Visiting Chollar Mine has been on my list for some time. I had seen pictures of the mine entrance and I decided it was time to tour the famous one-hundred-and-sixty-year-old mine. Since I was in Virginia City, I decided to visit a few locations for an upcoming article on my favorite places off “C” Street.
Ghost Towning
After two weeks of being under quarantine, I was ready to get out and explore. My goal was the Chollar Mine and I thought I would explore Virginia City while I was there. I photographed the Fourth Ward School Museum, St. Mary’s Art Center, and the infamous Virginia City “Spite House.”
Chollar Mine
Chollar Mine was staked in 1859 by William “Billy” Chollar. The mine combined with the Potosi Mine in 1865 to become the Chollar-Potosi Mine.
(Photo credit: Chollar Mine)
Chollar Mine was one of the greatest producers in the Comstock heyday. Over eighty years of operation, the mine would produce an astonishing $17 Million in gold and silver.
Chollar Mine Tour
The Chollar Mine tour exceeded my expectations. The adit cut 400′ into the hillside, ending under C Street. We had a group of five, but one member decided not to head into the confining space.
Adit or Tunnel?
Adit vs. tunnel is a confusing mining term. Many refer to any opening to a mine as a tunnel. But to be a tunnel, there has to be an opening at the other end. An audit is a horizontal cut from the surface into the mine.
The adit ceiling is low for the first ten or twenty feet. The space then increases, but at 5’8″, I ducked to avoid hitting my head. After 400′, the adit opens into a stope, leaving room to stand upright. Bill, our guide, demonstrated a variety of mining techniques and equipment.
Signal Bell
To communicate at the hoist, miners used a bell. The number of rings indicated the command or level of the mine. Bells were standardized and eventually written into Nevada Administrative Code.
Mining Equipment
Oh Rats!
(Photo credit: Engineering Live
Many know about using canaries in mines. The canaries are sensitive to air quality; miners know to leave the mine quickly if one dies.
I had never heard about using rats. Bill explained that rats were happy to be in the mines; they ate tallow candle droppings and crumbs from the miner’s lunches. Rats could sense dangerous conditions such as fire and earthquakes. If they started running from the mine, it was a sign that miners should evacuate.
Lighting the Way
Before electricity, miners worked by candlelight. Chollar was the first mine in the Comstock to utilize electrical lighting.
Today LED rope lighting provides light to navigate the mine while preserving the historical ambiance.
Square Set Timbering
The Comstock Lode grew so expansive that prior methods of reinforcing walls and ceilings were insufficient. German engineer, Phillip Deidesheimer, inspired by a honeycomb, developed a system referred to as square set timbering. Mines were reinforced with interlocking with vertical and horizontal timbers.
Bill told the story of leading a mine tour during an earthquake. When they came out, they were asked if everything was okay. Being sheltered by square set timber, they didn’t realize a quake occurred.
If you enjoy historical fiction, Bill’s wife authored a book about a tour group who, after experiencing a quake in the Chollar Mine, is sent back into the 1860s.
Next on my nightstand to read
Chollar Museum
The Chollar Mine has collected mining artifacts on display.
A well balanced day
I rounded out my Virginia City Day with lunch at Cafe del Rio and a treat at the Chocolate Nugget… for research purposes, of course.
Want to tour Chollar yourself?
Contact Chollar Mine Tours at https://chollarminetour.com or (775) 847-0155.
Want more ghost towns?
For information on more than three hundred ghost towns in Nevada, visit the Nevada Ghost Towns Map or a list of Nevada ghost towns.
References
- Casetext: Nev. Admin. Code § 512.164
- Chollar Mine Tour
- Engineering Live: What Killed the Canary?
- History.net: Square-set Timbering and the V-Flume Kept the Comstock Lode Running Strong
- Lord, Eliot. Comstock Mining and Miners. Government Printing Office, 1883. Pages 173.
- Travel Nevada: Chollar Mine Tours
- UNR: Mineral Monday in Virginia City: The Chollar Mine
- UNR: Science fo the Comstock Physics
- Visit Virginia City Nevada: Mines & Mining History
- Western Mining History: Chollar Mine
- Wikipedia: Comstock Lode
1-28-2022
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Brent Williams says
Toured the mine a couple of weeks after you did. I asked Bill, the guide, about you as I had read you had been there. He remembered you. I read the book his wife wrote and it was very interesting. You will enjoy it.
Thank you for all the information you provide for everyone’s enjoyment.
It was a pleasure meeting you at the Mizpah hotel last year.
Sincerely, Brent Williams
Tami says
You must have just missed me. I’m not sure this is good that people remember me;)
I loved A Portal in Time and finished it in a few days. I don’t know Bill and his wife, but I think they based the mom off me.
I didn’t connect your name but remember now. My superpower is remembering everything someone tells me, except their name. I had a lot of fun trips to the Mizpah last year. I hope to have more soon.
Frank Hollingshead says
Nice article, Tami! I really enjoyed the tour of the Chollar Mine as well, and you captured most of the interesting details the guide covered. Nice photos too! Keep up the good work!
Tami says
Thank you, and I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. I need to go back and see the work they have done.