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IanB
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IanB
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PostSat Jun 22, 2013 11:53 am 
0.4 mile - cool. Have to check it out someday.
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...in 1955, the pneumatic mining drills were still lying abandoned on the ground at the tunnel entrance.
Would have been tempting souvenirs! Hopefully some of that stuff found its way to the museum in Quilcene?

"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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Dick B
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PostSat Jun 22, 2013 3:43 pm 
Someone had to have seriously wanted one of those drills. I have a picture of me holding one up. It came up shoulder high and made out of cast iron. It was all I could do to raise it into a vertical position. Only way to get it out of there was by pack animal. I guess people will go to almost any length to salvage something if they want it bad enough. I understand they are slowly striping the old B17. Is this land still under a mining claim or is it USFS? If it's public land I believe it's illegal to remove any historical artifact

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RodF
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PostSat Jun 22, 2013 4:21 pm 
Tubal Cain, 216 acres in 12 patented mining claims, is private land. As noted here on NWhikers, in 2002 it was placed on the market with a $2 million asking price, but never sold.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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trestle
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PostSun Jun 23, 2013 7:39 am 
First thing I'm buying after I win the Powerball. biggrin.gif

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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IanB
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IanB
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PostSun Jun 23, 2013 10:38 am 
Lying in the meadows, high on Worthington's west ridge, just below the summit block, I've daydreamed of building a quaint but sturdy stone hut, with a low door, a warm hearth, and little, glazed windows looking out south and west. And hidden in the back corner, a magic door back to sea-level - so that you could pop in anytime for a lovely sunset, or to enjoy the full force of a fierce winter storm! (Hey, I said I was daydreamin'!) winksmile.gif

"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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RPBrown
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PostMon Jul 15, 2013 8:48 am 
Great photos Dick, thanks for sharing. I'd seriously doubt anyone packed out those big pneumatic drills. More than likely one or both are lying under several feet of tailing or buried in the nearby tangle of trees. Remember, when the mine was in operation the surrounding area was mainly fire-killed snags. My relatives also reported seeing the drill you mentioned as far back as the late 30's. Tubal Cain had two Burleigh pneumatic rock drills. As to how they transported them in there....the following Tubal Cain original company photo tells the story. Bear in mind this was taken near Marmot Pass which may have been an easier route for dragging a heavy object on a sled. Although, the original Big Quil Trail crossed/recrossed the river 57 times and was described as a "man and beast killer". Taken 1904 or 1905. "Resting at the top of one of the hills. Drill on the sled. Part of it standing in the snow"

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RodF
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PostMon Jul 15, 2013 11:44 am 
That's a thought-provoking photo, Rich! Dick borrowed a copy of Lure of the Tubal Cain book and writes "I took interest in the photo on page 41 showing the buildings looking towards the mine entrance. I have attached a photo taken from the top of the tailing pile looking in the other direction. The small building in the 1915 photo was still standing 50 years later when I was there.
Tubal Cain 1915 from Dick Bryant
Tubal Cain 1915 from Dick Bryant
Tubal Cain from tailings 1965 by Dick Bryant
Tubal Cain from tailings 1965 by Dick Bryant
"Still working on the report of that trip. I have the narrative done now just have to finish the photos. Will put in history section. Feel free to post my picture if you want. Dick"

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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WhidbeyBoy
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PostTue Sep 16, 2014 10:51 am 
RP - I scanned through this thread, What can you tell me about Tull City? Are the two remains of log cabins about 100 yards S of the SB-17 crash site the same as the old "Tull City" hotel and a second cabin we see standing to the right of it? Was there a mine up somewhere in Tull Canyon which caused the pioneers to build these two cabins? If there is, where is that mine in relation to the crash site? I didn't see evidence of logging up there yet the old photos show the area above the cabins essentially cleared of trees but today that same area seems thick with forest. Also, any idea what the name of the small mine was - locates at the junction of the present day Tubal Cain Mine trail and Tull Canyon Trail? What were those miners looking for? Thanks for any information. Actually, looking at some of the old photos you posted it appears either a disease ravaged the forest, or a forest fire. In fact, as you hike up today the present Tubal Cain Mine trail, the last mile before you get to the Tull Canyon junction is the remains of a forest of mostly dead trees...

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RPBrown
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PostSat Oct 18, 2014 8:46 pm 
Hi WB, That whole area was all freshly burnt, no logging. The story goes that the fire started about 1904 when a "tourist" stopped at Silver Creek to knock out his pipe. The fire nearly beat him up the valley! However - my opinion only here - I think that was probably a local fire that mainly burnt up Copper Creek. I think a majority of the area had already burned as many of the snags are already silver in a lot of these photos dating from 1903. I'd guess the big fire probably happened around 1895. It is easiest to think of Tubal Cain as an east side operation and west side. The east side operation was essentially Tull City and consisted of at least 2 tunnels and a couple shallow diggings. The main tunnel on the east side is above the 2nd big flat in Tull Canyon. It is easy to see on climber's right side at the base of the wall. Two cabin sat in the flat that were part of Ed Brown's operation, which had nothing to do with Tubal Cain. He just liked to needle the big wheels of Tubal Cain, and hoped to strike it rich of course. There were thousands of claims up there each with their own name. I'm not sure what the one at the junction of the Tull/Tubal Cain trail was called. Tull City was originally called the "Katy Claim". Originally they were looking for gold and silver of course, like everybody else. However, that morphed into mainly copper and magnanese as the realization sunk in that there were few precious minerals in the Olympics. Oh, and there were 3 cabins at Tull City, not two. The first built (and the first to disappear) was "The Hotel Grand", built 1902 or 1903 I think. The other two that you still see the logs of were the main office/bunk house (had "Tull City" burned in the shakes) and the large cook house. You probably know this, but the B-17 accident was still 50 years in the future when Tull City was in operation. The Tull City (east side) operation didn't last long and was basically abandoned by 1906 when the company totally focused on the main west side tunnel at Copper City, circa 1905.

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haydenslides
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PostFri Feb 01, 2019 9:13 pm 
Just ran across this thread... thank you all for sharing your information and pictures of Tubal Cain and Tull City. It's a fascinating area and the pictures really bring it to life!

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