My Visit to The City of Gold

This is the fourth installment in my series of Montreal~Val-d'Or visitings exchange with my great pal from Northern Quebec.

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In my adoptive city that is Montreal, we experienced together:

My Visit to the Montreal Botanical Garden
My Visit to the Redpath Museum

And in his native Valley of Gold area, he brought me along for:

My Visit to the Refuge Pageau

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Now, we are going underground.

I'm ready.

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But before proceeding further, I think it's about time you finally meet my friend.

Here we are personifying two mining dwarfs.

Allow me one last more introduction. Our old, but still passionate about his trade, guide.

On the site, this is how we will be moving.

Unlike this fellow, who isn't going anywhere.

That's probably his ride.

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While we will be going down in the vehicle I've shown earlier, real miners used to descend in a small elevator similar to this one.

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Deep in the ground, the lack of light is a photography issue, so bare that in mind when you'll glance at the following pictures.

The yellow thing we saw outside, which looks like a small train, was a muck machine. In 1931, It was invented by John Spence Finlay, a foreman working at the North Lilly Mine in Euraka, Utah. This machine, which runs on compressed air, was an innovation for the miners who used to shovel the ore by hand.

Another era, another type of machine.

When everything else failed, explosives should do the trick. Safety coming first, how the dynamite will be placed is very important.

Look, but don't touch.

What did I just say? Why did you have to press that button?

Quick! I must protect myself from the dust cloud.

If I end up trapped, and if I were to never see my folks again, at least I can send a letter.

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Phew! It's good to be back aboveground and doing some good old safe & sound laboratory work.

Before leaving, we'll make a detour by the gift shop.

Look what I have found.

Today's gold rush is over.

Goodbye.