WorldWide Drilling Resource

Alaska Miners Association Phone: 907-563-9229 Fax: 907-563-9225 ama@alaskaminers.org www.alaskaminers.org American Exploration and Mining Assoc. Phone: 509-624-1158 Fax: 509-623-1241 info@miningamerica.org www.miningamerica.org WorldWide Drilling Resource ® is proud to be a member of these mining associations. Women in Mining 866-537-9694 wim@womeninmining.org 49 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MAY 2014 Mercer Caverns by Harry W. Short Engineering Geologist Walter J. Mercer (1854-1900) acci- dently discovered the cavern on a hill- side near Murphys, California, on a hot summer day on September 1, 1885. He had been prospecting for gold and was thirsty. Thinking he would find water, he paused to rest on a grassy knoll. There was no water, but he observed some bushes growing on a limestone rock exposure that seemed to be moving, and he felt a strong draft of air emanat- ing from a crevice in the rock. The stone he dropped in the crack fell a long dis- tance before he heard it hit the bottom. Mercer went to a nearby mining company, obtained some digging tools, and enlarged the opening in the rock. Next, he descended with a candle by rope down a muddy slope. He found himself in a large, dark room at the bot- tom of the entry about 25 or 30 feet below- ground, which he later named the Gothic Chamber. Mercer opened his cave to the pub- lic in 1885, and it is still in operation. A map of Mercer Cavern (elevation 2230 feet) completed in 1986 calculated the depth of the cave at 192 feet. To secure ownership of the site, Mercer filed a mining claim on the prop- erty. A deed of sale on file in the county archives dated December 20, 1886, shows he bought an additional 40 acres of land from Daniel Thompson with a five dollar gold piece. The cave was originally named the New Calaveras Cave. Calaveras (skulls in Spanish) for the remains of six indi- viduals discovered in the cave which were 1500 to 2000 years old. The home Mercer built on the site is still standing and is used as a ticket office and gift shop. The original opening, a vertical wide joint, now has a wooden stairway and is still used to enter the cavern. Limestone of the Calaveras Formation form the walls of the cavern. Bedding in the lime- stone trend northwest 60 to 80 degrees, and dip 70 to 80 degrees southwest. The joints around the cavern are verti- cal and trend north 20 to 80 degrees northeast. He named the speleothems (cave formations) after objects he thought they resembled, thus the names: Organ Loft, Golden Room, Simon’s Thumb, Angel’s Wing, Coral Room, and the world-famous Aragonite, or Flower, Room - 161 feet below- ground which contains flos ferri (iron flower). This is a variety of del- icate white masses of aragonite encrusting hema t i t e f o rmi ng beautiful picturesque snow-white pen- dants and branches. Mr. Mercer dedicated the Cave Twins, Cherubim, as touch stones for the public to touch. It’s easy to see how over 100 years of abuse can damage or destroy the speleothems created mole- cule by molecule by Mother Nature. Harry Harry Short may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com The Angel’s Wing was damaged by a careless visitor and nowhas a plastic shield protecting it. Simon’s Thumb. “Draperies” growing on the ceiling in the Gothic Room. Harry with the Cave Twins “Cherubim”. Entry to main room.