Crystal Cave

[monkeyman]

Ok, this definatly gets filed in the, "Wish List" of all places I wish I could explore.
Crystal Cave was located at the corner of 4th Street and Grey Street in Joplin, Mo. Back when the Mines of this area were active aparently because they were activally pumping the water out of the mines, they inadvertently lowered the water table and Crystal Cave was discovered.
The thing that makes this cave so unique is the fact that it is one of the largest Geod's in the world. There are pictures in the Joplin Mineral Museum that show people of that period down in the cave surrounded by crystals that were atleast 2-feet in diameter, and at least 3-feet long.
Unfortunatly when the mining industry slowed down and eventually stopped in this area, thus ceasing their water pumping efforts, the cave eventually filled up with water and has been sealed and inaccessable since about the 1930's.
Would be nice to explore though!!

[darkcloud617]

well I guess you could get Scuba Gear that would be pretty cool to explore. I guess it would be about as close as we could get to Ice Caves in the Ozarks (if it were still open).

[RaccoonCC]

??

[gimpface]

I was at the Tri-State mineral museum in Joplin Saturday, and they have some pictures of the inside taken fairly recently with a remote camera system. Apparently, they (the MO dept. of Geology) are planning to send cave divers down to document the cave at some point in the future.

[White Rabbit]

So, like, where exactly is the current entrance? How is it sealed?

[caver]

I mentioned this cave back in April in this forum.
here's the link again.
http://www.mindat.org/loc-44478.html

NSS News had an article written about the cave.

[gimpface]

So, like, where exactly is the current entrance? How is it sealed?

As far as I understand it, it's a sealed mine shaft. Apparently they were prospecting when they found it, and they decided it was just too cool to dick around with. The entrance should be at 4th and Grey like monkeyman said. How it's sealed, I don't know.

[monkeyman]

The area that the cave historical sign is on is at the corner of 4th and Grey. It is an asphalt parking lot now, so how they actually "Sealed" the cave I don't know. I would be interested in seeing the pictures of the cave that gimpface refered to. I don't know how they got the camera down there or for that matter how divers would get into the cave. I don't know of any entrance to it.
However, I do have a good friend that is a civil engineer for the city of joplin who might have some insight into where they got into the cave at for the camera. He has access to all of the citys underground maps. I'll ask him and post any info on it asap.

[ambrosian_spelunker]

so has anyone found any information regarding this ?

[bobcat]

More info on the Crystal Cave can be found on Joplin Public Library's Digital Collection, along with tons of other interesting historical records regarding the construction and fate of dozens of interesting buildings in the area at:

http://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/digi ... cards.html

I would suggest spending some time on the site...you never know what you'll find.

From the Site:

In 1893 a miner named James Roach made an astonishing discovery while digging a mine shaft near west 4th Street. The mining industry's extensive pumping of ground water to allow access to the lead and zinc underground had exposed a cave. Eighty feet below the earth surface, Roach entered a 225' by 55' by 15' high chamber lined with giant calcite crystals, constituting one of the world's largest geodes. A smaller cavity abutted the kidney-shaped primary chamber. Originally known as Roach Cave, it opened to the public as Crystal Cave on July 4, 1908. Tourists paid an admission fee to tour the cave.

Crystal Cave closed to the public in the 1930s. The pumping of ground-water was discontinued, and the dazzling cave filled with water, never again to be enjoyed by sightseers. In the summer of 1998, however, State of Missouri geologists explored the cave once more and filmed the procedure using the latest in remote camera technology. Television monitors hooked up to the underwater camera revealed the immense crystals still intact.

I went to 4th and Gray to see what remained...only the sign and a parking lot. I did note evidence of the 1998 investigation, a small hole in the parking lot, the only one in the entire surface.

Cheers!

[cousin]

There is not a current entrance to it. The original entrance is located under the building that is just West of the parking lot. The cave extends North under the house that is just North of the parking lot. The cave extends east under Gray street and under the parking lot of the building across the street.

If you are sitting at the intersection of 4th & Gray looking West you will see a small pipe sticking out of the ground just off the road. That is how they got the camera down in the cave, that's the only place the city could legally drill.

There is also a similar cave close to the intersection of 15th & Main, it's flooded, but much easier to get into.

[ropingk]

well I guess you could get Scuba Gear that would be pretty cool to explore. I guess it would be about as close as we could get to Ice Caves in the Ozarks (if it were still open).

[caver]

I stopped by there on my return trip from this summers vacation out west.
The sign and parking lot. Said metal pipe is just to the left out of the frame.

[cousin]

I am by there once a week or so, if I remember, I will take a pic of the massive entrance to it...

[junkman306]

I am by there once a week or so, if I remember, I will take a pic of the massive entrance to it...

The entrance is still there?? Sweet!!!!!!!