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Another day at the mine
More days of exploration have reveled additional artifacts, foundations, prospect pits, another look at the Hatfield adit and possible RR road bed with several foundations.
The Theall and McCollum Mines are the most complete and fascinating in the area. A second, intact, Dynamite shed was found as well as a furnace site. The two dynamite sheds appear to be of 20th century design, possibly installed in the 1940s when there was some consideration to reopen the mine. Needed and appreciated assistance from Ironminers.com brought the site alive you could almost see and feel the bustle of activity in an active Iron Mining operation.
Additional documentation from the Putnam County Historical Archive helped to provide insight into ninetieth century mining operations but more research needs to be done to piece this mosaic together including images to down load, ideas to explore and pages of hand written accounts to examine.
From a History of Putnam County:
Judge Thatcher H. Theall and Arvah Theall through hard and determined effort worked their fathers farm after his death and paid off all loans and and encomberances. They continued their endeavors and were able to add to the homestead on the east bank of the Croton River as well as acreage to the farm through the purchase of a farm from Stephen Travis formerly owned by Gilbert Travis. This purchase in about 1840 increased the Theall holdings by approximately 135 acres and included the land that the Theall mine was to be located on.
Unfortunately there are contradictory dates from the "History of Putnam County" making the exact timing a little fuzzy about +or- five years.
The Theall Homestead still stands in 2006 on east side of Rte 22 about one mile north of the Putnam - Westchester county line in New York State. The Theall Homestead in it's current incarnation is now an Indian Restaurant. At some time prior to that it was a "topless" bar (The Inner Circle - don't ask how I know that) and before that an Inn and restaurant (The Colonial Pines). To say the least it has had a colorful history. But on to findings and revision of previous posts.
From the post "Third Mind Visit" I incorrectly identified the McCollum Mine as a large open pit, it was not (really). The pit, supposedly was a pond built to supply an "unfinished" mill (iron ore processing plant) with water for it's steam engines. There were two "prospect pits" one probably became part of the lake named the "Harvey Pit" another about a 1000 feet to the southwest named the "Vivian Pit".
The "Harvey Pit" does not appear to be discernible although I did try to investigate only to be deterred by a large rottweller. I was trying to get permission from the home owner but this imposing pooch made me think more than twice about leaving the relative safety of my car. Relative because the top was down and this horse of a dog could have stepped right in if he wanted. Needless to say the better part of valor was to retreat!
I have not tried to investigate the Vivian Pit as yet, waiting for the leaves to fall before I make another attempt to obtain permission for a reconnoiter. I will also attempt to visit Roddy's house as well but with the top up and several spools of razor wire! My forays into the wooded areas, away from local homes, will also need to be postponed until the end of hunting season. Back to the McCollum Mine.
The Hatfield adit is actually the entrance to the McCollum mine. The McCollum is at a higher elevation than the Theall Mine and was connected to the Theall Mine by at least two shafts that are now filled in with debris but do still exist - fascinating, at least to me. I know this from entry into the Theall Mine! Yes, I did say entry into an abandoned Iron mine through several thousand feet of tunnels and shafts up to the connection with the McCollum Mine.
I have NEVER seen as many BATs as live inside! The tunnel extends for thousands of feet with many side tunnels (of 20 to 100 feet). In some places the main tunnel resembles a gigantic cathedral, vaulted ceilings and massive vertical walls with a rusted iron colored sheen. The flooded part reaches about 800 - 900 feet then soggy earth beyond until the McCollum mine is reached by an inclined shaft of approximately 100 feet where two other blocked vertical shafts are found. There is the remnant of a wide gage rail track (about 39" wide) leading into tons of loose rock, molding trees and bent metal waste probably used to block access from the shafts above. The mine ended in a water filled grotto with constant dripping water from the ceiling and muck to a depth of about two feet on the floor.
There is no light inside, blacker than black with the constant shriek of hundreds if not thousands of bats from their resting places and as they few inches from you with uncanny precision. Of all the "near" misses their navigation was flawless no matter how we moved they darted around us.
The mine historians (Ironminers.com) were very prepared with illumination one 15 million and one 10 million candle powered light provided a clear but eerie feel leaving dark foreboding shadows at the lights edge to the right, left and beyond. There remain two side tunnels to visit, however, I don't know if I will ever go back in, certainly not alone. It was a fascinating experience but certainly not without risk! An exploration like this is not to be taken without planning, equipment, multiple forms of illumination and back up available if trouble is encountered.
The folks from Ironminers were extremely informative concerning the artifacts found within the cavern, the structure and mining logic in the way and manner the tunnels were excavated. There were two types of rail tracks found, narrow gage in the Theall and wide gage in the McCollum. One rail line ended in an ore chute which probably directed ore from the McCollum mine above to the Theall Mine below were the narrow gage (24 inches) rail transported the ore out of the mine to the processing plant and furnace then by elevated tram to the the spur rail line for transport on the Grand Central Rail line.
Comments
The McCollum Mine (pit) is at the top ot the lower mine hill and the only entrance is the ventilation shaft ( the mine is caved-in). Examine the fenced in area of the hill ( there's a large depression, and another small audit), this is the McCullom pit, not the pond or the Hatfiled audit. The Girl Scouts pond and the Hatfield Audit are over 2,000 feet from the connecting tunnel. According to a NY State Geological Survey ( State Buletin, 1956) the connecting tunnel is only 1,300 feet. When I examined the Hatfield Audit in a rowboat, I specifically looked for any connection to the main shafts but couldn't find any ( in 1993). The furnace you make reference to is actually 4 (iron-ore) concentrating bins built by Thomas Edison in 1902 ( at the top of the hill there are steam engines foundations, ore roasters?, a ore crusher, a large wheeled tractor? and the foundation of the tram-way/large concrete hole) In the1891, Edison incorporated the NY Concentating Works and in the late 1890's bought mining leases in ( Putnam County) New York & (Rockland County) New Jersey and attempted to revive the iron industry through his process of changing low content magnetic iron-ore into 70% pure magnetic iron-ore by separating the crushed iron by large magnets. The 4 large concrete separators are described in a process Edison first accomplished in Ogdensburg, NJ in the fall of 1891. this company largely inactive ( financial problems) after 1896, is responsible for the creation of the cement bins. The last company at the Brewster mine site was the Bethlehem Steel Company who dug 11 side-tunnels during W.W.2 in an attempt to determine the iron content of the iron-ore ( about 50%).
The source of most of the information is the State Bulletin-The Brewster Magnetite District, Geological Survey Maps, google satellite photos, and The American Heritage Invention and Technology Magazine.
-Michael Maruzzella.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the information. I have to go to work today so not much time to correlate your information. At this point I have realized that what I thought of as furnaces were either ore storage or Concentrating Bins. Found the crusher and steam engine, no tractor. A reference I have indicates that the mill at the top of the hill was not finished. I therefore assume that it was not in operation although there appear to be tailings?
Found a small depression about a thousand feet from the McCollum Mine. The rest of the property is now under grass with a house built on it. My plan is to visit the property owner(s) and see if I can investigate their property. Although I don't think the pit is in existence any more - filled in.
From inside the Theall mine there are at least two distinct shifts (one with a rope hanging from it) which are either connections to the McCollum or shafts to the surface?? These were found after walking through from the entrance to the Theall Mine (a long way - have you been inside?).
The area of the air shaft (from the inside of the Theall Mine) I was not able to get to (ran out of time).
I would love to walk over the area with you if not inside the mine. Please let me know if you have any time or would consider this. I do have an article which gives detail of the actual works at the mine which appear to be close to Lower Mine road, not the top of the hill.
Mike
That suff ( satanic rituals) have been going on at the mine before the 70's. I was over a State Trooper house in 1978,
and he told me a story about a the Police having to go to the entrance to the shaft on Halloween. When the trooper got to the steel door, he noticed a dead rat at his feet and lit candles on the railroad tracks for as far as he could see. He could not find anyone at the site and left. When I first visited the mine complex in 1976, there was no graffiti or any sign of vandalism in the sheds or the mine except at the audit was spray painted ' All Ye Who Enter Here Abandon Hope' ( or something like that ) on the upper right wall. The dynamite sheds were actaully locked, and the fence at the ventilation shaft was in tact, with a rubber hose nailed to the shaft to the McCullom Mine. There was a chain link fence in front of the Hatfield Audit, and a small aluminum boat inside the mine to float on and explore. The cement iron ore separators at the top of the hill were spray paint free and the machinery was in good condition. Over the last 30 years more and more groups of people have left their trash, campfires, and spray paint at the mine to the point werre the waste rock was pushed up against the steel door to complicate entering the mine. I was always told that the Police would ticket your car if you parked on Magnetic Mine Road, but since so many people now jog on the road, the Police can't enforce the parking regulations.
There is another mine on the hill behind the Brewster train station which starts at a large 700' trench and culminates at a cinder block wall ( small hole poked in the bottom ) leading to a 60' shaft. I heard in the 80's that some kids were hurt at this site, and the property owner would call the cops if explorers were spotting hiking on the property. A guy that used to own a bagel shop across the street from the Cheever & Durant Mine told me that as a kid he & his friend explored the mine under the streets of Brewster and actually exited the mine in the basement of a deli behind a cold vault. There is a small exploratory pit off Nelson Blvd. on the site of the old Brady farm ( south of the trench ), and there is some mining activity across the street from the Brewster Superette ( northwest of the trench on the residential side of mine hill). The hole in the ciderblock wall at the base of the trench is the easiest entrance to find because the other entrance behind the Brewster Hotel was been paved over. In 1950's the village modernized the water treament plant southeast of the train station, and during excavation the workers uncovered the reminents of a drainage tunnel for the mine.
Thanks for reading my Email,
Mike Maz
Hi Paul,
I have found where the Brewster Mine is located but have not been to the site. Taking with others who have explored the mine there is need of some technical climbing ability to explore that site. Although I would like to explore the area I'm not interested going through the mine itself at this point.
I think I have spoken to the same guy you met hunting. His phone number is on the some of the signs posted by the bridge. I called the number and spoke to him about the mine and area. I have tried to get back in touch with him regarding some details but he has not returned my call. He had told me that the property was up for sale and that there was more history to be found in the Brewster Library (not visited as yet).
The Adit by the dynamite shed is not filled in, although almost completely blocked, access is very possible and it is still a place of interest visited by the local teenage population. I did not see any signs of excessive parting just a few beer cans here and there. When the entrance was mostly filled in it seems to have created a dam like effect backing up water to a depth of at least 5 feet inside the mine which has probably deterred more frequent visits as well as other activity in the mine.
I've been a bit busy lately but would like to take you up on your offer to explore the area let me know what your availability is.
Thanks for the comment
Mike