These mysterious tunnels burrowing straight into a mountain in three
different directions have fascinated me for many years. Now the main entrance is
securely closed off and overkill signs have been placed indicating that
trespassing here is a federal offense (why is it federal?), but at one
time anyone was free to wander in here and snoop around. It's truly an
awe-inspiring sight inside, with a row of huge sculpted round pillars of stone,
each big as a house, going off into the dark distance as far as the eye could
see and as far as the flashlight could shine.
The place has always had a reputation for being a center of occult activity,
and the graffiti around the area certainly bore this out. Rumors of a
vampire/blood-drinking cult using the place as a meeting spot were common, and
indeed there were some indications that there might be something to these
rumors.
Once, while standing around the entry way, a group of teenagers emerged from
deep within the catacombs. They told me they were trying to map out the place
and it just kept on going. With a pedometer they said they'd mapped one corridor
going for 6 miles, and that there were many other corridors going off in other
directions. That simply boggles my mind. Yet I see no reason to disbelieve his
story, as I've read about other mines that have gone ten miles straight down
below the Earth's surface.
The first reported mine in Boonesboro was in 1863, though we're not sure where. This mine,
though extremely old, is probably not that old, and the huge cavernous rooms and
giant pillars were definitely not done with 19th century technology. It's also possible that
the mine is an old abandoned project from the nearby Allen Company quarry.
The photos at left, from top to bottom:
1. one of the signs posted
2. a wider view, as seen from the road
3. Main entrance, now closed off
4. one of the other entry points