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to give divers a sense of both apprehension and security. It
makes for wonderful silhouettes of rock and divers passing
overhead. And as your eyes adjust to the light level it’s amazing
how much you can see. But it does take time for your eyes and,
more important, your psyche to adjust.
We surface briefly to view a tipple, a device for
overturning mine cars so they empty their loads. Tipples
are common sights at Bonne Terre. We submerge and swim
past another one as we head to a trail called
Six Tipple
Stand
, a wood-framed stand bathed in “smoke.” As items in
the mine oxidize, Fritz explains, a smokelike haze is formed.
Since there is no current, it hangs in place and is especially
noticeable when lit from behind with a dive light. It’s one of
the most unique things I’ve seen underwater and adds to the
eeriness of Bonne Terre. Next, we swim through the
Short
Tunnel
before ending our dive.
The following dive takes us to
The City
, tripling the
spooky factor. The City is an area of the mine not often
visited. Getting there requires a swim down an ore dump
to a depth of 90 feet, where we explore the main working
level of the mine. This level is home to several buildings,
including an electrical shop, repair shop, parts and supplies
shop, drill-bit repair shop, core-sample testing shop and
carpenters’ shop, among others. It’s also where the mule
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Clockwise from top: Divers enter the water from the dive dock at Bonne Terre Mine.
Most of the mine’s established trails enter overhead environments only briefly, but
some areas of the mine require advanced training. “Smoke” rises from a pile of
railroad ties as Scott “Bear” Fritz, the mine’s director of training, guides a diver in
the mine. As items in the mine oxidize, Fritz explains, a smokelike haze is formed.
Erica Blake photographs one of the many ore carts seen along the Old Mule Trail.
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