania. In fact you may possibly have read my article concerning such, relating the iron ores of this area (hematite, siderite, bog ore) and such with the old furnaces that smelted them (early 1800’s). There is also an article concerned with the iron ores themselves.
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1928/21.+Iron+-+A+Short+Collecting+Trip
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1931/22.+Iron+and+The+Old+Stone+Furnaces+of+Western+Pennsylvania
I bought a higher quality metal detector 2-3 years ago for the sole purpose of using it in and around these old furnaces in the hopes of possibly locating old ferrous metal items. The detector has never been to a furnace site yet. After reading the manual, watching the video and practicing in the back yard, my confidence level was high. The detector was kept clean, undented, stored under the bed in its original box. Ferrous metal is easy enough to find and I had no plans to use it for searching for other metallic objects or minerals, such as silver. So in fact, my detector has seen very little action. I just never got around to taking it on a furnace hunt.
I have a great friend who loves rocks more than I do. He lives near Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. It’s at least a 5-6 hour drive to the falls from where I live. We’ll trade emails every so often. He and I have rock collected numerous times and in numerous places together. He has experience in Cobalt and has found silver specimens in the waste rock piles there. I sent him an email concerning my plans to travel to Cobalt. And, being the guy he is, he mailed me a number of small silver samples to experiment with. Just like I mentioned above, bury the items and relocate them using the detector, practice, practice, practice. I admit now, my practice sessions were helpful but could have been far more productive. You do not and will not achieve much success without practicing. But, on the same token I recognized the chirps of the silver on the detector, saw the detection level numbers on the meter, used different setting to differentiate the metals. Yes, I was ready. But not for Cobalt………No, I was not ready for Cobalt one bit
My metal detecting abilities were not at a level where they should have been for this trip and so my ability to locate silver and to distinguish its chirp on the detector was sorely lacking. If I had kept all the “hits” I dug for, which turned out to be ”junk” I may have found enough bolts, nuts, washers, nails, screws, aluminum foil, aluminum can pull tabs on and on, to open a local used metal shop. One site in particular, I dug up 5, yes 5 - one inch sized threaded nuts all within a few feet of each other. Don’t you think after 2 -3 I would have moved to another area?
A detector is a delicate instrument. My detector, in particular alerts you to the presence of metal in a number of ways. Remember there a two types of metal you would use a detector for. There are the “ferrous metals”, the ones containing iron in some form. Examples of ferrous metals would be: nails, nuts, bolts, pretty much everything you do not want to find when searching for silver.
Then you have the “non-ferrous” metals, silver falls into this category along with gold, aluminum, copper and such.
In the Cobalt area, you will be introduced to a third type of metal, “arsenic/arsenides” and all of its friends. Arsenic makes up about 1.5 ppm of the Earth's crust, making it the 53rd most abundant element. Arsenic, cobalt, nickel, sulfur, iron all like to mix their chemistries with each other. By chemically combining, new minerals are formed (arsenides) and new products produced. Listed here are just a few of the minerals that are considered arsenides: (not necessarily all from the Cobalt are).
algodonite Cu6As
domeykite Cu3As
löllingite FeAs2
nickeline NiAs
rammelsbergite NiAs2
safflorite (Co,Fe)As2
skutterudite (Co,Ni)As3
sperrylite PtAs2
The Cobalt, Ontario area has long been known for silver, cobalt, nickel and the arsenides associated with them.
What this all means as far as detecting goes……..
The ferrous metals will be “picked up” by your metal detector including all the nails, nuts, bolts, rails, rail spikes, drill bits, building materials. All these things will set your detector off. All of these things you will find scattered around most if not all of the old mining sites.
The non- ferrous metals will be picked up by your detector. This will include the silver you seek and a host of other metals. Some of the metals you do not want to locate and will be a constant nuisance will be things such as aluminum foil, aluminum cans, aluminum building materials, copper wire, copper nails, lead battery plates, usually anything for electrical application. All the items mentioned here are easily found scattered about the old mines.
The arsenidies, minerals containing arsenic will be picked up on a detector. You will find them because this area is rich in them. Of the arsenides I located while detecting, they all have a silvery gray metallic look. My first reaction was always that of delight, thinking I had located a bit of silver. After digging up piles of this stuff, my delight turned and went south. Lying there buried for who knows how long, discarded and thrown to the winds, neglected, unwanted and considered worthless. Dull gray, metallic, bits, even large rock made up of arsenides will be easily locatable.
Throw in bits of nickeline, cobaltite and some of the others, your detector will surely get a work out.
I simply threw the pieces of arsenide away. However, I did a little study on the pieces brought up from the depths and concluded…..of all the many pieces I had located they all were very brittle. One smack of the hammer proved that. I faintly sniffed several specimens but sniffing is best left undone. Being silvery gray, metallic, brittle and having a certain amount of weight to them for their particular size, I was able to distinguish an arsenide from silver. Which was useful information. One type of arsenide for my purpose was the same as another. Several random samples were brought home for closer examination and study. Even burying one or two to use as a meter detector experiment will be helpful should I return to the Silver Fields of Cobalt where every day is full of sunshine. A pound of potatoes is a meal, the rocks are all the same color at night and the thought of finding silver will forever remain a thought.
As stated earlier, I was not properly prepared, did not practice long enough with all the samples of silver given to me and certainly did not practice in ground saturated with ferrous, non-ferrous and arsenide material. My detector does have “discrimination” ability and a host of other controls to pin point different metals. My detector also has an audible chirp sound and a scaled digital meter to aid in distinguishing between metals. It even can tell ferrous from non-ferrous metals. For me, while in Cobalt, I was actually practicing while detecting, making adjustments here and there as I went, experimenting on the fly. This type of maneuvering detrimentally effected my performance.
Summing this up………..I have lightly talked about the obstacles standing in your way for successful metal detecting of silver. With this information, use it.
Arsenic, Pollution, Tailings, Lack of Safe Guards
From a report from The Water Resources Commission, The Cobalt Camp, 1967, the report states: “Due to the absence of a programme of water resources management, a serious pollution problem has resulted from the discharge of mill tailings to the lakes of the area. Lakes have been filled with tailings in such a manner that the drainage streams carry off the material, deposit it along their courses and transport it to bodies of water not directly affected by the original disposal of waste. In this way, much of the water resources of the area has been contaminated by solids and arsenic, rendering these resources unfit for most uses. Rehabilitation of the lakes into which tailings have been discharged, by returning them to their original condition, is impossible”
Cart Lake as well as several other lakes were used as discharge areas for waste material. There is no lake here, only a vast sea of finely ground rock sediment.
A report from The Cobalt Mining Legacy,
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/environStudies.php
The Occurrence of Arsenic and Heavy Metal Contamination from Natural and Anthropogenic Sources in the Cobalt Area of Ontario. A masters thesis prepared by Charles Dumar, esy., Carleton University, 1993
“In the ore deposits of Cobalt, Ontario, silver is associated with arsenide and sulfarsenide minerals. These minerals occur in mine tailings, and oxidation of these minerals in tailings mobilizes arsenic. Groundwater in tailings contains high As concentrations, and this groundwater discharges into surface waters. During the summer, water soluble As-rich crusts form on the tailings, and heavy rains dissolve these crusts, flushing As into surface waters. Erosion of tailings, and redeposition of tailings in downstream water bodies also contributes to surface water contamination. Thus, tailings are an import source from of contamination for local surface waters. Surface waters around Cobalt contain high concentrations of As. Except for one lake, As concentrations in local water bodies range from 0.040 to 6.510 ppm, and the maximum acceptable concentration for freshwater aquatic life is 0.050 mg/L. Since As occurs naturally in the rock, some of the contamination is of natural origin. One lake unaffected by mining has a mean As concentration of 0.048 ppm. Some local groundwater also contains As, due to high As concentrations in various rock units. Most groundwaters used for consumption contain acceptable concentrations of As and heavy metals. Water from one well, in a campground, which is finished in a rock unit associated with high As concentrations in groundwater, has a mean As concentration of 6.970 ppm. Environmental contamination in the Cobalt area puts local ecosystems at risk, and there are a number of potential health threats to local residents, including: inhalation of dust from tailings, handling tailings and other solid materials, swimming in local lakes, and eating fish from these lakes”
The point here is to bring up the fact that arsenic is ever present in and on the waste rock piles and in the tailings clearly visible in numerous lakes and remains of lakes of the Cobalt area. As we all know, arsenic is a toxic material. With this in mind it is highly advisable to take just a few simple safety precautions. When detecting for silver wear waterproof plastic type gloves. After collecting, if possible place your exterior clothing and shoes in a plastic garbage bag so as to minimize the spread of dust. In your vehicle, have a container of what is called “wet wipes” or something of this nature, to wash your hands and face. Dispose of the wipes in the proper manner. If you remove your clothing…….keep in mind, you must bring fresh clothing for the drive back to base camp. It is probably not legal to drive without clothing.
Views of the Seneca Superior also on the remains of Cart Lake.
Besides the Seneca Superior using Cart Lake as a dumping site, other mines surrounding Cart Lake did as well, the Nipissing "96", the Savage, the Provincial,
The Savage Mine...
And the Provincial
For pets……..wipe their paws carefully, do not allow them to lick their paws. Do not allow them to drink water directly from an on-site source. After returning to basecamp, wash their paws thoroughly and dry.
Simply use common sense…. to minimize the spread of dust. Try your own methods to keep dust out of your vehicle and out of your basecamp.
Finding Silver:
If you are lucky enough to find what you think is silver do not expect it to be that bright shiny stone we all think it is. Far from it, I suggest you study the silver samples at the museum, on the MinDat website or photos on the Internet. The silver dug straight from the ground is not what you may expect it to be. Silver exposed to the environment, tarnishes (oxides) quickly and turns blackish, grayish, metallic looking. I once cleaned a silver tea set, dull, tarnished, and pretty ugly. Whatever I used to clean the silver with, the results were breath taking. After a short buff, the silver gleamed as if it were a mirror. This is not what the silver you find will look like. This tarnish is another of the reasons why you will not find silver lying on the surface. You could be standing next to or right in front of a sizable piece of silver and never see it. The tarnish acts as a camouflage blending the silver in with the surround rocks. This is a reason you will not find silver on the surface….it is camouflaged.
The silver you find may appear as a very thin layer on the outside of a rock. This layer could be so thin as to appear as a single point or a folded ribbon like structure bent over even curled. It could look like a strand of wire, It could be a patch like form of grayish stuff on a rock. Rub or buff this patch to see it shines. If it shines it is most likely silver. The silver may run through the entirety of the rock. You will probably need a rock saw using a diamond blade or a nice hammer to actually see the silver. The better choice is a wet rock saw. When cut, the shine will be most apparent. Look at small points on rocks, rub them on another rock, if you get a shine you may have silver.
As stated above arsenides are also that blackish grayish, metallic looking rock. It constantly fooled me. Bounce the rock in your palm, if it feels as if it has much weight for its size, it may be an arsenide. If you hit it with a hammer it should shatter. Silver on the other hand being metal should not shatter. Silver is highly malleable. It all comes down to experience.
So, I found Silver, Now What:
Whether it is silver, gold, opals or quartz varieties, tourmaline, whatever. There are several things to know before doing something you will regret later. When finding specimens in the field, study them over well enough to form an opinion as to their identification. Do not do anything else in the field, just look them over. If you decide to keep this specimen it will need to be protected. Thrown in your back pack along with your hammers and chisels is certainly not the way to do it. In your back pack you had earlier place a handful of newspaper in there with your hammer and chisels. We will wrap our specimen in this newspaper for protection. What I like to do is to include a note along with the specimen stating its location and GPS position, this is useful information for later.
After returning to basecamp, the urge will overpower you to sneak a peek. Gently unwrap your specimens and give them a good look. I like to fill several buckets with water and soak my finds overnight. Then next day a light spray from the hose will quickly clean much dirt and mud away. Now just leave them there to dry for a day or so. We’ll rewrap the specimens later adding the note and forget about them till we get home.
In the field, or on a deck of a rental property is no place to start cutting, chiseling, hammering or testing specimens. It would be like doing a surgical procedure in the same place. Should not happen here. At your home, you should have all the necessary tools, bench space, clamps, “dead blow hammers”, brass head hammers and an assortment of chisels to surgically do whatever you wish to do with your specimen. Surgically does not mean to beat the specimen into submission with a 10 pound hammer. Gently, go gently, easily, carefully, patiently, this rock could be a billion years old, it has all the time in the world to reveal its secrets. And, being that old it could be quite fragile. The forceful hit of a hammer could shatter a beautiful specimen into chunks of waste.
In the case of silver, please refer to the section on the Mindat website for treatment, identification and cleaning of silver.
http://www.mindat.org/mesg-19-31140.html
Here is how it used to be done…silver is easily soluble in nitric acid or in the much diluted muriatic acid , resulting in a white curdy precipitate of chloride of silver. Exposing this precipitate to sunlight causes a color change to a bluish-gray. In ammonia from which copper foil precipitates it in the form of metallic, spongy silver, and assuming its natural white color when rubbed in an agate mortar. Also, when moistened with sulphide of ammonium, bright silver will turn a yellowish- brown to gray color. Unless you have worked with acids and have the skills necessary, it would be foolhardy at best to play with fire. Not something for an unskilled person to do.
Surface Rock:
Let’s talk about the surface rocks in the area. I can not go into a geology lesson here. If you need a geology lesson go to the Internet and please do your own personal research, here are a few targets to search for but not limited to: “The Cobalt Nickel Arsenides and Silver Deposits of Temiskaming (Cobalt and adjacent areas) by Willet G. Miller”, “The Silver Arsenide Deposits of the Cobalt – Gowanda Region, 1971, L. G. Berry”, Silver Cobalt Calcite Deposits of Ontario, 1968, A. O. Sergiades. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of books, pamphlets, papers written about this subject.
From my personal experience, I have very unprofessionally concluded one sustaining fact. All the rocks on all the waste rock piles at Cobalt look the same. No matter what mine it is, day it is, what time of day it is, whether it is raining or shining, the waste rocks all look the same. Let me explain my meaning of “the same”. The same being color. All the rocks no matter where, no matter on which old mine or mining site, on which pile, on which dump, on which tailings all the rock seem to have the same color. They all appear to me as having that all too familiar grayish greenish color. Whether along a lake shore, in the water of a lake, on top of the hill by the large antenna array, the coloring is very similar. This is from my own personal observations. And, yes, I wear glasses and am not color blind. This prophetic aberration did not just come to me all at once, no, it quietly appeared to me maybe after day 5 or day 6 of metal detecting. Here I am, with a set of ear phones on walking mindlessly, wandering hopelessly on piles and piles of uncountable rock, from mine after mine site, patiently, calmly listening to beeping sounds. Maybe it was the water, maybe a mirage, maybe my mind playing tricks on me or maybe in fact it was true. Who’s to say…………the ole dog Keeno certainly can’t say.
The Cobalt area is literally riddled with shafts, tunnels, unground working, under lake workings. It is inconceivable the amount of rock dug out and transported to the surface and dumped. The number of old mines, prospects, diggings may very well be uncountable. At no point, in the area will you find a place that has no piles of stone. Stone is everywhere, piled in the town, piled in front of or behind houses, along roads. This is something to see along with a headframe built into a house. Names like “Glory Hole”, Silver Sidewalk” , Canadian Shield”, “Fred Larosa”, “Nipissing”, “Cart Lake”, Cleopatra”, “Right of Way” are all synonymous with Cobalt, Ontario. Songs were written about this place.
I wonder if anyone ever tallied up the actual total distance of all the combined tunneling done here. The number could be quite astonishing.
This entire area appears as a Dali surreal painting. A collecting trip lasting two weeks, two months or even two years could never sufficiently cover enough ground to have even made a dent in the total amount of ground here to cover. This entire place is like one gigantic mine waste rock pile. I looked over the piles and piles and wonder what is left underground to support all the rock on the surface? The entire area has been turned upside down. What was underground is now the surface and what was the surface is now under the piles of rock. All of that sits above an array of tunnels, shafts, cavities and hollowed out areas.
Rock Collectors Paradise:
One may think this is a rock collector’s paradise with all this exposed rock lying right on the surface, right there all within reach. Unfortunately (personal opinion) the area is not a rock collector’s paradise. I will be the first to point out my inability to identify most of the Cobalt area rock and minerals.
http://www.mindat.org/loc-535.html
According to the website list, there are 108 valid minerals locatable at Cobalt. But silver may be the biggest reason collectors come here. Yes, I found a number of different minerals. But, people come here for silver. During my two week stay, I did not see any other people looking for rocks, operating a detector, or walking the piles. Except of course the few days my human friend accompanied me. And, of course he had several places “secret treasure places” he took me to. In my opinion one place is as good as the next to search for silver. Silver is where you find it. I can not see how there are “good spots” In the two or three days we collected together my friend was far more lucky than I. He having the experience which gave him the advantage. He dug more holes than a gopher digging to China and yes, he did locate several nice pieces of silver. Me on the other hand, dug just as many holes and wasn’t quite as lucky. Though toward the end of two weeks I started to feel the power of the detector and did come home with several silver specimens.
Where to Begin:
On your silver collecting trip, may I suggest you get and use the ‘Silver Heritage Trail” map and start at the number one site working your way sequentially. This is by far the best approach to the Cobalt silver sites.
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/maps/Cobalt_Trail_Map.pdf
The Townsite Headframe (Map Site #1) and the Glory Hole (Map Site #2) is as good as any to begin at. Both places are back to back, right in town, easy and convenient to locate. Park right on the site, walk around, take photos. Remember to inquire about detecting rules and trespassing rules. I can not advise you and will not offer any advice. You have to do this for yourself. I can say, I covered a lot of ground and was never stopped or questioned about being on any particular property.
This is the best way to gain a little insight about what you will be up against and the use of your detector, especially if this is your first visit to Cobalt. Using the map you will drive to many of the local sites around the area easily. Using the trail map and depending on what your hopes are, your patient level and several other things you could locate all the map sites in several days. I located all the map sites during my two week stay. You may even have your own “secret “treasure sites” where you will begin at. Where ever you begin, go slow there is no need to rush because the next pile of rocks look exactly the same as the pile you are standing on now. Use your metal detector, take photos, take GPS points and have fun.
Head Frames, Shafts, Adits, Machinery and Mills:
Time ………….a universal constant, like apples and pi, continually moving forward. The seasons arrive, begin and end with each successive period. Time has eroded mountains, created and reformed land masses. An endless cycle of aging. Here to in Cobalt is that aging process being carried out with strict discipline. The wooden structures all iconic to each particular mining operation are slowly, gradually withering away, board by board and nail by nail. The all too familiar head frames. The wooden structures built atop a mine shaft to raise and lower miners, materials and ore. They are unique to each mine, probably no two are identical, though their purpose is. Each mine shaft, if deep enough, required a head frame, a closed in container for the miners to travel up and down in and a mechanical hoisting mechanism. Looking through the MinDat database at older historic photos, more recently member posted photos and the current photos here, notice how the structures are giving way to time.
Crown Reserve…
Lawson Mine...
Right of Way...
Townsite Mine...
Waldman Mine...
Nipissing "73"...
Open Mine Shafts and Adits
Regardless of the number of signs proclaiming "keep out", fences, barricades, or the written warnings I could type here, people simply want to see stuff. I will warn you to avoid open shafts, capped shafts and adits, but you aren't going to heed my words..........Therefore here are several photos of what to stay clear of. On a personal side note, I try to stay a "reasonable" distance from such things. Remember age, erosion, weathering are all part of the natural environment and these elements are constantly at work. What you may think is a "safe" concrete capped shaft could very well have major interior faults. The freeze - thaw cycle is a nasty instigator. Standing on or even near a questionable object could result in a collapse. Photographing dangerous situations is best done with a telephoto or zoom style lens. Here is a photo of a sign on the roadway leading to the Wyandoh Mine. I think this illustrates the gravity of a dangerous situation.
Kerr Lake Majestic...
King Edwards...
Mensilvo...
Nerlip Mine...
Little Silver Vein...
Silver Cliff Mine ruins:
The Cobalt mills extracted as much silver (and other minerals) as was possible with the equipment of that time period. Of the mills, concentrators, stampers I visited, all are in ruins. Their wooden exteriors gone, concrete footings and foundations are all that remind us they were here.
Colonial Mine and Stamp Mill...
Northern Customs "104" Mill...
Nova Scotia Mine and Mill...
Nipissing Hill...this is a "must see" area. A major silver recovery area Nipissing occupied the entire hill, with mills for the separation of high grade and low grade material, shafts, surface veins. The operations extended down the hill to Cobalt Lake and Peterson Lake. An ariel tramway (see photo) transported material down the hill, across the roadways to other facilities.
At the High Grade Mill, I located a large number of erythrite and annabergite specimens.
Plus.....a most wondrous find, thanks to my metal detector. While detecting in and around the erythrite and annabergite material my detector chirped loudly. Thinking silver was here also, I dug up a few smaller stones and pulled out this metal plate. At first I thought it was ferrous, tarnished and rusted looking, but I was able to read a few letters. It went into my back pack for later. At basecamp, rubbing it by hand with dish washing liquid, the tarnish washed clear and what was thought to be ferrous is non ferrous brass. This is an identification plate from a WilFley Concentrator. From the Mine and Smelter Supply Company, dated April 18, 1916. Though the plate is less than pristine, it certainly was a great find.
Last but not least...I would like to share my most memorable "find". Though this discovery was not silver, not precious in any sense of the word, it will always be remembered, because it came with me. How could it not have? We were at the Northern Customs site exploring, walking around, photographing. The K-dog and I stopped for a snack. Putting all my gear away in the vehicle and unclipping the dog, we wandered along with the detector and no headset. A few chirps here, a few there...then without much fan fare a long loud growl from the detector. No, it was not silver, it was the sound of ferrous metal, a lot of ferrous metal. Why would I dig? Who knows? I had a small hole going when rubber was spotted. Rubber is not metallic. The small hole enlarged and enlarged. There was black rubber coating some king of iron form. What was this? Now a small excavation revealed the buried treasure. A boat propeller.........what?
First aid:
Why should I discuss first aid? Possibly to save your life. Regardless of your age, profession, rock collecting abilities and or skill level, having the necessary equipment and knowledge of first aid techniques is something everyone should know a little about. I can not go into medical details here but you can do just a little research for yourself.
While out “in the field” whether close to others or miles from no-where a little medical knowledge could save your life. And, to take this one step farther…not only for you but any members in your group. In your backpack you should have a small first aid kit and a simple first aid manual. That equipment should be stored in one of these plastic freezer bags to keep the gear clean and dry. You should already be familiar with the first aid manual and have practiced the basic procedures. This is serious business so be prepared. Be prepared to treat cuts of any size, know how to control bleeding, splinting of broken bones, removing material from the eye, removing splinters, blisters from wearing inappropriate shoes and several other items. Read the first aid manual. Heart attacks can spring out of nowhere, are you prepared to treat yourself or another? By carrying one simple aspire in a small waterproof container, you could very well save your live, a friend’s or a loved one.
If and when you go to Cobalt in search of silver it will become quite apparent very quickly, falling into one of these open pits, cuts, crevices is a very real possibility. Tripping and falling anywhere on these waste rock piles is a very real possibility. How could that happen you ask when most of the dangerous stuff is fenced in. By being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Falling into one of these water filled pits is a real possibility. If you are alone and fall into even a small pit and break a leg, will you l lay there helpless and bleed out or will you save yourself?
Do not rely on having cell phone service, you may not be able to connect. You are on your own… sink or swim. Just have the proper gear and know how to use it.
Where Did I Leave The Keys:
In your haste to “dig in” you parked the car, grabbed your detector and off you went. After several hours you return to the car, reach in your pocket and don’t feel your car keys. OOH…OOH! “Where did I leave the keys”, your mind rushes, hurriedly scanning the brain for an answer, your blood pressure peaks out, your heart thump, thumping, thumping. Well, where did you leave the keys? The best solution to overcome this problem is to designate a safe place to always, always, always put you keys. If you carry gear in your front pockets, your front pockets are not where to carry your keys. Simply removing gear continually offers a good opportunity for the keys to be pulled from the pocket with the gear and fall to the ground unnoticed. I carry my keys in my empty front left pocket. I am right handed. Nothing is in my front left pocket. I also use a regular key to pants belt loop chain. A very safe thing to do. But, where did I leave my wallet?
Where Did I Park the Vehicle:
You will not be needing your keys or your wallet if you don’t remember where you left your vehicle. This is a handy tip I like to use. With a handheld GPS unit or a compass or even both. I use both. Assuming you know how to use each of these. With the GPS, place a way point where the car is, it is then very easy to find your way back. It is very easy to get disoriented in the woods, rock piles, wandering without paying attention to where your vehicle is. Or with a compass, set you north bearing locate a landmark off in the distance and remember where it is and start walking and detecting. When returning, set your north bearing and return in the opposite direction
One nice thing about the old fashioned compasses they don’t need a battery. And, if by chance you did not remember to carry extra batteries with you, well then! No more be said.
Historic Site You Can Not Visit:
Of historical interest………….On one of the dirt roads we traveled were the usual road signs, one stating Hydro Plant, the other Ragged Chutes. Not knowing what these sites were and before driving there I did an Internet search and was amazed with the story behind the Ragged Chutes.
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/power.php
Please read about this site before you go there. There is nothing there to see. By at least reading about it, your inquisitive mind will be fulfilled.
Of course there are other websites you can find info on, this is just too wet your interest. Very briefly, I never considered power…..what source of power did the mines and miners use? In the early mines men and animals provided the necessary power needed, man-power or horse-power. Compressed air and electricity soon replaced hand power. Coal was the fuel of choice to produce the power to operate the air compressors and electrical machinery. The above web article states in 1909, 100, 000 ton of coal was used at a cost of $5.50 per ton in the Cobalt area. One drill could cost $250 per month to operate.
About six miles from Cobalt on the Montreal River a dam and power station were built. The Hound Chute Generating Station opened in 1911 and is still in operation today. Not far from the Hound Chute station another plant was also built that was….. simply put…….is amazing. This plant had no moving parts, required no fuel but was able to supply all the compressed air the mines needed. (*** Note: the space shuttle is stated to have 2.5 million moving parts.) Sounds crazy. Through the employment of falling water where no water falls were, compressed air was produced. This story is a “must” read”. Extremely interesting and thought provoking. Why can’t something like this be used today in many different industries? Natural, Mother Nature power. Why…….the investment to build such a plant that basically needs little to no maintenance, no workers and no fuel could not possibly survive. The greedy, price gouging, industrial wealth grabbers could never recoup their investment. To produce this energy costs basically nothing…..how much could the plant owner charge for free energy? Industries themselves need to be made aware of this application. They could utilize this technology and cut their own operating costs and pass some of saving on to the consumers. I never heard of such a thing…….the technology or passing the saving on to the consumer.
My interest grew rather quickly in this matter because at many of the sites I visited, I had seen in the ground, half buried or even exposed along roadways large rusted iron pipes. The purpose of these pipes were a mystery to me. Upon reading the story, I drove to see the facility. Unfortunately no one in all of Canada feels this site is worthy of historical note. The hydro plant is gated and fenced in with barbed wire. The air generation plant also gated, posted, no plaque, no nothing, grown over along the road so thickly a single photo was not to be had. Wake up Canada……give recognition where recognition is due. This plant, this technology is like it is purposely being hidden from view. I’m surprised this information is even on the Internet.
I did locate numerous instances of semi-buried pipe at many mining sites. Here on the road to the old compressed air facility main line pipe are visible above ground , even unbolted joints sit on wooden support carriages.
We did take one or two days off from collecting, it wasn’t all work and no play. I sat on the deck looking over my "treasures. Look over what was brought back to basecamp, all sorts of things, large rock containing silver, drill bits, core samples, rail spikes.
We drove to Gowgand for a look around, though no mine site exploring was undertaken. Stopped for a burger and diet Pepsi at a roadside place. Keeno had a hot dog (hahaha) and a water. Gogawanda was another large area where many silver discoveries were made and history abounds. I’ll leave the research and stories to you.
Of Special Interest:
It is always a thrill to locate items from a previous time, antiques, relics, pottery, whatever. I was especially lucky to have the privilege of rooting through someone's garbage while out in the woods. What better place to find old, discarded personal items and basic junk than in a dump? Yes, old leather shoes, loads of broken glass bottles, metal items, rusted pot and pans......all discarded stuff no one wanted. But, in the mass of debris I did locate a few things of interest...assay dishes. These old dishes were very likely used here in Cobalt by the assay office people to test the samples of silver brought in from the mines. Even better yet, the dishes are stamped BatterSea Works England. Never pass up the opportunity to dig through someone else's trash. Their trash could be your treasure. Should anyone be interested in more information concerning the assay dishes please contact me.
Is anyone aware of the following exhibit:
It is called the Haileybury Rock Walk, the Haileybury School of Mining Rock Park…whatever it is named, do not plan on finding it advertised anywhere. I was not aware this park existed, did not see signs directing to me visit it, saw no billboard, road signs or paper advertisements anywhere. I have asked associates if they were aware of this rock walk and it seems quite odd no one knows anything about this.
See the website from 2001…….
http://www.northernminer.com/news/haileybury-to-open-rock-garden/1000164786/
2001
Now visit the site from 2014. They are seeking donations in excess of $800, 000 to update the rock walk. Why would anyone donate to this project, when no one knows about it???? Purely by accident I found it listed on the Internet. Obviously, not knowing about the walk, I did not visit.
http://www.republicofmining.com/2014/07/29/haileybury-park-upgrade-seeks-mining-industry-support-by-lindsay-kelly-northern-ontario-business-july-28-2014/
2014
Just wanted to relay this information in case you are planning this area. After reading about the rock walk it sounds very interesting. And, it upsets me I missed it for lack of proper advertisement.
This lack of advertising is what is surely causing the local economy to suffer. I stated earlier, the Cobalt area is not a tourist type area. And, here lies the lack of infusion of trade, tourists and tax dollars. No growth results to stagnation, and stagnation causes fewer and fewer new people from coming in. The end result is no solid financial base, real estate valves fall, people move out and the town withers and dies. Contributing factors include not showing people the sights, sounds, attraction that will attract people. Certainly people drive to this area to search for silver, minerals and the old mine experience. This is the key, the mineral and mining attractions are there so go over board and advertise to attract as many as possible. Get the word out, we have the minerals, we have the mines, we have a “rock walk”.
Uploading Photos to MinDat or anywhere for that matter:
It is far more pleasant to view a clear, well balanced photo on the Internet instead of an overly dark or overly light photo.
http://www.mindat.org/mesg-6-375061.html
I posted a question to the MinDat Message Board and inquired as to the use of a photo manipulative program such as Photoshop and or others. My intentions was to see what kind of response the MinDat community would reply. Several such photos uploaded earlier have listed in the photo description as having been PhotoShopped. Seeing this pasted to my photos in turn upset me, thinking the community would frown up such photos and such practice. Read the replies. It appears the community approves of the use of manipulative photo programs which enhance the view of such photos. So it is an acceptable practice to lighten or darken those types of photos.
My two week stay came and went so quickly I could hardly believe it. I did bring home a number of items, trophies of my trip. This trip was more of a learning experience than anything. Should there be a next time, yes, I’ll be a little more prepared. During my time at Cobalt, I walked the rock piles of many of the former mines, located several silver specimens, located several other mineral specimens, located old metal machine plaques, bottles, assaying equipment, nuts, bolts, one hundred old drill bits, light gauge ore cart rail spikes, a variety of interesting iron objects, a large heavy boat propeller. I carted home trophy after trophy and at least one thousand photos. Yes, it was a very good trip. Like Ole Cristóvão Colombo used to do. But, unlike him I don’t think my trip will cause as big a sensation as his nor will my trip open the gates to conquest, rape, robbery, murder and genocide of the indigenous people.
The trip home was long, K-dog not having a valid driver’s license, left all the driving to me while he laid in the back most of the trip, snoring. Occasionally he would get in one of those deep dog dream states, where his hind legs would be moving as if he were running. One can only imagine what he was dreaming about. I would laugh too loudly while watching him and wake him. He in turn, would lift his head and looking at me as if to say “I’m not sleeping”.
Unfortunately Cobalt does not have a rock shop.
For those interested, additional Cobalt area mine locality photos abound in my photo section.
If but a single person found a few moments of enjoyment here, my effort was not in vain.
Comments are always welcome. Constructive criticism even more so. Send me a PM or find me on FB.
Thank you and Good Silver Hunting
Frank
Cobalt, Ontario: The Practical Side in the Search for Silver
It' where you find it
Introduction:
Let's face it……Silver is where you find it. There are no “secret spots” as some may believe. The Cobalt, Ontario silver area has literally been combed with a fine tooth comb in the search for silver. Very little of this highly sought after metal remains, but….for those equipped to locate the last remnants, the bits and pieces, scattered through the billions and billions of tons of waste rock piles, treasure awaits you.
What this article is not attempting to accomplish: present detailed geologic information concerning the Cobalt, Ontario area, discuss mines or mining sites in detail except to present photos of such sites, discuss localized arsenic pollution, nor will this article present in detail, rock or minerals in any degree, to the point of collectability, identification.
This article only hopes to present informational material one could find helpful on a trip to the silver riches of Cobalt. The practical things one sometimes overlooks but, could use, suggestions to think about, things to be aware of and be prepared for. Whether your collecting leads you to Cobalt or not, several issues here can be worth considering when on a collecting trip anywhere.
Who has not heard of the 1845 copper mining boom of upper Michigan? Sutter’s Mill or the California gold rush of 1849? The Cobalt silver rush of 1903. The Comstock Lode, African diamonds, Afghanistan mineral wealth, China, Russia, vast mineral discoveries have occurred over the entire planet from time to time. This not only includes the precious metals of antiquity, it includes the industrial minerals and all metals, the ores of Lake Superior, the gem stones, the talc, marble, on and on. People, no matter where the discovery was, or the time period involved, wanted a piece of it and if they could not be there physically they certainly dreamed of the riches to be had by simply digging in the ground or blasting through solid rock. Gold Fever they called it, as if it were a medical affliction. Gold rush, silver rush, land rush, whatever the source of wealth waiting out there, a stampede of humanity ran wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. Claims were filed, stock certificates were being printed by the millions, stakes, claims, headframes, hanging walls, footwalls, miners, saloons, life and death situations - “salted” mines (???). There were “get rich” quick schemes also. I wish I could have been a part of one of these “rushes”. Those were the good old days!!!
But if one really lets their imagination roam free, we (collectors) all are part of these old “rushes” of bygone days. We may have arrived a hundred or two hundred years after the fact but this is what makes any mineral specimen discovery and or finds all that more notable. The mineral specimens we locate today, from the old sites, were dug up from the Earth during those earlier times. In fact, many of the specimens we have collected already were part of much larger discoveries from one of these old mineral mining sites. If we are collecting on an old mining site, an abandoned site, digging through, metal detecting in or even using a Geiger Counter over, these old waste rock piles, we are part of history. The waste rock piles we search through today are the same waste rock piles that were generated years ago when the particular mine was active.
In the early attempts at extracting mineral wealth from the Earth, these miners, in their haste to get to the metals, ores, the veins did overlook some of the smaller, insignificant material being hauled up from a shaft or out of a mine. They may have simply missed bits and pieces of the valuable material upon inspection. Whatever or however is of no consequence today. We search through these waste rock piles for specimens that were left behind.
In the summer of 2015, Cobalt, Ontario and the many waste rocks piles in the area was my destination. Cobalt was one of those old mining towns. The last stock certificates were printed long, long ago, remnants of the old mines, now abandoned, flooded, idle, are still there. The waste rock piles are just as fresh and alive as they were during their “Glory Days” and most of these piles still contain silver specimens which were dug up a hundred years or more ago.
All of the metals of antiquity have extremely interesting histories. Antiquity as referred to as prehistory. These metals are seven in number and they are: gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, iron, mercury. Today there are ninety one known metals. It was the metals which commanded the greatest value and the greatest esteem and shaped our world. From antiquity to this very day, metals have been used to adorn our bodies, used for coinage, tools, weapons, planes, trains, spacecraft, nuclear reactors on and on. The search for metals has been a continual process since the beginning of time, wars have been waged over metals, civilizations rose and fell overs metal, a countless number of people have died over metal. Metals have been smelted, forged, annealed, melted, hammered, rolled, and alloyed.
From the earliest beginnings, the human species has forever been attracted to gold and silver more than any of the other of the metals. It is as if these two (gold more so than silver) contain some magical power, casting a spell on the human mind. Calling to us all, regardless our age, sex, place of origin, race, religion, these two metals call to all of us. What is this power it commands? Early man wanted it, the early civilizations wanted it, the Egyptian’s wanted it, the Greeks, the Turks, Romans, Russians, French, Aztecs, Mayans, Hindus, the Chinese warlords. All throughout human history our species have sought after gold and or silver. The alchemist’s goal was to transmutate base metals into gold.
Let’s have a little fun here and try an experiment of our own. For the sake of the experiment we must accept one or two premises as being truthful. If I posed a question…. being in all sincerity and truthfulness, and within the boundaries of the law, not being stolen or received as stolen and with no farther rebuttals or questions ….99.9% of you will answer in the affirmation. Let’s see. Here is the experiment….I have bars of gold and or silver in my passion weighing one pound each of 99.999% purity. You can choose a single bar of your choice of metal or you can refrain from choosing at all. What would your answer be?
Last year, on the television, a program conducted this very same experiment. Instead of silver however, they used a chocolate bar. The experiment went like this…….a man standing on a street corner would stop people walking by and ask if they would like a chocolate bar (a known brand still in the wrapper) or a comparably sized bar of gold. Yes, many people kept walking (which I probably would have done also) but a large number of people who did stop made a selection. Of the two selections being offered: gold or chocolate, 100% of the people who did make a selection chose……………It was uncanny that everyone made the same choice. Why is that?
For as bright as these metals shine, their shine is but an illusion. For these metals have a dark and terrible side. Another unseen power which borders on the perverse and manipulative by its nature. What do we see in these two metals when we peer into the shiny metallic rock? What we do not see is the metal itself. We see things other than the physical metal. We look beyond the metal as if this metal was opening a gateway to another place. Do we see wealth, fortune, new cars, houses, gambling, vacations? And, while we dream, do we also see trying to obtain more and more and more? Did anyone see themselves giving this metal, this bar of riches to a charity, a person in true need, a homeless person, a legless veteran?????? Yes, some of you may have. I personally feel the majority would not.
From historical accounts those who found the gold and or silver usually dreamed of personal wealth, wanted more, waged war to get more, caused untold and uncountable deaths and destruction. They were usually not of the mind to share the wealth. “The Age of Exploration” exemplifies this in no uncertain terms. Christopher Columbus, in Italian it is Cristoforo Colombo; in Spanish the name is Cristóbal Colón and in Portuguese - Cristóvão Colombo, just so it will be unmistakable to whom my reference is made, under the authority of king, queen, and Catholic monarchs, was provided the means to locate a short route to the spice lands. All four of his missions were total and complete failures but, he was able to accomplish the greatest feat possibly the Earth has ever seen. He is the father and the instrument of total and complete genocide of entire civilizations. It was through his explorations, he himself and those who followed, decimated human cultures as old as the earliest Egyptians. There can be absolutely no argument that could possibly be presented in his defense that would nullify what he caused. Does anyone think for one second the early explores were simply “nice guys” taking boat rides? No, all of them, each and every one were seeking wealth, fortune, fame, gold, glory, silver, jewels, land, slaves. And, if what they considered “savages” stood in their way they were simply removed by any means necessary. Killing them being the easiest. The early explorers raped, robbed, plundered and stole everything and anything they found being made of metal (gold or silver) or jewels. They enslaved the indigenous peoples, forced them to work or die. Took their mines, their women, killed their cultures, their religions, infected them with bacteria’s the indigenous people had no natural defense against. Today, we can only imagine the horrors committed against these people.
Many many similar events took place all across the world, in different times, lands, different people, and in what was later to become the USA. The American Indian had their land stolen, they were forced to live outside their ancestral grounds, treated less than a human being and finally decided to fight for what was rightfully theirs. Which did not end so well for them.
The United States government recognized the Black Hills, in the Dakota Territory, as belonging to the Sioux by the Treaty of Laramie in 1868. Sometime in1860s, a Roman Catholic missionary named Father De Smet reported to have seen Indians carrying gold which was said to have from the Black Hills. The “Black Hills Gold Rush: began in 1874, with the arrival of General George Armstrong Custer and a force of 1000 men. And again, a stampede of humanity ranning wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. Even though the land was owned by the Sioux. They did find gold in numerous places along their trip, but things changed drastically when the men reached Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks all in the Black Hills owned by the Native American Indians. These two areas were said to reveal a veritable fortune in gold. By 1876, thousands of gold-seekers flocked into the Dakota Territory and the Black Hills. Along with miners and prospectors came civilization and the famous “boom towns sprang up”. The rest is history…………..
Did anyone see the 1948 movie, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”? Excellent movie with an excellent proverbial ending. Well worth viewing.
Gold and or silver have no magical powers, no unseen control ray beams, no natural or supernatural powers. What they do have however is the ability to bring out the best and the worst in humanity. And with that being said…….. having the opportunity to dig for silver in Cobalt, Ontario was just as thrilling and alluring today as it was in days gone by, and well deserving of a rock collecting trip.
Historical background:
Cobalt, Ontario is labeled the “Silver Capital of Canada” and is a national historic site of Canada. During the summer of 1903, during the construction of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway, silver was discovered in around mile post 103. During the construction of any rail bed requires a graded, long, flat stretch of land, it must be above water, wooden timbers are cut to specific sizes and laid on a dirt or rocky base. Iron rails are attached to these timbers using metal plates and iron spikes or screws. This graded area is called the rail bed. The rail bed must lie basically flat as seen with a transit, not by viewing physically. In the case of dips, holes, wet areas, swamps, depressions, fill in the form of soil, sod, rock, boulders must be employed to fill in the depressions and create a flat surface. In the case of a steep grade, hill, mountain, arraignments must be made to lessen the elevation to an acceptable level or to tunnel through said elevations.
While digging and excavating in the area, rocks, boulders were blown apart using dynamite. Lowering an elevated area required removal of the material creating the elevated area. During this construction, silver was discovered while digging, dynamiting. The silver was found laying on the surface under brush, under fallen trees just lying there on the surface. Long deep, massive veins of silver lay on the surface for untold ages, eroding, weathering, exposing the metal. Most of the early miners were not even actual miners at all. They may never been in or worked a mine. The early miners simply dug the silver directly off the surface. These workers were employed to build a rail line not to partake in mining ventures. So their experiences were limited.
Names like Fred LaRose are synonymous with the silver finds of Cobalt, Ontario. Hired to work for the railroad as a blacksmith. Mr. LaRose set up a shack and shop at mile post 103 and proceeded to do what blacksmiths do. LaRose noted that he found a float as big as his hand, with little sharp points all over it. He said nothing, but thinking about the McKinley and Darragh discoveries earlier. Mr. LaRose said on two occasions he went out under the cover of darkness with pick in hand and on the secong trip out found the vein where his float was from. He had no idea it was silver, but thought it might be copper. He staked a claim and forgot about it. When his contract with the railroad expired, LaRose left Cobalt headed for his home in Hull, Quebec.
On his return, LaRose stopped in Haileybury to show the samples he had to a hotel owner. He also stopped in Mattawa and showed his samples to a local store owner hoping someone could identify them. In the meantime the hotel owner, suspecting La Rosa had found something, sent a cable to his brother in Montreal about La Rose’s samples. The brother met La Rosa in Hull and offer him $3, 500 for just one half the claim. Remember, in the early 1900”s $3,500would have been a sizable amount of money.
A short time later the hotel owner showed some of the samples to a guest named Thomas W. Gibson, the Director of the Ontario Bureau of Mines. Mr. Gibson identified the samples as niccolite, a nickel bearing ore. Gibson sends the samples to Willet Green Miller, a professor at Queen's University and Ontario's first Provincial Geologist. Along with the samples, Gibson includes a note that stated….. "If the deposit is of any considerable size it will be a valuable one on account of the high percentage of nickel which this mineral contains. I think it will be almost worth your while to pay a visit to the locality before navigation closes."
Within two years the Cobalt “Silver Rush” was in full bloom, attracting people from all over Canada, USA, UK, everywhere. Whatever the source of wealth waiting out there, a stampede of humanity ran wildly, blindly, headlong into the abyss, all having a common goal. Get to the riches and get there first. The town of Cobalt sprang up like a wild weed seed being watered. And, this is and was similar to the California towns which popped up as the result of gold fever and every other boom town. By the year 1908, the Cobalt area mines were producing 9% of the entire world’s silver production. It was reported in 1911 the silver mines had produced 31,507,791 ounces of silver. It was if this entire area was made of silver.
For nearly thirty years, men and mines penetrated the earth digging out the precious metal. From deep down within the bowels of the earth men lived, worked, aged and yes, some died down there searching, searching for a dream. Like countless numbers of people before them in all sorts of environments, on all the places of the planet men, like burrowing animals dug down and down, farther and further, deeper and deeper into the soil with but a single thought in mind…….silver. It has been said the only thing constant on Earth is change. And, as more and more and more of the silver was removed over the years, less and less was being found. And, like all good things, it had to come to an end. By the 1930’s the silver was all but gone. Some revival was attempted later here and there but not to the degree as in the early days. After it was all said and done, the Cobalt area mines produced 460 million ounces of silver. The silver was gone but the old mines remained. The uncountable pile after pile of waste rock brought up from the depths of the earth now lay on the surface. With no water management plans, the tailings filled local lakes to their brim, erasing them from existence. The area appeared as a moon scape, poked and pitted, scraped and scared. The forests were gone, the timber used in the mines as supports, as a source of heating, home building, town building, railroad building. As the silver petered out, mines shut down, employment was a difficult thing to come by. Jobs and a steady income was a major concern for all. So, people moved on. Moved farther “up the line” maybe to the gold fields maybe beyond. As they once flocked to Cobalt in droves, now they leave Cobalt as they arrived. Slowly the town of Cobalt grew less and less important, the train which in its hay day transported people, equipment, continuously into this boom town now made fewer and fewer stops here. But the railroad continued on and on transporting people, miners, equipment farther and farther.
As a special historical note…….as the rail line continued farther and farther and as prospectors, fur trappers and civilization in general traveled farther and farther north, gold was discovered at the Porcupine Lake area. This caused the Porcupine Gold Rush of 1909, the Kirkland Lake Gold Rush of 1912. The town of Timmins came into being as a place where trappers, prospectors and the like could find refuge. But as luck would have it, in 1909 a man named Harry Preston was doing some local prospecting. He slipped on a rocky hillside. Supposedly the heels of his boots, as he fell, stripped the moss off of a large rock and revealed a large vein of gold. Later this vein became known as the Dome Mine. This vein measured several hundred feet in length. Also, in 1910 the Hollinger Gold Mine was in production here.
For as many times as I fell the only thing I got was a bruise. Maybe I’m not falling right?
I had given some thought to driving a little farther north of Cobalt to visit Timmins possibly do some metal detecting, but decided against it. I had supposed, that since gold was involved there, all the properties there were most likely posted. And, searching for gold on private property was not a good idea. It is certainly best not to run afoul of the law when in a foreign country.
And, after it was all over, all said and done, wealth being measured by the ounce, fortunes made in very short amounts of time, people realized they were being poisoned from arsenic.
The Practical Side in the Search for Silver:
My visit to Cobalt was for a two week period. And begins with my arrival there. It was a long drive from the Pittsburgh, Pa. area northward to the Canadian-American border crossing in New York at Niagara Falls. Passing through Mississauga, maneuvering the myriad of highways like veins in the human body, Highway 11 was finally located. Now, it was due north, passing through towns like: Orillia, Washago, Bracebridge, Scotia, Trout Creek, North Bay, Owaissa, Latchford and finally the town of Cobalt itself.
Many town’s set-up large welcoming road signs to announce “You Have Arrived”. These types of signs are great to photograph. Usually this friendly greeting sign has the town name printed, standing out, bold and suggestive, colorful and ahead of and in front of anything else. It is a friendly way of inviting the traveler in and welcoming the them, like saying “Hi”. Having a photo of a town sign adds to the telling of a story. This particular sign at Cobalt had me slightly bewildered………..above the beautiful Cobalt “Silver Capital of Canada” were the overly large letters spelling out P-A-R-K-I-N-G (???) Obviously it means RV parking, but just maybe they should have two separate signs. One for the town greeting and one for the RV parking. In mu opinion the rv stuff spoils the beautiful town sign.
Plenty of Parking
Cobalt, like all mineral “boom towns” is only a shell of its former glory. Cobalt is a small town with a population of 1500. I took a photo of another town in Ontario several years ago with a population of 5. Have always wondered if the population ever changed!
Staying in the Cobalt area:
For me, a rock collecting trip could last 2-4 weeks. During my stay, I want to be comfortable, as if being at home. Over the years, my “must have” list has grown continually with each new trip. My personal choice for comfort and accessibility is to rent a privately owned rental cottage. Unlike a short term, tight fitting motel room on the second floor, cottages have numerous advantages. A cottage has onsite parking, usually right by the front door on the ground level. A porch or deck at the entryway allows me to lay out wet clothing to dry, it offers a place to lay out all the treasures collected each day to look over and to hose off and partially clean and not bring loads of soil and dirt home. In the evenings a deck allows one to sit outside, maybe run a barbeque grill and listen for the loons. A cottage also offers kitchen space to prepare your own meals which saves money as compared to eating out every day. In addition, it offers multiple bedrooms, living room.
Staying at a privately owned rental cottage, maybe on a lake or stream, here you have privacy and are able to “get the feel” of the area, as compared to staying in a confined motel A search on the Internet for private cottages lasted weeks and turned up very little. The Cobalt area was a most difficult area to find accommodations. And, just not to upset local folks and or businesses, for my purposes, let me stress “my purposes” the Cobalt area offers little to no privately owned cottage rentals or even hotel/motel accommodations. Of the few private cottages located on the Internet, their rental price were far too restrictive. There are several motels and a number of small, rustic to very rustic cottages, campers and trailers available depending how far you want to drive and the amount of time you wish to spend getting to and from the old mining sites. I personally would not consider this area a vacationer’s paradise. The area seems to cater to the fisherman, lumbermen and overnight or short term stays, so the available rentals are geared as such. Lakes abound in this area, boat rentals, fishing gear are all available. I also prefer being in a centrally located spot, within a 5-10 mile drive to former mining activities, dining, grocery story, gas station, stores/shops no matter where my collecting leads me to.
After a long Internet search, I chose a motel complex site over a cottage and this particular motel site for several reasons. This site is not just a motel complex. It is a motel but also offers smaller cabin type rental units say for a one or two day excursion hunting, fishing, collecting or whatever. They also rent one or two larger cottages for guests who don’t like that “squished in” motel feeling. So, the biggest reason for choosing this site was because of the limited selection of privately owned cottages in a “reasonable” rental range. I rented one of the larger cottages overlooking Lake Timiskaming.
Cottage 1
Cottage 2
Cottage 3
My “basecamp” is just outside of Haileybury which is close to Cobalt, directly across the lake is Quebec. This place has all the amenities I want in a cottage rental site, the biggest being its location in reference to everything else. It is centrally located and is a very short drive to get anywhere. From this location, a visitor has a very convenient access to the main highway, centrally located to the old mining sites, the town, shopping and dining spots. The rental price was fair, the cottage was perfect for my needs with small deck facing the parking and the lake with barbeque grill included. A wonderful lady lives on site who functions as the operator, the leaning lady, the rent collector, the landscaper, the "do's all", she can answer all your questions. She was a highlight of the stay. Also this site has on-site coin operated washers and dryers, which in itself is wonderful. And…….on-site Wi-Fi. What a place. This was the perfect choice for me.
Traveling with Pets:
This was my first trip to Cobalt. I considered leaving my best associate home. But, when he looks up at me with those big watery eyes and that sad face, I can’t help but to say to him ”OK…get in the car” My friend is a big, 98 pound Labrador Retriever, full blooded, male, named Keeno. He is an excellent hunter, watch dog, guardian, companion and a rock and mineral collector in training. Though, he sez all the rocks look the same to him. Big K or simply K-dog loves to ride in a car. Guess they all do, wonder why?
Pets are the same as you and I, they have the same needs as you and I. Food, water, some snacks, walking around and doing their business…….just the same as you and I. Think of your pet before yourself. And, never leave a pet in a car with the windows up. Your windows will be up because you had the air condition on. If you have to leave a pet, open the windows slightly, all windows so as to get air flow. Temperatures in a sealed car on a sunny day can reach upwards to 120 degrees, enough to kill an animal. They suffer terribly before dying. Place yourself in a sealed car on a sunny and see for yourself. It is always better not to leave a pet in a car but take them with you, on a suitable short leash holding them with both hands and not just one. Other pets can be carried in “pet bags”.
If you are crossing international boundaries, such as I was, find out what the laws are for transporting pets into foreign countries are. Otherwise your pet may be impounded. Do the research weeks before you plan going so you will have the time to ensure your pet has all the required shots and vaccines. You will also need papers signed by your veterinarian.
Bring your own dog food and bottled water for your pet. Better to be prepared than find out later. And while traveling, though you may be in a hurry and have a big bladder your pet has no sense of time and a small bladder. Make a few extra stops to allow your pet to relieve themselves. Have water available in the vehicle also.
Vehicle Rental:
After arriving, its first things, check in, unpack the rental vehicle, unpack the rock gear, attend to Keeno, then have some dinner. Renting a vehicle for a rock collecting excursion has many advantages over using your personal vehicle. If you rent, remember one very critical element…you will need a high sitting vehicle first off. I always rent a six seat van, unbolt the last two seats and leave them at home. This way room is no problem. Sitting high is a necessity in case you drive off-rode or on old mine roads. Expect roads to be washed out in areas, large puddles, flowing water, even an occasional stream to cross and the bump bump bump of railway timbers. Tire punctures are always a possibility. Without being prepared you could be in deep trouble.
Vehicle Necessaries:
Inspect the rental’s spare tire just to be sure there is one and ensure it is inflated just to be safe. A spare tire is good to have but, without a jack you are still up the creek. Ensure the vehicle has a tire jack, it is functional and you are fully aware of its safe operation. You will also need a lug nut wrench, which actually fits the lug nuts. Also, buy a tire repair kit. A real rubber tire plug kit. In the kit you need the insertion tool and pre-glued rubber plugs. You will also need to re-inflate a flat tire. Get a can of the fix-a-flat stuff or the Co2 inflator. Keep tabs on the tire inflation with a tire gauge. Another very good safety item to be aware of is the vehicle’s oil level. Check the oil level after arriving at Cobalt. Carrying an extra can of oil could be a lifesaver. One other helpful item… to carry is windshield wash stuff. Always comes in handy.
Rent a vehicle with four wheel drive or all-wheel drive, this is a must, don’t leave home without four wheel drive. I shop by cost, so what I rent has just the basic features I need: steering wheel, seats. You get the idea. No need to go overboard with satellite radio and all kinds of things you do not need. Also, and this is very important, you are responsible for the condition of the rental vehicle when it is returned. Before leaving the rental store, be sure to go over the vehicle with a store representative. Point out any dents, scraps, cuts, anything and everything of questionable quality. I always do this and photograph any problem areas just in case. Before you “load-up” have on hand or buy beforehand a large cheap piece of heavy mil plastic or a vinyl or plastic tarp of the appropriate size for the vehicle. Lay this down first, as a water or moisture barrier.
Next you will need to lay on top of the plastic, an absorbent material. Again, have on hand or buy beforehand at least two cheap heavy cloth blankets, or very large heavy rags. Old carpeting can also be used to lay down over the tarp. If using old carpeting, ensure it has the ability to absorb. What you are doing here is saving yourself lots of time cleaning and/or money later.
The barrier you have created is a twofold protective measure. The cloth material will absorb moisture, the vinyl tarp will keep that moisture from reaching the van carpet. You will thank me for this later. Remember you will be “throwing in” wet, dirty rock and stone specimens, muddy pack packs, dirty tools, shoes, pants. No matter how hard you try to keep the van inside clean, you will eventually fail. And, that can cost you money. Also, carry a box full of newspaper (not to read) or garbage bags to wrap really dirty stuff in, some cheap twine will come in handy to tie up wet papers. You can also have a spray bottle of diluted dish detergent handy with a small rag to wipe up things as they occur. This is how I do it. At some point you should lift up the floor coverings to let the van carpet air-out and breath. Clean up as you go, don’t wait until you get home to do it all at one time. Also, the driver and passenger seats need covered and any other seats. Use the plastic and fabric method, tying them on for easy removal. You may also want to try to protect the carpeting in the front of the vehicle.
OK….. moving on to dinner, I spotted a fast food place driving in, just up the street, quick and easy, back to basecamp to study the local maps. Keeno had his dinner, went outside and sniffed every single rock, tree, and plant, did his business and was ready for bed. He laid beside me on the couch and fell asleep. It’s not easy being a dog.
Reconnaissance of the Area:
Downtown 1
Downtown 2
Downtown 3
Having an idea of the local and surrounding area is vital information. Local maps offer locations for all your needs. I find it very helpful to have this information before exploring. Reconnaissance is a highly over looked tool in many applications. The ability to see and know ones surroundings, installations, locations, having the knowledge of where things are in relation to the surrounding area is vital information. A new collecting area, a site, a town should first be “reconed” simply for the sake of logistics. Where are the dining spots, the shopping, the museums, the travel bureau, gas station, the mining sites……….would it be fair to say the local pub? Acclamation to ones surrounds is essential. So, I like to spend the first day or so of any collecting trip “reconing”. There is simply no need to rush to the old silver mines, or any of the collecting areas anywhere, they will be there tomorrow. Using your vehicle’s GPS or your handheld GPS unit is a great way to record the location for the grocery store, the museum, whatever. . So, on our first day we drove into the town of Cobalt, which was located only a few miles away. We also drove around the overall area visiting different sights, taking photos, infrastructure exploration if you will. If you take a dog you also need to know where the fireplugs are. Think of your pet first. They have feelings, they like to eat and drink and they also like to “do their business”. Just as you do. Carry small plastic bags to clean up after your pet.
King Fries
Poutine
We found a great spot right along the highway for lunch. It is obvious what was on my plate. Keeno was not so fortunate, being right beside the road, he stayed in the van and had his lunch, though he was not happy. The remainder of the day and the following day was spent driving here and there, sightseeing, eating, we were far more prepared for the remainder of our stay. We pretty much located all we needed to locate. I like to locate things first then return at a later time to explore them in more detail.
Original Train Station
While on any rock collecting trip, I always have a “must see, must do” list. A local museum or any type of underground experience or tour is high-up on the “must see list”. The local museum is one of the best places to see what is or what was dug out from the local area, whether it be rocks, minerals, fossils this single site can tell you more than you could possibly find in any brochure. Lots of old mining towns offer guided underground tours of former actual mines. Cobalt is no exception.
From our reconnaissance, we learned there was one original main highway. Now there is a main “by-pass” roadway and the old original cobalt roadway. Highway 11 is also named the Trans-Canadian Highway, the town of Cobalt is on highway 11B. Cobalt itself is a small town, the once bustling Cobalt train station is still standing but is an unused rail station, the surrounding area appears to be rural and farming. Being on the main highway will take you to all what the area has to offer. The towns of Haileyberry, Temiskaming Shores and Cobalt are within a stone’s throw of each other. Old mine waste rock piles consume the landscape in Cobalt, rock dumps, rock piles, deep carved out scars in solid rock illustrate where rich veins of silver once were. We located the cobalt museum, local dining, fast foods, shops, the grocery store and other sites. I went grocery shopping now, since I was here now.
The Cobalt Mining Museum
Minig Museum
Silver
One word of advice…..whether you explore the town and surrounding area or not….Before going out collecting rocks, silver or even going out on your own to locate some of the old mines….stop in at the Cobalt Museum first. This is on the “must see” list. Remember to take lots of photographs here because you are not going to see anything similar out in the field. The museum is small, dated, but a very pleasant experience viewing the many silver specimens collected from all over the surrounding area and numerous mines. Check the Internet for The Cobalt Mining Museum, several noteworthy sites are listed
Heritage Silver Trail:
http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/sites/default/files/geotour_pdf_files/geotours_cobalt_e.pdf
Also while at the museum……ask for a copy of the “Heritage Silver Trail” map. The map can be also downloaded from the Internet. This single sheet of paper is worth its weight in silver. The “Trail” is a self-guided, self-timed driving tour throughout the Cobalt area. Nothing more I like than self-guided. The local area is clearly mapped and the easy to follow trail is laid out according to sequentially numbered sites. Start at number one and at your own pace visit each site. The trail will take you on locally traveled roads to some of the former major mining sites, mills and mining attractions. A large informational sign will be positioned at each stop to correspond with the map. I must commend the town for this grand tour. Plus you will not need a GPS unit and all kind of coordinates. This sight-seeing extravaganza is free of charge, highly informational and doesn’t get any better than this.
Please include this tour your plans…..this is certainly a “must do” if you travel to Cobalt. While looking at this map there are 19 sites/attractions listed as being on the trail (on the map copy I have number 9 was skipped). There are also several other attractions not on the actual trail but well worth visiting. I’m counting another 9 so you have 27-28 mapped attractions to visit. What could be better? Certainly other similar places can and should pick up on this very informative and unique way of enjoying mining and the old mining sites. If you have or have done some research and have sites not listed on this map, you have more than enough places to search for silver. You are not going to thoroughly cover them all. And if you rush, you are just wasting your time. Better to have stayed home than come here and rush.
Sights to Explore on the “Heritage Silver Trail” map:
1. Townsite Hedframe
2. Glory Hole
3. McKinley Darragh Mill
4. Little Silver Vein
5. Cart Lake Tailings
6. Nipipissing 96
7. Nipipissing 81 Open Cut
9. Right of Way
10. Agnico Eagle Mines Refinery
11. La Rosa Blacksmith
12. Nipipissing 73 Meyershaft
13. Coniagas Headframe
14. Pan Silver Headframe
15. Mileage 104 Stamp Mill
16. Colonial
17. Nova Scotia
18. Crown Reserve
19. Silver Sidewalk Vein
Sights on map – But not on the “Heritage Silver Trail”.
O’Brien
Crosswise Tailings
Dominion Reduction Tailings
Nipipissing Tailings
Nipipissing 407
Provincial #2
Silver Summit
Lawson
SMC McAlpine
Legal Issues to consider:
I have no authority to offer legal advice. It is far better for you to inquire about trespassing, injuries and/or metal detecting from other sources. Here, I am only offering my personal thoughts and opinions. Remember, all the sites on the Silver Heritage Trail and simply all the sites in the Cobalt area have to be owned by someone. The old mines may have been abandoned years ago but the property should still belong to someone. With land ownership comes all the liabilities associated with it. Certainly officials for the town of Cobalt and those sponsoring the heritage trail are aware of this. Please check with the town of Cobalt or the museum concerning laws governing property insurance, trespassing, injuries sustained, and/or metal detecting allowances. During my travels in Cobalt and the abandoned mines very very few “no trespassing” signs were seen. Do not take for granted the lack of posted property signs as a meaning of permitable access. Know what is permitted before entering. Obviously a posted property means to "keep out".
Colonial Mine Tour:
http://cobalt.ca/visitors/tours/
View from parking area
View of sealed adit
First look inside
It is dark
And finally, while at the museum, ask about the Colonial Mine tour. This is another “must do” activity while in Cobalt. The tour starts at and leaves from the museum. Pay for the tour here and get a ticket. The mine tours are scheduled so check for presentation times. When taking the tour, you will drive in your own vehicle and follow the lead tour vehicle to the Colonial Mine. This is only a few mile drive. After arriving at the site, you will be given instructions, mine information, head protection gear. Like all underground attractions, mines, caves, caverns, the temperature drops drastically while underground. You should be prepared by having a sweater or jacket handy. You also want to bring your camera. Your phone will not work. Your tour guide will highlight the mines activity, amount of silver mined, number of miners. If they miss some info you would like to know about, simply ask. You will be in an actual mining tunnel, this is as real as it gets.
Drilling practice
Drilling practice, lots of dust
Dynamite warmer
Water on floor
Narrow tunnel
I love to take these underground tours and when available always make it a part of a collecting trip. It never fails though when underground I always stop to think “how did people work here”? When these old mines were in production the lighting was very poor, it was a damp – wet environment. Ground water would seek through cracks in the rock and drip from the ceilings, Troughs had to be made to carry the water away. Loud, heavy drilling machines and equipment were used, explosives were used to crack loose large chunks of solid rock. The blasted rock fell to the floor kicking up enormous amounts of dust. Don’t think for one second these miners had modern day safety equipment. They had a neckerchief to place over the mouth and nose to block out the dust and two fingers, most of them had two, to force into each ear to hold back the tremendous “boom” of the exploding dynamite. Mining was not one of those old romantic type settings that the movies portray. Mining was and still is a serious business. Mining is hell……..
Historical Note: The Cobalt Lake Mine was probably not named because the mine sat above ground at Cobalt Lake. Most of the 47 acres at the Cobalt Lake Mine sat below Cobalt Lake. Besides being underground, it was under a lake. In 1932 while engaged in a blasting operation, the explosives used, cracked the bedrock above the mining operation, which held back the lake water above. The ceiling collapsed and an estimated 400, 000 tons of sediments, tailings and water poured into the mine.
Cobalt Mine plaque
Overview from opposite shore 1
Overview from opposite shore
On-site looking up toward Cobalt
Mine ruins
Starting with day three… play time was over, all the recon is completed, the refrigerator is loaded. Time to get serious and prepare for what we came here to do………find silver.
Expectations:
Whatever you are expecting to see and or find here is most likely incorrect as far as silver is concerned. I had studied, researched, read Serdiades, silver, cobalt, calcite over and over, had pages full of notes, a laptop loaded with files and maps and maps and maps. On my visit, I was certainly was prepared after all the research, reading and studying I did do.
What I was not prepared for was Cobalt itself.
You can almost be guaranteed……you will not find silver with your naked eye. It is just not going to happen. But, there are exceptions to everything and there are plenty of rock piles to look at. It is the same as going to Arkansas, USA to locate diamonds at the “Crater of Diamonds” national park. Your chances are slim to none you will find a diamond. I’ve been there.
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1325/5.+Diamonds+R+Waiting+4U+At+The+Crater+of+Diamonds+State+Park
But, everyday some will find an almost microscopic sized diamond. So exception do exist. Water is helpful to see silver but you will not have access to it unless you carry it in bottles. These old mines and mining sites have been looked over, walked over, crawled over, drove over, bled over and even cried over for the past 100 years. If there was silver on the surface to be found it certainly would have been found by now. Do not in your wildest imagine ever think you will locate an exposed vein of metal or even a small specimen on the surface. You are most likely not going to locate any silver on the surface.
What you will find on the surface however, will be everything no one else wanted including but not limited to: old rusty drilling bits, bits of broken bottles, plastic water bottles, rusted nuts, bolts, nails, screws, building materials, bricks, stone, framing lumber, rusted braided metal cables, rusted pipes, various pieces of metal, aluminum cans, animal bones, old rusted machinery, old rusted mining equipment, copper and copper wires this list is pretty much endless. The list could go on and on. And, after you pick up your fiftieth drill bit you will finally ask yourself, just the same as I did, want do I need these for.
Basic Equipment:
Should you travel to Cobalt on a silver collecting trip without the proper equipment you will return home the same way you left…..without silver. Like all rock collecting trips there are the usual couple of things necessary to be successful. First you need a back pack. Size is your preference. In this back pack you will be carrying most of your gear. You will need some kind of hammer. Hammers of varying weights come in handy. Chisels, various chisels bladed and or star pointed. You could use a pry bar, newspaper for wrapping specimens, drinking water, GPS, notebook, several pencils, compass, first aid kit, maps and whatever you deem necessary. Carrying a large knife as a protective device is your choice. I certainly do. When silver collecting, sure all the gear mentioned is necessary…up to a point. The most important piece of equipment you will need and use during your entire stay will be a metal detector and a digging tool. Without a metal detector do not bother to travel to Cobalt in search of silver. Any respectable metal detector will do. You may even do well with a cheap $25 unit. It is imperative to have and use a metal detector. It is best to bring your own, in town or the surrounding area I did not see or hear of stores or shops renting them, but that is not to say there are no rental shops. Best to be prepared and carry your own.
On a collecting trip to the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan in search of copper, I used a cheap $5 child’s toy and it was effective. Searching for copper is not like searching for silver. Copper can easily be seen on the surface as oxidized bits and pieces of a bluey, greeny, patina colored material. This coloring is quite distinguishable from surrounding rocks. When you see the coloring you have copper. A metal detector is not truly necessary. In the case of silver, its oxidized coloring blends all too well with the surrounding rocks. Plus the simple fact that silver, being a more valuable metal than copper, has all but been picked off the surface. A detector will be your best piece of equipment to locate silver.
Metal Detecting:
Metal detecting may seem so straight forward and so simple a child could do it. That is perfectly true, Keeno can do it. It is extremely easy to use a metal detector. First turn on the unit, place the ear phones over your ears or go without and slowly move the scanner coil over the ground without touching the ground. Bingo bango you get a hit, a beeping or chirping sound. Set the detector down gently, dig in the soil and pull up a rusted nail, bolt, piece of aluminum foil, aluminum can pull tab. You will undoubtedly and indisputably locate metal with a detector. That is what the machine is designed to do and it does do it very well. But, we are not searching for any metal especially not for ferrous metal. We are searching for silver. And, this is where we separate the ones who have experience and or who have practiced thoroughly from the ones who haven’t.
Having and owning a metal detector, keeping it clean, undented, stored under the bed in its original box is different from becoming acquainted with the controls, practicing using the detector in different situations, in differ environments, burying coins, small test pieces of copper, brass, aluminum, iron, stainless steel, nickel, silver of even gold if you have such. I certainly can not go into the details in the use of a metal detector here. But it is far more than just turning the unit on and scanning the ground. If your ability using a detector is limited, yes, you could get lucky and dig up a piece of silver. But knowing the detector inside out, knowing the controls, listening to the sounds, experimenting, practicing, and practicing and practicing will allow you to have a much better chance at finding the silver. And, even then you may not find any.
I enjoy history, any history, anywhere. One of my other interests beside rocks are the old stone iron furnaces of Western Pennsylvania. In fact you may possibly have read my article concerning such, relating the iron ores of this area (hematite, siderite, bog ore) and such with the old furnaces that smelted them (early 1800’s). There is also an article concerned with the iron ores themselves.
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1928/21.+Iron+-+A+Short+Collecting+Trip
http://www.mindat.org/article.php/1931/22.+Iron+and+The+Old+Stone+Furnaces+of+Western+Pennsylvania
I bought a higher quality metal detector 2-3 years ago for the sole purpose of using it in and around these old furnaces in the hopes of possibly locating old ferrous metal items. The detector has never been to a furnace site yet. After reading the manual, watching the video and practicing in the back yard, my confidence level was high. The detector was kept clean, undented, stored under the bed in its original box. Ferrous metal is easy enough to find and I had no plans to use it for searching for other metallic objects or minerals, such as silver. So in fact, my detector has seen very little action. I just never got around to taking it on a furnace hunt.
I have a great friend who loves rocks more than I do. He lives near Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. It’s at least a 5-6 hour drive to the falls from where I live. We’ll trade emails every so often. He and I have rock collected numerous times and in numerous places together. He has experience in Cobalt and has found silver specimens in the waste rock piles there. I sent him an email concerning my plans to travel to Cobalt. And, being the guy he is, he mailed me a number of small silver samples to experiment with. Just like I mentioned above, bury the items and relocate them using the detector, practice, practice, practice. I admit now, my practice sessions were helpful but could have been far more productive. You do not and will not achieve much success without practicing. But, on the same token I recognized the chirps of the silver on the detector, saw the detection level numbers on the meter, used different setting to differentiate the metals. Yes, I was ready. But not for Cobalt………No, I was not ready for Cobalt one bit
My metal detecting abilities were not at a level where they should have been for this trip and so my ability to locate silver and to distinguish its chirp on the detector was sorely lacking. If I had kept all the “hits” I dug for, which turned out to be ”junk” I may have found enough bolts, nuts, washers, nails, screws, aluminum foil, aluminum can pull tabs on and on, to open a local used metal shop. One site in particular, I dug up 5, yes 5 - one inch sized threaded nuts all within a few feet of each other. Don’t you think after 2 -3 I would have moved to another area?
A detector is a delicate instrument. My detector, in particular alerts you to the presence of metal in a number of ways. Remember there a two types of metal you would use a detector for. There are the “ferrous metals”, the ones containing iron in some form. Examples of ferrous metals would be: nails, nuts, bolts, pretty much everything you do not want to find when searching for silver.
Then you have the “non-ferrous” metals, silver falls into this category along with gold, aluminum, copper and such.
In the Cobalt area, you will be introduced to a third type of metal, “arsenic/arsenides” and all of its friends. Arsenic makes up about 1.5 ppm of the Earth's crust, making it the 53rd most abundant element. Arsenic, cobalt, nickel, sulfur, iron all like to mix their chemistries with each other. By chemically combining, new minerals are formed (arsenides) and new products produced. Listed here are just a few of the minerals that are considered arsenides: (not necessarily all from the Cobalt are).
algodonite Cu6As
domeykite Cu3As
löllingite FeAs2
nickeline NiAs
rammelsbergite NiAs2
safflorite (Co,Fe)As2
skutterudite (Co,Ni)As3
sperrylite PtAs2
The Cobalt, Ontario area has long been known for silver, cobalt, nickel and the arsenides associated with them.
What this all means as far as detecting goes……..
The ferrous metals will be “picked up” by your metal detector including all the nails, nuts, bolts, rails, rail spikes, drill bits, building materials. All these things will set your detector off. All of these things you will find scattered around most if not all of the old mining sites.
The non- ferrous metals will be picked up by your detector. This will include the silver you seek and a host of other metals. Some of the metals you do not want to locate and will be a constant nuisance will be things such as aluminum foil, aluminum cans, aluminum building materials, copper wire, copper nails, lead battery plates, usually anything for electrical application. All the items mentioned here are easily found scattered about the old mines.
The arsenidies, minerals containing arsenic will be picked up on a detector. You will find them because this area is rich in them. Of the arsenides I located while detecting, they all have a silvery gray metallic look. My first reaction was always that of delight, thinking I had located a bit of silver. After digging up piles of this stuff, my delight turned and went south. Lying there buried for who knows how long, discarded and thrown to the winds, neglected, unwanted and considered worthless. Dull gray, metallic, bits, even large rock made up of arsenides will be easily locatable.
Throw in bits of nickeline, cobaltite and some of the others, your detector will surely get a work out.
I simply threw the pieces of arsenide away. However, I did a little study on the pieces brought up from the depths and concluded…..of all the many pieces I had located they all were very brittle. One smack of the hammer proved that. I faintly sniffed several specimens but sniffing is best left undone. Being silvery gray, metallic, brittle and having a certain amount of weight to them for their particular size, I was able to distinguish an arsenide from silver. Which was useful information. One type of arsenide for my purpose was the same as another. Several random samples were brought home for closer examination and study. Even burying one or two to use as a meter detector experiment will be helpful should I return to the Silver Fields of Cobalt where every day is full of sunshine. A pound of potatoes is a meal, the rocks are all the same color at night and the thought of finding silver will forever remain a thought.
As stated earlier, I was not properly prepared, did not practice long enough with all the samples of silver given to me and certainly did not practice in ground saturated with ferrous, non-ferrous and arsenide material. My detector does have “discrimination” ability and a host of other controls to pin point different metals. My detector also has an audible chirp sound and a scaled digital meter to aid in distinguishing between metals. It even can tell ferrous from non-ferrous metals. For me, while in Cobalt, I was actually practicing while detecting, making adjustments here and there as I went, experimenting on the fly. This type of maneuvering detrimentally effected my performance.
Summing this up………..I have lightly talked about the obstacles standing in your way for successful metal detecting of silver. With this information, use it.
Arsenic, Pollution, Tailings, Lack of Safe Guards
From a report from The Water Resources Commission, The Cobalt Camp, 1967, the report states: “Due to the absence of a programme of water resources management, a serious pollution problem has resulted from the discharge of mill tailings to the lakes of the area. Lakes have been filled with tailings in such a manner that the drainage streams carry off the material, deposit it along their courses and transport it to bodies of water not directly affected by the original disposal of waste. In this way, much of the water resources of the area has been contaminated by solids and arsenic, rendering these resources unfit for most uses. Rehabilitation of the lakes into which tailings have been discharged, by returning them to their original condition, is impossible”
Cart Lake as well as several other lakes were used as discharge areas for waste material. There is no lake here, only a vast sea of finely ground rock sediment.
Cart Lake Plaque
Cart Lake as seen 2015
A tailings full lake
Mine waste hole
A report from The Cobalt Mining Legacy,
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/environStudies.php
The Occurrence of Arsenic and Heavy Metal Contamination from Natural and Anthropogenic Sources in the Cobalt Area of Ontario. A masters thesis prepared by Charles Dumar, esy., Carleton University, 1993
“In the ore deposits of Cobalt, Ontario, silver is associated with arsenide and sulfarsenide minerals. These minerals occur in mine tailings, and oxidation of these minerals in tailings mobilizes arsenic. Groundwater in tailings contains high As concentrations, and this groundwater discharges into surface waters. During the summer, water soluble As-rich crusts form on the tailings, and heavy rains dissolve these crusts, flushing As into surface waters. Erosion of tailings, and redeposition of tailings in downstream water bodies also contributes to surface water contamination. Thus, tailings are an import source from of contamination for local surface waters. Surface waters around Cobalt contain high concentrations of As. Except for one lake, As concentrations in local water bodies range from 0.040 to 6.510 ppm, and the maximum acceptable concentration for freshwater aquatic life is 0.050 mg/L. Since As occurs naturally in the rock, some of the contamination is of natural origin. One lake unaffected by mining has a mean As concentration of 0.048 ppm. Some local groundwater also contains As, due to high As concentrations in various rock units. Most groundwaters used for consumption contain acceptable concentrations of As and heavy metals. Water from one well, in a campground, which is finished in a rock unit associated with high As concentrations in groundwater, has a mean As concentration of 6.970 ppm. Environmental contamination in the Cobalt area puts local ecosystems at risk, and there are a number of potential health threats to local residents, including: inhalation of dust from tailings, handling tailings and other solid materials, swimming in local lakes, and eating fish from these lakes”
Plaque on Nipissing Hill
The point here is to bring up the fact that arsenic is ever present in and on the waste rock piles and in the tailings clearly visible in numerous lakes and remains of lakes of the Cobalt area. As we all know, arsenic is a toxic material. With this in mind it is highly advisable to take just a few simple safety precautions. When detecting for silver wear waterproof plastic type gloves. After collecting, if possible place your exterior clothing and shoes in a plastic garbage bag so as to minimize the spread of dust. In your vehicle, have a container of what is called “wet wipes” or something of this nature, to wash your hands and face. Dispose of the wipes in the proper manner. If you remove your clothing…….keep in mind, you must bring fresh clothing for the drive back to base camp. It is probably not legal to drive without clothing.
Views of the Seneca Superior also on the remains of Cart Lake.
Mine ruins, lake ruins
Mine waste
Mine ruins
Mine plaque
Besides the Seneca Superior using Cart Lake as a dumping site, other mines surrounding Cart Lake did as well, the Nipissing "96", the Savage, the Provincial,
Nipissing "96" trail
Nipissing "96" head frame
Nipissing "96"
Mine plaque
The Savage Mine...
Mine ruins 1
Mine ruins 2
Mine machinery
Savage view of Cart Lake
And the Provincial
Provincial head frame in background
For pets……..wipe their paws carefully, do not allow them to lick their paws. Do not allow them to drink water directly from an on-site source. After returning to basecamp, wash their paws thoroughly and dry.
Simply use common sense…. to minimize the spread of dust. Try your own methods to keep dust out of your vehicle and out of your basecamp.
Finding Silver:
Lotta rock
If you are lucky enough to find what you think is silver do not expect it to be that bright shiny stone we all think it is. Far from it, I suggest you study the silver samples at the museum, on the MinDat website or photos on the Internet. The silver dug straight from the ground is not what you may expect it to be. Silver exposed to the environment, tarnishes (oxides) quickly and turns blackish, grayish, metallic looking. I once cleaned a silver tea set, dull, tarnished, and pretty ugly. Whatever I used to clean the silver with, the results were breath taking. After a short buff, the silver gleamed as if it were a mirror. This is not what the silver you find will look like. This tarnish is another of the reasons why you will not find silver lying on the surface. You could be standing next to or right in front of a sizable piece of silver and never see it. The tarnish acts as a camouflage blending the silver in with the surround rocks. This is a reason you will not find silver on the surface….it is camouflaged.
Ample amount
Silver flecks
Blackened unrecognizable
Shiny bright
The silver you find may appear as a very thin layer on the outside of a rock. This layer could be so thin as to appear as a single point or a folded ribbon like structure bent over even curled. It could look like a strand of wire, It could be a patch like form of grayish stuff on a rock. Rub or buff this patch to see it shines. If it shines it is most likely silver. The silver may run through the entirety of the rock. You will probably need a rock saw using a diamond blade or a nice hammer to actually see the silver. The better choice is a wet rock saw. When cut, the shine will be most apparent. Look at small points on rocks, rub them on another rock, if you get a shine you may have silver.
As stated above arsenides are also that blackish grayish, metallic looking rock. It constantly fooled me. Bounce the rock in your palm, if it feels as if it has much weight for its size, it may be an arsenide. If you hit it with a hammer it should shatter. Silver on the other hand being metal should not shatter. Silver is highly malleable. It all comes down to experience.
Silver with arsenide
Arsenide
An arsenide
So, I found Silver, Now What:
Whether it is silver, gold, opals or quartz varieties, tourmaline, whatever. There are several things to know before doing something you will regret later. When finding specimens in the field, study them over well enough to form an opinion as to their identification. Do not do anything else in the field, just look them over. If you decide to keep this specimen it will need to be protected. Thrown in your back pack along with your hammers and chisels is certainly not the way to do it. In your back pack you had earlier place a handful of newspaper in there with your hammer and chisels. We will wrap our specimen in this newspaper for protection. What I like to do is to include a note along with the specimen stating its location and GPS position, this is useful information for later.
After returning to basecamp, the urge will overpower you to sneak a peek. Gently unwrap your specimens and give them a good look. I like to fill several buckets with water and soak my finds overnight. Then next day a light spray from the hose will quickly clean much dirt and mud away. Now just leave them there to dry for a day or so. We’ll rewrap the specimens later adding the note and forget about them till we get home.
Cut slab 1
Cut slab 2
In the field, or on a deck of a rental property is no place to start cutting, chiseling, hammering or testing specimens. It would be like doing a surgical procedure in the same place. Should not happen here. At your home, you should have all the necessary tools, bench space, clamps, “dead blow hammers”, brass head hammers and an assortment of chisels to surgically do whatever you wish to do with your specimen. Surgically does not mean to beat the specimen into submission with a 10 pound hammer. Gently, go gently, easily, carefully, patiently, this rock could be a billion years old, it has all the time in the world to reveal its secrets. And, being that old it could be quite fragile. The forceful hit of a hammer could shatter a beautiful specimen into chunks of waste.
Silver
In the case of silver, please refer to the section on the Mindat website for treatment, identification and cleaning of silver.
http://www.mindat.org/mesg-19-31140.html
Here is how it used to be done…silver is easily soluble in nitric acid or in the much diluted muriatic acid , resulting in a white curdy precipitate of chloride of silver. Exposing this precipitate to sunlight causes a color change to a bluish-gray. In ammonia from which copper foil precipitates it in the form of metallic, spongy silver, and assuming its natural white color when rubbed in an agate mortar. Also, when moistened with sulphide of ammonium, bright silver will turn a yellowish- brown to gray color. Unless you have worked with acids and have the skills necessary, it would be foolhardy at best to play with fire. Not something for an unskilled person to do.
Surface Rock:
Let’s talk about the surface rocks in the area. I can not go into a geology lesson here. If you need a geology lesson go to the Internet and please do your own personal research, here are a few targets to search for but not limited to: “The Cobalt Nickel Arsenides and Silver Deposits of Temiskaming (Cobalt and adjacent areas) by Willet G. Miller”, “The Silver Arsenide Deposits of the Cobalt – Gowanda Region, 1971, L. G. Berry”, Silver Cobalt Calcite Deposits of Ontario, 1968, A. O. Sergiades. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of books, pamphlets, papers written about this subject.
From my personal experience, I have very unprofessionally concluded one sustaining fact. All the rocks on all the waste rock piles at Cobalt look the same. No matter what mine it is, day it is, what time of day it is, whether it is raining or shining, the waste rocks all look the same. Let me explain my meaning of “the same”. The same being color. All the rocks no matter where, no matter on which old mine or mining site, on which pile, on which dump, on which tailings all the rock seem to have the same color. They all appear to me as having that all too familiar grayish greenish color. Whether along a lake shore, in the water of a lake, on top of the hill by the large antenna array, the coloring is very similar. This is from my own personal observations. And, yes, I wear glasses and am not color blind. This prophetic aberration did not just come to me all at once, no, it quietly appeared to me maybe after day 5 or day 6 of metal detecting. Here I am, with a set of ear phones on walking mindlessly, wandering hopelessly on piles and piles of uncountable rock, from mine after mine site, patiently, calmly listening to beeping sounds. Maybe it was the water, maybe a mirage, maybe my mind playing tricks on me or maybe in fact it was true. Who’s to say…………the ole dog Keeno certainly can’t say.
The Cobalt area is literally riddled with shafts, tunnels, unground working, under lake workings. It is inconceivable the amount of rock dug out and transported to the surface and dumped. The number of old mines, prospects, diggings may very well be uncountable. At no point, in the area will you find a place that has no piles of stone. Stone is everywhere, piled in the town, piled in front of or behind houses, along roads. This is something to see along with a headframe built into a house. Names like “Glory Hole”, Silver Sidewalk” , Canadian Shield”, “Fred Larosa”, “Nipissing”, “Cart Lake”, Cleopatra”, “Right of Way” are all synonymous with Cobalt, Ontario. Songs were written about this place.
I wonder if anyone ever tallied up the actual total distance of all the combined tunneling done here. The number could be quite astonishing.
This entire area appears as a Dali surreal painting. A collecting trip lasting two weeks, two months or even two years could never sufficiently cover enough ground to have even made a dent in the total amount of ground here to cover. This entire place is like one gigantic mine waste rock pile. I looked over the piles and piles and wonder what is left underground to support all the rock on the surface? The entire area has been turned upside down. What was underground is now the surface and what was the surface is now under the piles of rock. All of that sits above an array of tunnels, shafts, cavities and hollowed out areas.
Rock Collectors Paradise:
Silver with chalcopyrite
One may think this is a rock collector’s paradise with all this exposed rock lying right on the surface, right there all within reach. Unfortunately (personal opinion) the area is not a rock collector’s paradise. I will be the first to point out my inability to identify most of the Cobalt area rock and minerals.
http://www.mindat.org/loc-535.html
According to the website list, there are 108 valid minerals locatable at Cobalt. But silver may be the biggest reason collectors come here. Yes, I found a number of different minerals. But, people come here for silver. During my two week stay, I did not see any other people looking for rocks, operating a detector, or walking the piles. Except of course the few days my human friend accompanied me. And, of course he had several places “secret treasure places” he took me to. In my opinion one place is as good as the next to search for silver. Silver is where you find it. I can not see how there are “good spots” In the two or three days we collected together my friend was far more lucky than I. He having the experience which gave him the advantage. He dug more holes than a gopher digging to China and yes, he did locate several nice pieces of silver. Me on the other hand, dug just as many holes and wasn’t quite as lucky. Though toward the end of two weeks I started to feel the power of the detector and did come home with several silver specimens.
Where to Begin:
On your silver collecting trip, may I suggest you get and use the ‘Silver Heritage Trail” map and start at the number one site working your way sequentially. This is by far the best approach to the Cobalt silver sites.
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/maps/Cobalt_Trail_Map.pdf
The Townsite Headframe (Map Site #1) and the Glory Hole (Map Site #2) is as good as any to begin at. Both places are back to back, right in town, easy and convenient to locate. Park right on the site, walk around, take photos. Remember to inquire about detecting rules and trespassing rules. I can not advise you and will not offer any advice. You have to do this for yourself. I can say, I covered a lot of ground and was never stopped or questioned about being on any particular property.
This is the best way to gain a little insight about what you will be up against and the use of your detector, especially if this is your first visit to Cobalt. Using the map you will drive to many of the local sites around the area easily. Using the trail map and depending on what your hopes are, your patient level and several other things you could locate all the map sites in several days. I located all the map sites during my two week stay. You may even have your own “secret “treasure sites” where you will begin at. Where ever you begin, go slow there is no need to rush because the next pile of rocks look exactly the same as the pile you are standing on now. Use your metal detector, take photos, take GPS points and have fun.
Head Frames, Shafts, Adits, Machinery and Mills:
Time ………….a universal constant, like apples and pi, continually moving forward. The seasons arrive, begin and end with each successive period. Time has eroded mountains, created and reformed land masses. An endless cycle of aging. Here to in Cobalt is that aging process being carried out with strict discipline. The wooden structures all iconic to each particular mining operation are slowly, gradually withering away, board by board and nail by nail. The all too familiar head frames. The wooden structures built atop a mine shaft to raise and lower miners, materials and ore. They are unique to each mine, probably no two are identical, though their purpose is. Each mine shaft, if deep enough, required a head frame, a closed in container for the miners to travel up and down in and a mechanical hoisting mechanism. Looking through the MinDat database at older historic photos, more recently member posted photos and the current photos here, notice how the structures are giving way to time.
Crown Reserve…
Plaque 1
Plaque 2
Under Water Ruins
Look Closely for the Fish
Mine Elevator
Mine Hoist
Lawson Mine...
Mine ruins
Mine ruins
Right of Way...
Mine plaque
Iconic photo from bridge
Back view
Up close
As seen from Nipissing Hill
Townsite Mine...
Mine ruins
Mine ruins
Waldman Mine...
Mine Head frame
Head frame
Mine head frame
Nipissing "73"...
Head frame towers above tree line
Parking lot view
Close view
Open Mine Shafts and Adits
Regardless of the number of signs proclaiming "keep out", fences, barricades, or the written warnings I could type here, people simply want to see stuff. I will warn you to avoid open shafts, capped shafts and adits, but you aren't going to heed my words..........Therefore here are several photos of what to stay clear of. On a personal side note, I try to stay a "reasonable" distance from such things. Remember age, erosion, weathering are all part of the natural environment and these elements are constantly at work. What you may think is a "safe" concrete capped shaft could very well have major interior faults. The freeze - thaw cycle is a nasty instigator. Standing on or even near a questionable object could result in a collapse. Photographing dangerous situations is best done with a telephoto or zoom style lens. Here is a photo of a sign on the roadway leading to the Wyandoh Mine. I think this illustrates the gravity of a dangerous situation.
Warning
Kerr Lake Majestic...
Mine ruins
Steep hill climb
Capped shaft
King Edwards...
Mine shaft
Hillside adit
Partially exposed adit
Mensilvo...
Waste rock
Rock face
Openng
Barred adit
Nerlip Mine...
Local map
Crossing lake
Structural ruins
Capped shaft
Little Silver Vein...
Little silver vein
Mine plaque
Exploratory hole
Tunnel "96"
Tunnel "96"
Barred entryway
Silver removed
Silver removed
Looking downward
top of vein
Silver Cliff Mine ruins:
Silver Cliff Mine ruins
Silver Cliff Mine ruins
The Cobalt mills extracted as much silver (and other minerals) as was possible with the equipment of that time period. Of the mills, concentrators, stampers I visited, all are in ruins. Their wooden exteriors gone, concrete footings and foundations are all that remind us they were here.
Colonial Mine and Stamp Mill...
Mine plaque
Waste piles above mill
Looking up at mill ruins
Standing in mill ruins
Overview
Northern Customs "104" Mill...
Mine plaque
Entryway
Ruins
Ruins
Ruins
Looking back to parking area
Nova Scotia Mine and Mill...
Plaque
Concrete ruins
Ruins
Nipissing Hill...this is a "must see" area. A major silver recovery area Nipissing occupied the entire hill, with mills for the separation of high grade and low grade material, shafts, surface veins. The operations extended down the hill to Cobalt Lake and Peterson Lake. An ariel tramway (see photo) transported material down the hill, across the roadways to other facilities.
Overview map
High grade plaque
High grade ruins
Low grade plaque
Low grade photo
Look out
Overview of ruins
At the High Grade Mill, I located a large number of erythrite and annabergite specimens.
erythrite/annabergite
Plus.....a most wondrous find, thanks to my metal detector. While detecting in and around the erythrite and annabergite material my detector chirped loudly. Thinking silver was here also, I dug up a few smaller stones and pulled out this metal plate. At first I thought it was ferrous, tarnished and rusted looking, but I was able to read a few letters. It went into my back pack for later. At basecamp, rubbing it by hand with dish washing liquid, the tarnish washed clear and what was thought to be ferrous is non ferrous brass. This is an identification plate from a WilFley Concentrator. From the Mine and Smelter Supply Company, dated April 18, 1916. Though the plate is less than pristine, it certainly was a great find.
Wilfley Concentrator plate
Last but not least...I would like to share my most memorable "find". Though this discovery was not silver, not precious in any sense of the word, it will always be remembered, because it came with me. How could it not have? We were at the Northern Customs site exploring, walking around, photographing. The K-dog and I stopped for a snack. Putting all my gear away in the vehicle and unclipping the dog, we wandered along with the detector and no headset. A few chirps here, a few there...then without much fan fare a long loud growl from the detector. No, it was not silver, it was the sound of ferrous metal, a lot of ferrous metal. Why would I dig? Who knows? I had a small hole going when rubber was spotted. Rubber is not metallic. The small hole enlarged and enlarged. There was black rubber coating some king of iron form. What was this? Now a small excavation revealed the buried treasure. A boat propeller.........what?
Propeller
First aid:
Why should I discuss first aid? Possibly to save your life. Regardless of your age, profession, rock collecting abilities and or skill level, having the necessary equipment and knowledge of first aid techniques is something everyone should know a little about. I can not go into medical details here but you can do just a little research for yourself.
While out “in the field” whether close to others or miles from no-where a little medical knowledge could save your life. And, to take this one step farther…not only for you but any members in your group. In your backpack you should have a small first aid kit and a simple first aid manual. That equipment should be stored in one of these plastic freezer bags to keep the gear clean and dry. You should already be familiar with the first aid manual and have practiced the basic procedures. This is serious business so be prepared. Be prepared to treat cuts of any size, know how to control bleeding, splinting of broken bones, removing material from the eye, removing splinters, blisters from wearing inappropriate shoes and several other items. Read the first aid manual. Heart attacks can spring out of nowhere, are you prepared to treat yourself or another? By carrying one simple aspire in a small waterproof container, you could very well save your live, a friend’s or a loved one.
If and when you go to Cobalt in search of silver it will become quite apparent very quickly, falling into one of these open pits, cuts, crevices is a very real possibility. Tripping and falling anywhere on these waste rock piles is a very real possibility. How could that happen you ask when most of the dangerous stuff is fenced in. By being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Falling into one of these water filled pits is a real possibility. If you are alone and fall into even a small pit and break a leg, will you l lay there helpless and bleed out or will you save yourself?
Do not rely on having cell phone service, you may not be able to connect. You are on your own… sink or swim. Just have the proper gear and know how to use it.
Where Did I Leave The Keys:
In your haste to “dig in” you parked the car, grabbed your detector and off you went. After several hours you return to the car, reach in your pocket and don’t feel your car keys. OOH…OOH! “Where did I leave the keys”, your mind rushes, hurriedly scanning the brain for an answer, your blood pressure peaks out, your heart thump, thumping, thumping. Well, where did you leave the keys? The best solution to overcome this problem is to designate a safe place to always, always, always put you keys. If you carry gear in your front pockets, your front pockets are not where to carry your keys. Simply removing gear continually offers a good opportunity for the keys to be pulled from the pocket with the gear and fall to the ground unnoticed. I carry my keys in my empty front left pocket. I am right handed. Nothing is in my front left pocket. I also use a regular key to pants belt loop chain. A very safe thing to do. But, where did I leave my wallet?
Where Did I Park the Vehicle:
You will not be needing your keys or your wallet if you don’t remember where you left your vehicle. This is a handy tip I like to use. With a handheld GPS unit or a compass or even both. I use both. Assuming you know how to use each of these. With the GPS, place a way point where the car is, it is then very easy to find your way back. It is very easy to get disoriented in the woods, rock piles, wandering without paying attention to where your vehicle is. Or with a compass, set you north bearing locate a landmark off in the distance and remember where it is and start walking and detecting. When returning, set your north bearing and return in the opposite direction
One nice thing about the old fashioned compasses they don’t need a battery. And, if by chance you did not remember to carry extra batteries with you, well then! No more be said.
Historic Site You Can Not Visit:
Of historical interest………….On one of the dirt roads we traveled were the usual road signs, one stating Hydro Plant, the other Ragged Chutes. Not knowing what these sites were and before driving there I did an Internet search and was amazed with the story behind the Ragged Chutes.
http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/power.php
Please read about this site before you go there. There is nothing there to see. By at least reading about it, your inquisitive mind will be fulfilled.
Of course there are other websites you can find info on, this is just too wet your interest. Very briefly, I never considered power…..what source of power did the mines and miners use? In the early mines men and animals provided the necessary power needed, man-power or horse-power. Compressed air and electricity soon replaced hand power. Coal was the fuel of choice to produce the power to operate the air compressors and electrical machinery. The above web article states in 1909, 100, 000 ton of coal was used at a cost of $5.50 per ton in the Cobalt area. One drill could cost $250 per month to operate.
About six miles from Cobalt on the Montreal River a dam and power station were built. The Hound Chute Generating Station opened in 1911 and is still in operation today. Not far from the Hound Chute station another plant was also built that was….. simply put…….is amazing. This plant had no moving parts, required no fuel but was able to supply all the compressed air the mines needed. (*** Note: the space shuttle is stated to have 2.5 million moving parts.) Sounds crazy. Through the employment of falling water where no water falls were, compressed air was produced. This story is a “must” read”. Extremely interesting and thought provoking. Why can’t something like this be used today in many different industries? Natural, Mother Nature power. Why…….the investment to build such a plant that basically needs little to no maintenance, no workers and no fuel could not possibly survive. The greedy, price gouging, industrial wealth grabbers could never recoup their investment. To produce this energy costs basically nothing…..how much could the plant owner charge for free energy? Industries themselves need to be made aware of this application. They could utilize this technology and cut their own operating costs and pass some of saving on to the consumers. I never heard of such a thing…….the technology or passing the saving on to the consumer.
My interest grew rather quickly in this matter because at many of the sites I visited, I had seen in the ground, half buried or even exposed along roadways large rusted iron pipes. The purpose of these pipes were a mystery to me. Upon reading the story, I drove to see the facility. Unfortunately no one in all of Canada feels this site is worthy of historical note. The hydro plant is gated and fenced in with barbed wire. The air generation plant also gated, posted, no plaque, no nothing, grown over along the road so thickly a single photo was not to be had. Wake up Canada……give recognition where recognition is due. This plant, this technology is like it is purposely being hidden from view. I’m surprised this information is even on the Internet.
I did locate numerous instances of semi-buried pipe at many mining sites. Here on the road to the old compressed air facility main line pipe are visible above ground , even unbolted joints sit on wooden support carriages.
Roadside pipe
Roadside pipe
We did take one or two days off from collecting, it wasn’t all work and no play. I sat on the deck looking over my "treasures. Look over what was brought back to basecamp, all sorts of things, large rock containing silver, drill bits, core samples, rail spikes.
top of vein
top of vein
We drove to Gowgand for a look around, though no mine site exploring was undertaken. Stopped for a burger and diet Pepsi at a roadside place. Keeno had a hot dog (hahaha) and a water. Gogawanda was another large area where many silver discoveries were made and history abounds. I’ll leave the research and stories to you.
Gowganda road sign
Gowganda Hotel
Of Special Interest:
It is always a thrill to locate items from a previous time, antiques, relics, pottery, whatever. I was especially lucky to have the privilege of rooting through someone's garbage while out in the woods. What better place to find old, discarded personal items and basic junk than in a dump? Yes, old leather shoes, loads of broken glass bottles, metal items, rusted pot and pans......all discarded stuff no one wanted. But, in the mass of debris I did locate a few things of interest...assay dishes. These old dishes were very likely used here in Cobalt by the assay office people to test the samples of silver brought in from the mines. Even better yet, the dishes are stamped BatterSea Works England. Never pass up the opportunity to dig through someone else's trash. Their trash could be your treasure. Should anyone be interested in more information concerning the assay dishes please contact me.
Dump Digging
Asay
BatterSea England
Sampled at home
Is anyone aware of the following exhibit:
It is called the Haileybury Rock Walk, the Haileybury School of Mining Rock Park…whatever it is named, do not plan on finding it advertised anywhere. I was not aware this park existed, did not see signs directing to me visit it, saw no billboard, road signs or paper advertisements anywhere. I have asked associates if they were aware of this rock walk and it seems quite odd no one knows anything about this.
See the website from 2001…….
http://www.northernminer.com/news/haileybury-to-open-rock-garden/1000164786/
2001
Now visit the site from 2014. They are seeking donations in excess of $800, 000 to update the rock walk. Why would anyone donate to this project, when no one knows about it???? Purely by accident I found it listed on the Internet. Obviously, not knowing about the walk, I did not visit.
http://www.republicofmining.com/2014/07/29/haileybury-park-upgrade-seeks-mining-industry-support-by-lindsay-kelly-northern-ontario-business-july-28-2014/
2014
Just wanted to relay this information in case you are planning this area. After reading about the rock walk it sounds very interesting. And, it upsets me I missed it for lack of proper advertisement.
This lack of advertising is what is surely causing the local economy to suffer. I stated earlier, the Cobalt area is not a tourist type area. And, here lies the lack of infusion of trade, tourists and tax dollars. No growth results to stagnation, and stagnation causes fewer and fewer new people from coming in. The end result is no solid financial base, real estate valves fall, people move out and the town withers and dies. Contributing factors include not showing people the sights, sounds, attraction that will attract people. Certainly people drive to this area to search for silver, minerals and the old mine experience. This is the key, the mineral and mining attractions are there so go over board and advertise to attract as many as possible. Get the word out, we have the minerals, we have the mines, we have a “rock walk”.
Uploading Photos to MinDat or anywhere for that matter:
It is far more pleasant to view a clear, well balanced photo on the Internet instead of an overly dark or overly light photo.
http://www.mindat.org/mesg-6-375061.html
I posted a question to the MinDat Message Board and inquired as to the use of a photo manipulative program such as Photoshop and or others. My intentions was to see what kind of response the MinDat community would reply. Several such photos uploaded earlier have listed in the photo description as having been PhotoShopped. Seeing this pasted to my photos in turn upset me, thinking the community would frown up such photos and such practice. Read the replies. It appears the community approves of the use of manipulative photo programs which enhance the view of such photos. So it is an acceptable practice to lighten or darken those types of photos.
My two week stay came and went so quickly I could hardly believe it. I did bring home a number of items, trophies of my trip. This trip was more of a learning experience than anything. Should there be a next time, yes, I’ll be a little more prepared. During my time at Cobalt, I walked the rock piles of many of the former mines, located several silver specimens, located several other mineral specimens, located old metal machine plaques, bottles, assaying equipment, nuts, bolts, one hundred old drill bits, light gauge ore cart rail spikes, a variety of interesting iron objects, a large heavy boat propeller. I carted home trophy after trophy and at least one thousand photos. Yes, it was a very good trip. Like Ole Cristóvão Colombo used to do. But, unlike him I don’t think my trip will cause as big a sensation as his nor will my trip open the gates to conquest, rape, robbery, murder and genocide of the indigenous people.
The trip home was long, K-dog not having a valid driver’s license, left all the driving to me while he laid in the back most of the trip, snoring. Occasionally he would get in one of those deep dog dream states, where his hind legs would be moving as if he were running. One can only imagine what he was dreaming about. I would laugh too loudly while watching him and wake him. He in turn, would lift his head and looking at me as if to say “I’m not sleeping”.
Unfortunately Cobalt does not have a rock shop.
For those interested, additional Cobalt area mine locality photos abound in my photo section.
If but a single person found a few moments of enjoyment here, my effort was not in vain.
Comments are always welcome. Constructive criticism even more so. Send me a PM or find me on FB.
Thank you and Good Silver Hunting
Frank
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