WorldWide Drilling Resource

Jones’ Gold - Real or Imaginary? Compiled by Caleb Whitaker, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® For years, legends of lost gold have been etched into Arizona’s history and lore. Stories are told of riches buried by Spanish explorers or Native Americans, as well as tales of mines whose locations remain a mystery. In 1941, Army Private Robert Jones, sta- tioned at Fort Huachuca in southeast Arizona, took a walk up Huachuca Canyon with a friend. Suddenly, the earth beneath Jones’ feet started to give slightly with each step until he dropped into a cavity, hitting a dirt floor about 30 feet down. Attempting to find a way out, Jones, with his hands stretched out in front, walked toward a far wall which was unusually dark. While shrouded in darkness, he encoun- tered something which would consume his thoughts for the rest of his life - a smooth, oddly shaped stone. The object was cold to the touch, resembling the feel of some sort of metal. Eventually, Jones was able to climb out of the cavity by using a vine his friend had found. Once back at camp, Jones collected a rope, flashlight, and tape measure, then returned to the cavity to take measurements. He discovered there was a small cave with a width and length of about 6 feet, a 5-foot-long tunnel, and a second cave with dimensions of about 15 feet by 20 feet. In the second cave, Jones found two long stacks of metal bars. Each stack was 20 feet long, 4 feet high, and 8 inches wide. The bars in the first stack were black and those in the second were a dull, brassy color. Years would go by with little to add to the story until 1959, when a small crowd, including Jones, gathered to watch an 1800-pound drill bit twist through the earth. A local contractor supplied heavy machinery to excavate a pit at least 32 feet down. At 13 feet, the drill suddenly spun faster, dropping 5 feet before encountering solid ground. If the drill had gone through Jones' chamber, it was much shallower than his original reports; nevertheless, this was an encouraging sign. Drilling continued, but the bit soon ground to a halt against a rock shelf. For the next two weeks, machines would carve out a pit, but water seeped in at a depth of 12 feet, turning dirt into a pasty muck. As pumps went to work, experts were already thinking the void was created by natural means rather than by people seeking to hide gold. At 26 feet, metal buckets scraped bedrock. This was short of the goal, so workers again called for the drill. With news reporters watching, the drill bit reached 36 feet, which was 4 feet past the target, yet no gold was found. In total, four holes were drilled, but in each case, the results were the same. Still not ready to give up, crews dropped 30 sticks of dynamite among the four test holes. The blast revealed thick layers of quartzite, but no gold. Even as Jones pleaded for more time, officials decided it was time to stop the search. In 1962, permission was granted for another attempt but the monthlong dig uncovered nothing but rocks and more doubt. Another attempt was undertaken in 1968 by a Chicago mining company, but again results were disappointing. The Army considered the case closed, and a year later Jones died without ever finding the gold he claimed to have seen years earlier. In 1975, Jones’ gold would once again capture the imagination of treasure seekers. Crews from Quest Exploration Corp. attempted to peel back the layers of the subterranean depths with metal detectors and resistivity meters. They deployed a micro-gravity meter, to reveal voids (less gravity) and dense metals (more gravity). After pouring over the results, they found something to back up some of Jones’ claims - a 38-foot angled shaft to a chamber-shaped anomaly. It measured 20 feet wide, almost 9 feet high, and 30 feet long, but it was filled with silt and other material. Researchers concluded this was indeed the chamber Jones fell into, but it was likely flooded when the Army detonated the dynamite in the failed attempt to reveal it. Their final conclusion was neither the surface nor the drill hole data gave any indication of a cavity with gold or treasure within the area surveyed. As far as the Army was concerned, the search for Jones’ gold had officially come to an end. It’s been over seven decades since Robert Jones fell into the cavity. As far as Fort Huachuca officials are concerned, the gold does not exist and never did. Additional efforts to search for the gold are doubtful since the site is on federal land and five such attempts have already been made; however, speculation remains as to whether Jones’ hidden cache of gold still lies buried in the Arizona desert. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash . Based on readership, this was the most popular E-News Flash article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at : www.worldwidedrillingresource.com New & Used Bits, HDD Bits & Tools, Drag Bits & Wings, Bolt-On Drag Bits, Reverse Circulation Tools, Hole Openers, Claw Bits, Stabilizers, Subs, Custom Tooling & Welding, Hammer Bits, Drill Collars, Pipe Wipers, and Drill Pipe. Office: (661) 834-4348 Rod Henderson / Eran Henderson 661-201-6259 • 661-330-0790 sales@bitcobits.com www.bitcoinc.us 23 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JULY 2018 Photo of a steam shovel searching for the gold cache courtesy of the Fort Huachuca Museum.