After we took the train trip in Cripple Creek, we went to the Molly Kathleen gold mine. As we drove up, we saw the gallows(head) frame from which the elevator skips are lowered into the mine 1000 feet below. There are two skips, one over the other. They were made to lower 9 miners per skip. We were only able to load 6 of us in(very tightly) and once loaded we could not shift or move our hands.It takes approximately 1 min, 45 secs to descend. There is a bell system to let the operator know when and where to lower the skips. This mine was discovered in 1891.
When we arrived at the bottom, we started the tour. We saw how miners drilled holes in the walls for dynamite to remove large chunks of gold bearing rock. One miner knelt and held a star bit resting on his shoulder while his partner struck the end with a sledge. If you were the holder, you had to trust that the driver had good aim because if he missed you were dead. The miners worked 12 hour shifts. There were few breaks and lunch was while working.
Years later, pneumatic drills were used. They were very noisy. No wonder miners were deaf. There was also a pneumatic tram to scoop and load the ore into a tram.
We also saw different minerals that also are in the mine. Several copper outcroppings, some sulphur and iron as well as Fluorite. These veins are typically indicators of gold bearing rock.
Mining continues until 1961, when the local mill for ore processing closed. After a few years, the owners decided to give tours. No gold had been extracted since, except the samples given to visitors(you need a microscope to see if you have any actual gold).
Here is the website for the Molly Kathleen: http://www.goldminetours.com/goldminetours.com/History.html

And here are pictures we took: