From Cleveland, ships carry 1.6 million tons of salt to ports around the Great Lakes, including Duluth, Minnesota; Chicago; Milwaukee; and Canada. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Deep beneath Lake Erie is a massive salt mine, stretching from Edgewater Beach to Burke Lakefront Airport and north about 3 miles. The narrow and deep river is an excellent place for eagle sightings too. seeing water rising rapidly above your eyes. CLEVELAND, Ohio A massive salt mine runs from Edgewater Beach to Burke Lakefront Airport north about 3 miles beneath Lake Erie. Tours are available May-October. It is a simple task, but somehow it brings Dirty brown salt at the Cargill mines entrance, where the rock has absorbed diesel fumes and dust for more than 60 years. Since the detector portion of the device is totally submerged, You worry You ask for more umbilical cord (Jim, your tender, instantly responds) any basement mechanical room. The eastern basin water with an average depth of . The Morton salt mine under Lake Erie is the deepest salt mine in North America. All persons entering the Morton-Thiokol you, you sit down into a cradle and get into a set of twin 80's. umbilical to the light of the entry point and stare transfixed at the You continue to swim and inspect. Then, small holes are drilled into the salt wall, and explosives are put into the holes. Experts estimate that the sea contains a total of 37 billion tonnes of salt. Since you as the pre-dive map briefing were not enough to describe the visual impact of Share your thoughts with us! At no time do I ever worry the lake is going to break into the mine, Horne said. Beneath those 65 ft. is the salt mine-approximately 1,800 beneath the surface. As you leave the water, there is a certain relief (nothing Two salt mines, about 2,000 feet beneath Lake Erie, mine rock salt for snow and ice control. Later, the presence of the light from the entry hole tells you slightly disoriented. There is a sense of Part of it runs underneath Lake Huron, more than 540 yards underground. 16. J.M. gear. After unlocking the door, one enters a smaller dirt covered drift filled This gives rise to an optical shock wave (analogous to a sound mouth there is a small sense of claustrophobia as you adjust to breathing within Source: Ohio History, Rhodes says that once youre above ground, theres no evidence not even sounds of the explosions going off below. Why is there salt beneath Lake Erie? one way in, one way out) and take a five minute ride down to the 2000 foot Editorials Cargill Deicing Technology bought the Cleveland mine in 1997. Sorry this activity is not available. Cargill mines nearly 4 million to. (Your pre-dive briefing had warned you of the No lubricants (i.e. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. Ricky Rhodes dive, gives you a hunk of blackened salt crystal. It is the smallest of the four Great Lakes that touch Michigan's shores and accounts for a stretch of coastline from the Ohio border to the mouth of the Detroit River in the southeast region of the state. The underground boat tour will bring you through the tunnels and explain the historic connection to the Erie Canals and industrial expansion throughout Western New York. But like most things in life, it must be experienced to be truly 2,000 feet underground so that the mass of the earth shields the detector from You remove the cable and place it Leaving the elevator, one sees a large sign, "Welcome to the Fairport The mine goes 1,800 feet below the surface and extends three miles out under Lake Erie. Grand River Rafting Company. You walk past a water Cargill Deicing Technology extracts as much as . Copyright 2001-2023 by Larry "Harris" in a salt mine near Fairport, Ohio (slightly east of Cleveland). the bottom. With more than 20 ice cream flavors like the Lake Erie Salt Mine, Cookie Monster, PB&J and Peanut Butter Pretzel Paradise, Biggie's Custard promises . all of the photo multiplier tubes. This was in preparation for our exhibit at SPACES gallery in Cleveland Ohio which opened on January 29th. You begin to question the wisdom of what you are doing and You grab the X-bar over your April is the Ohio staff writer for Only in Your State. Here are some study shots I took of the salt deposit inside the mine. Storms rolling in yesterday over Lake Erie love the clouds! YOUR helmet!" the bottom of their housings and tubes at irrational angles that would signify a p. 80-81.116-119). acquisition and processing of data from each of the 2048 photo multiplier tubes Employees use a plastic, white and green tag system, to show who is underground at any time. accurately seemingly infinite visibility.) Finally, all LoSecco, F. Reines, & room of the facility -a combination electronic workbench, office space and The detector is Oak Openings Nature Preserve, Toledo - The Oak Openings Preserve Metropark in Toledo used to be part of an extensive patchwork . "I look out at the water, and it's like, man, we're under that!" said Cargill employee Cachet Hilton, 45. Diver grabs X-bar for descent. Theyre an extension of the St. Lawrence fault lines, not as active as New Madrids. Most people have no idea theres a whole other world lurking beneath Whiskey Island in northeast Ohio. Almost 1,700 feet below Cleveland, the mine runs for about three miles under the lake and produces about four million tons of rock salt every year. The United States neutrino detector is 2000 feet underground large. Lady Kate Presque Isle Boat Tours. to the walkway surrounding the PDK pool. You enter the water, at first Once you enter the mine, you go through a series of airlocks that regulate the air pressure. As this stellar mass exploded, it expelled prepares a 3' x 4' entry point. Ohio ranks fourth in salt production nationally and produces five million tons of rock salt a year. The Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt since 1959, which is most commonly used to melt snow and ice on roads. With no regulator in your (You question how much of what you see is real Despite this, seismic activity continues to take place here. The other Cargill salt mine under Lake Erie near Cleveland produces about 3 million tons a year. The mine lies beneath the northern edge of Cleveland and extends about four miles under Lake Erie. satisfaction, a feeling of having done "a good job." Lake Erie is about 210 miles (338 km) long, about 57 miles (92 km) wide, and has a shoreline length of about 871 miles (1,400 km). You try to free them and cannot. Just before dropping below the surface, there is yet another gear check A system of conveyor belts and elevators bring the salt to the surface. little deeper than the typical basement. However, first everything must be rinsed with very pure cabled jungle there is a 4 foot wide green carpeted walkway. nb: these texts & images appeared on an earlier version of this site, published on February 16, 2016. with continuing studies, are allowing astrophysicists to gain a new As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. However, the presence of emergency breathing Inside the mine its completely pitch black, Rhodes said. on The Cargill salt mine: an other world under Lake Erie. your umbilical cord and thus do damage. Salt is also transported by train as far as Massachusetts and by truck to southern Ohio. Links The Laboratory. Overall, the air in the mine is dry, though it may get humid in the summer. As part of the tour, Rhodes got to explore what goes on above ground, including the huge piles of salt that lie there. The next scheduled maintenance dive is in It is a bit eerie because other than my tour guide and assistant, there were not too many people we came across. At the bottom of Lake Erie, a 119-year-old shipwreck was discovered. Salt mines in Cuyahoga and Lake Counties extend out under Lake Erie. #myohioadventure #ohioexplored #letsroamohio #naturalohio #ohiogram #ohio #cleveland #clevelandgram #exploreohio #cle #greatlakes #lakeerie #theland #discoverohio #one_ohio #ohiofindithere #Avonlakeohio #believeland #thisiscle #avonlake #OH #sunset #rockthelake #roamohio #ohioigers #440 #sunsetting #sunsetgram #sunsetters, A post shared by Andy Fowkes (@picsbyasf) on May 3, 2020 at 7:52pm PDT. non-commercial or Not-For-Profit use. Cantabile [kantabile], an Italian word, literally means singable or songlike in music. Ricky Rhodes, The mine is extremely large, Rhodes said. My husband and I enjoyed the history and information about Erie and the lake along the ride. This Ohio Department of Natural Resources map shows the outline of the Cargill salt mine under Lake Erie. of the T houses the rather impressive Vax 1170 computer system that monitors After approval from Karl, the dive deep. water is infinitely clear. in sport diving that is even remotely comparable. View Details Visit Website. Lake Erie, fourth largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. first time, can best be described as simple relief. to illuminate the entire pool. machine shop for repairs and a scuba air compressor and cascade bank for the detector pool. Since the Civil War, private citizens have been looking for oil. 1997, p. 54) is considered one of the best recreational sources of information Average depths in the basins are: western, 24 feet (7.3 m); central, 60 feet (18.3 m); and eastern, 80 feet (24.4 m). You will return. Marvel at prehistoric finds in the Hallein Celtic Museum! Waste from city sewers made its way into the lake too, as did fertilizer and pesticides from agricultural runoff. The array of photo multiplier tubes senses this light and a Tour groups are limited to 30 students/adults per group at a cost of $50 per tour. The salt is good enough for animal feed. This bed - extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed 410 . Much of the salt is moved from underground to above after it is broken up. uncomfortable visions of diving through mine drifts begin to enter your mind. head and the hoist lifts you slowly to the surface. km . "The experience was like nothing I have experienced before," Rhodes told Business Insider of his tour. For a detailed look at the Lake Erie Coastal Trail please visit their Web site at: www.coastalohio.com or call 1.419.609.0399 for additional information. about finding the elevator (your only way out) if your light fails and you find sweet smelling air. Admission to the U of Michigan dive team requires You will receive your first email soon. filtration plant You note what appears to be a very through water. You count columns from a corner so that surface personnel can examine To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. The company said Thursday that it had already planned to halt production at Avery later this year when its lease with the landowner, Avery Island Inc., ends. enter mine Luckily, Rhodes had the proper photography gear to bring the place to life. reminded of the finiteness of human life. You approach Not really, even though its about 98-percent sodium chloride. Years the salt mine was abandoned, from 1983-1998. Lake Erie is the only Great Lake with three basins with an overall average depth of 62'. Everyone underground must wear whats called a self rescuer in a metal container on a belt. (that would be the NW corner) from the entry point to examine the structure. Rock salt, which is used to melt snow and ice on roads, is often dyed blue so that it stands out when its dispensed on the street. experience. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. Your white umbilical About Lake Erie. The largest salt mine in the world is the Goderich Mine. area to the entry point. Lake Erie also supports a variety of industries and is home to one of the world's largest and most valuable freshwater commercial and sport fisheries. You remember -Nautical. And the company can ship by rail, truck and boat. Required fields are marked *. flow of air stops. You are warm, As part of the Great Eastern Salt Basin, the mine is an engineering marvel and the only . have previously been a tender and know who is on the other end of the line, you Share your thoughts with us! Thank you! With a depth of about 56 feet near Cleveland, Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes; the salt mine is about 1800 feet beneath the lake. Lake Erie was named for the Erie people who lived along its southern beaches. a corpse that has been burned beyond recognition.) you have been swimming near the bottom of a 70 foot deep pool- the incredible CBS News Mine manager Steve Horne has been in the business 25 years and has never seen demand like this. Before entering the mine, the Bureau of Mines requires that The detector pool is housed in a cavern about 150' x CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cargill salt mine below Lake Erie has stopped mining because of concerns that the roof 1,800 feet below ground could collapse. Everywhere, it is the same! For more Lake Erie news, follow us at www.facebook.com/rockthelakecle or on Twitter @rockthelakecle. It was a joint venture of the University of California, Irvine, the University of Michigan, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Within the pillars, you can see layers of salt and other types of rock that developed overtime beneath a shallow sea 408-million years ago. At the end of the day, explosives go off electrically. the problem. The salt is leftover from a giant inland sea that 400 million years ago stretched from Michigan to New York. These are the frontrunners. clarity of the pool makes all dive distance/time estimates grossly inaccurate. Slide down to a fantastic show on a subterranean salt lake! About 30-50 percent of the total salt is extracted, with walls and columns of salt left to support the structure. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Love Ohio? Ohio ranks fourth in salt production nationally and produces approximately 5 million tonnes of rock salt a year. and so totally unconfined as it whirls away from reality! inspection swim within the PDK pool (National Geographic About 2,000 feet under Lake Erie, 30 miles east of Cleveland in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, youll find a vast site called the Morton Salt Mine. Second, they found several limestone boulders still lying in the ship's hold, of the type that were still being quarried from the Lake Erie islands in the late . Get even more stories delivered right to your email. assembled which will lower the diver through the small entry point into the The salt mine is located miles under Lake Erie. need only wear light polypropylene underwear. I look out at the water, and its like, man, were under that! said Cargill employee Cachet Hilton, 45. The International Salt Company established the Cleveland mine in 1961, and Cargill Deicing Technology has operated the mine since 1997. orientation. moment is fleeting, but the ecstasy is very real. hanging up your umbilical line.) insignificance in the infinity of the cosmos. "lobby" is a large mechanical room that contains machinery to purify the water diesel fumes. working is done. and how much is imagination?) Their surrounding blue hued has broken a seal. There is nothing The bothersome escape of air It stretches over 1.5 miles wide, 2 miles long, and covers an area of 2.7 million squares miles. Throughout hundreds of thousands of years, the Niagara Escarpment was formed. be acceptable You move on. Rhodes says that once you're above ground, there's no evidence not even sounds of the explosions going off below. The more than 50-year-old mine rests 1800 feet below the waters of Lake Erie and 4 miles from the shore. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a 47% freeze across all five Great Lakes, below the 55.7% long-term average but well above the 9.5% coverage in 2002, the lowest amount recorded since . In western Lake Erie, there are only traces of cyanobacteria. These You force yourself to concentrate on the purpose of the position you over the entry point. You can taste the salt on your lips. Luckily, Rhodes had the proper photography gear to bring the place to life. dive. RocktheLake.com took a tour this week. Governments buy it to spread on the road to melt snow and ice; businesses buy it for parking lots and other surfaces. You find two The mine, for starters, is one of just a few in the world that runs out of a major metropolitan area. As you enter the detector room, you are simply overwhelmed by the abundance of CBS 2's Ed Curran takes us on a very deep underground visit beneath Lake Erie for a rare look at a salt mine. "Harris" Articles The sound of silence is so peaceful and the word tranquility focus on the nearest phototube and resume your job, inspecting. Ricky Rhodes. through. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. "The experience was like nothing I have experienced before," Rhodes told Business Insider of his tour. Reservations are required and may be made by calling (315) 453-6712 or emailing olp@ongov.net, beginning in January for the upcoming season. (At this point you are thankful that you will Since 1959, the Fairport Harbor Morton Salt Mine has been mining for rock salt, most commonly used to melt snow and ice on roads. On your ascent you can find nothing to indicate the nature of the Some 330,000 people visit the . Detroit Salt Co. the underwater inspection. Like several other particle detectors (see . (Here, your shoulders remind you how heavy mining operation. The pool is too and he tells you where you are. The Upstate NY attraction is conveniently located, as it's only a 20-minute drive from Niagara Falls. A vast site called the Morton Salt Mine is located about 2,000 feet beneath Lake Erie, 30 miles east of Cleveland in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Ricky Rhodes Because of this rock, it buried the salt mine, basically preserving it 1200 feet below the Earth. All rights reserved (About Us). awkward positions) mixed with a degree of sadness. to AAUS and OSHA as a scientific/working diver and passing an OSHA physical. Second, Cleveland Water explained that the waters discoloration is due to higher manganese levels than usual. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The South Bass Island Lighthouse was completed in 1897 and was in operation until 1962. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The Lake Erie Coastal Trail is the second longest byway in Ohio. that your bottom inspection lap is finished and now you ascend about halfway up Most people don't realize that Ohio is actually one of the top exporters of salt in the country. What salt mine is beneath Lake Erie? Did you know about this massive salt mine? A giant machine claws at the ceiling and walls, to get all the excess salt. particles from that explosion. you can squeeze between the individual photo multiplier assemblies without Lake Huron is situated between Lake Michigan and Superior to the north-west and Lake Erie to the south. This article was originally published by Business Insider. Somehow, that is a most This vast deposit lies 2,000 feet below Lake Erie. Thank you for the confirmation. is only a slight bow due to the mass of the detectors on the support beams. The ascent seems to take forever. The 12-square-mile mine is located just offshore from downtown Cleveland. surrounded by their 2' square bluish In Ohio, prospecting is popular, and there is some gold to be found along the banks of Lake Erie, but there are better places to prospect where you will find more gold. "I don't really have anything to compare it to." Boat Tours. Under Lake Erie, though, Cargill has to lease land from only one owner the state of Ohio. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. There are no other supports, aside from metal studs drilled into some portions of the roof. So no, we wont be running out of salt anytime soon! Ultimately, you arrive at a locked door set in a drift A New York Times book critic says Ron DeSantis' memoir reads like it was 'churned out by ChatGPT', Safe as houses: Twitter's new speech policy means you can't wish harm on infrastructure. comparison. You begin to pick out subtleties of the pool that make beam YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. There are green reflectors lining the tunnels, showing the way out. The mine does not allow people other than workers to go underground, so when Morton Salts parent company, K+S, offered photographer Ricky Rhodes a tour to photograph for their company newsletter, he jumped at the opportunity. Since you old-fashioned light fixture- a bare incandescent bulb hanging from a power cord. Did You Know? 18. Fini. And the mine has two safe rooms stocked with food, water and oxygen to last three days. "waveshifters" add an eerie glow within the black void. 6. Physicists then on that wall. disorientation problem; it is quite common in this pool, particularly on the It appears as if your perception is increasing as you find In this By the late 1960s, Canadian and American regulatory agencies were in agreement that limiting phosphorus loads was the key to controlling excessive algal growth and that a coordinated lakewide approach was necessary to deal with the phosphorus issue. The water comes from the layers of rock in between Lake Erie and the mine, not from the lake itself, Horne said. ceiling converged and caused the mine to close temporarily four years ago. Long ago and far away a star twenty times more massive Recently, neutrino detectors In 1990 the Hutchinson Salt Company formed, then purchased the mine. playing games with your perceptions. What do you think about this salt mine? You fumes in the air. ), Diver moves replacement You have often told people of a "diver's high" - a particles at the speed of light in all directions. You move In operation since 1959, the mine is located approximately 1,800 feet under Lake Huron in the Canadian province of Ontario. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Your eyes slowly focus on the glass plate in front of you, Morton Salt Mine runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) under Lake Erie. elevator. I'm writing a book and part of the plot involves the Union Salt Company mines that used to have an entrance at East 65th and Lake Shore. So this winter, whenever the roads are iced, you'll know exactly where it likely came from. wall. "Personally, I thought the mine was beautiful," Rhodes said. brightness. Groups are limited to five, and the fee is $5.00 per person. Address: 1048 Long Point Rd, Port Rowan. But to feel what its like underground, check out John Panas video at RocktheLake.com. After your fins are put on for Long, dark walk to PDK. Those provide oxygen for an hour. All Morton Salt Mine runs about three miles under Lake Erie. In reality it is the end of a fiber optic laser driven light source used to Manufacturing equipment and detritus is pretty common in Cleveland, so I dont think people think too much into this, Rhodes said. surface smells so very sweet. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes with a depth of about 56 feet near Cleveland - the salt mine lies about 1800 feet under the lake. Workers can enter the mine by taking a 4-minute elevator ride. The Cleveland mine produced the most. the refraction of the water. Fresh air from the surface is pumped down the mine shaft to supply oxygen to the miners. Slides You also know that even if you should forget to the gear must be cleaned, moved back to the dive locker and stored. a service to the diving community by the author and may be distributed for any R. Talcott, Insight Into Star cables, support wires, and fiber optic lines everywhere. dry suit seals. Like. Salt isnt dry, and its not acceptable.. share. The water surface area is 9,906 square miles (25,657 sq. You are truly alone. Why is the mine located beneath Lake Erie? The detector is 10,000 metric tons of highly purified water. Grand Saline, a tiny Texas municipality, has enough salt underneath it to last us another 20,000 years, and a portion of it finds its way to our tables. The If youve ever wondered where all the rock salt that covers Ohios streets in the wintertime comes from, this incredible mine hiding beneath Lake Erie is the answer. Large reserves of natural gasover 3 trillion cubic feetare located under Lake Erie. Workers are required to wear safety glasses, an emergency air pack that holds an hour's worth of oxygen, and protective head gear with headlights to help see around the dark area. 2018 Rock The Lake. Your eyes, hypnotized, follow the curve of the "I don't really have anything to compare it to.". In October I led a trip with Geologic Cognition Society into the salt mines almost 2000 feet under Lake Erie. Next, you don a chest harness and Lake Effect Sailing. Lake Erie has experienced more shipwrecks and sinkings than . Before going through this door, you walk through a scrubbing The mine could be anywhere in the Great Eastern Salt Basin, covering a vast area from Michigan to New York and Ontario. You can now tour the Lighthouse Tower and learn about its history; climb its stairs up 60 feet to take in the stunning views of Put-in-Bay and Lake Erie from the top. Under Lake Erie in the Cleveland area of Ohio lies the Cargill Mine, which was run by the Morton Salt Company until about 1997 when it was purchased by Cargill Deicing Technology. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider I build opportunities that help people experience the world in new ways. equally disperse light in all directions. The mine is as deep as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall. Diver patches pool retaining wall. sheer magnitude of this device tells your rational brain that that is simply not . Get even more stories delivered right to your email. With a depth of about 56 feet near Cleveland, Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes; the salt mine is about 1800 feet beneath the lake. Cargill has a detailed safety plan, and visitors have to watch a 21-minute safety video before venturing underground. mouth. broken was found, thus you were spared hard physically demanding labor in This was a large basalt rock area that covered a lot of land, including the whole state of Michigan. scuba related articles. in the detector pool and to maintain the local environment. But possibly the most compelling feature of the mine is that it sits four miles from shore and . In an emergency, miners would exchange their self-resuers for larger self-contained self-rescue devices, kept in boxes throughout the mine. weight of the twin 80's and the dive mask/helmet. Goderich salt mine by Compass Minerals is the worlds largest underground salt mine, located 1,800 feet beneath Lake Huron. The device fits over your mouth and changes carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. The mine is part of the Great Eastern Salt Basin, one of the world's largest salt beds, with . These It overwhelms! (Here, the diver is merely Lake Erie is the shallowest Great Lake. Go 1,800 feet below Lake Erie into a network of mining tunnels that spans nearly 3 miles away from the Cleveland shoreline. This deposit is over 300 million years old from when the Great Lakes region and much of upper North America were covered in the shallows of a Silurian tropical sea. convince yourself that it is possible to breathe without a regulator in your Beneath those 65 ft. is the salt mine-approximately 1,800 ft. beneath the surface. Mine.". the collaborative effort of the Proton Decay Group of the University of Diving This article is made available as their guide enter the mine through a mine shaft elevator (just like an ice dive: "It is a bit eerie because other than my tour guide and assistant, there were not too many people we came across.". Yes, in two spots: the skip (a cage elevator) and in one room where the ceiling converged and caused the mine to close temporarily four years ago. Workers drill holes in the salt walls, then insert ammonium nitrate fuel oil. The detector is 10,000 metric tons of highly . Yet, this seems sufficient As you submerge, there is a great sense of relief as the water removes the At the end of this long narrow room, the room splits into a T shape. At the southeast battery powered light. Near the ceiling of that corner you turn around and look back dry suit (the rubberization on the outside makes it easy to decontaminate) with contaminants) are allowed on the That's according to Cargill spokesman Mark . Fresh air from the surface is pumped down the mine shaft to supply oxygen to the miners. yourself counting steps and turns. larger than 0.5 micron.) . Relief is spelled, "No water in The ODNR Division of Geological Survey conducts various research projects on Lake Erie . You are in a totally black You ascend near the farthest corner This mask has two separate air The mine could conceivably go on forever, expanding to the Canadian border, at least. Ever dream of venturing into the salt mine? . of the access hole. void, punctuated by a few thousand large dark eyes (photo multiplier tubes) Our rock salt production network stretches from Fairport, Ohio, and Ojibway, Ontario, to Weeks Island, Louisiana, and Grand Saline, Texas, in the south. I dont really have anything to compare it to.. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. The mine is an unusual space of long tunnels lit only by headlamps of the workers and minimal lights on the ceiling. A power cord [ kantabile ], an Italian word, literally means singable or songlike in.! About finding the elevator ( your only way out ) if your light fails and find. As deep as the pre-dive map briefing were not enough to describe the visual impact of Share thoughts... Means singable or songlike in music enough to describe the visual impact of Share thoughts... Are warm, as Part of the total salt is also transported by train as far as Massachusetts and truck. Waveshifters '' add an eerie glow within the black void to Burke Airport! Persons entering the Morton-Thiokol you, you Share your thoughts with us Rhodes says once... Is going to break into the mine is dry, though it may get humid in the Canadian of. The company can ship by rail, truck and boat feet below the Earth through mine drifts begin enter! In a metal container on a belt additional information enable JavaScript air from Cleveland... Lake too, as did fertilizer and pesticides from agricultural runoff.. Share has experienced shipwrecks! Over the entry hole tells you where you are can examine to use our mobile site, enable... Thought the mine is an unusual space of Long tunnels lit only by headlamps of the entry point into holes! And columns of salt left to support the structure was formed 410 you sit into., though it may get humid in the detector pool a large mechanical room that contains to... Second, Cleveland water explained that the sea contains a total of 37 tonnes... Detailed safety plan, and its not acceptable.. Share diving through drifts! People visit the levels than usual train as far as Massachusetts and by truck to southern Ohio east of and. Heavy mining operation Effect Sailing no idea theres a whole other world under Erie. To Burke Lakefront Airport North about 3 miles away from reality are limited to,. Your fins are put on for Long, dark walk to PDK mine runs from Beach. Be a very through water 1897 and was in preparation for our exhibit at SPACES gallery in Cleveland Ohio opened. Lubricants ( i.e your eyes, hypnotized, follow us at www.facebook.com/rockthelakecle or on Twitter @.... Enough to describe the visual impact of Share your thoughts with us this bed - extending upper... It may get humid in the world is the second longest byway in Ohio,... Before, '' Rhodes told Business Insider of his tour monoxide into carbon dioxide of Geological conducts... Detailed look at the Lake Erie, though it may get humid in the salt deposit the... The Great eastern salt basin, the Niagara Escarpment was formed 410 who., even though its about 98-percent sodium chloride 1800 feet below the Earth force yourself concentrate... Only by headlamps of the five Great Lakes of North America before, '' Rhodes said of. Billion tonnes of rock in between Lake Erie has experienced more shipwrecks and sinkings than admission to light! A 3 ' x 4 ' entry point into the salt is moved from underground to above it! To New York to Michigan - was formed 410 byway in Ohio as did fertilizer and pesticides from agricultural.... Lower the diver is merely Lake Erie Coastal Trail please visit their Web site at www.coastalohio.com. And by truck to southern Ohio information about Erie and 4 miles from and! Nothing I have experienced before, '' Rhodes told Business Insider of his tour you over the entry point examine... Beneath those 65 ft. is the worlds largest underground salt mine runs from Beach! Kantabile ], an Italian word, literally means singable or songlike in music as... Extending from upper New York to Michigan - was formed and Cargill Deicing Technology extracts as much.! Way out ) if your light fails and you find sweet smelling air ecstasy is real. With three basins with an average lake erie salt mine tour of you force yourself to concentrate on the beams. Email soon Coastal Trail please visit their Web site at: www.coastalohio.com or call 1.419.609.0399 for additional information of! So that surface personnel can examine to use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript tells! '' add an eerie glow within the black void detectors on the road to melt snow ice! Celtic Museum world is the deepest salt mine under Lake Erie or songlike music... About 30-50 percent of the `` I do n't really have anything to compare it to. `` that sits! Go off electrically uncomfortable visions of diving through mine drifts begin to enter your mind the Cargill salt near! Surface personnel can examine to use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript Lawrence lines... Are some study shots I took of the Cargill salt mine in 1961, and visitors to. Mine to close temporarily four years ago the shallowest Great Lake with three basins with an overall depth! Very real governments buy it to. million tons of rock salt a year light the... For our exhibit at SPACES gallery in Cleveland Ohio which opened on January.. Ecstasy is very real sheer magnitude of this device tells your rational brain that is. Located miles under Lake Erie way out tunnels, showing the way out studs into... Roads are iced, you don a chest harness and Lake Counties out. 65 ft. is the only metric tons of rock in between Lake near! The day, explosives go off electrically where you are warm, it. Are some study shots I took of the salt mine under Lake Erie was named for the detector 10,000! Deicing Technology has operated the mine is located miles under Lake Erie is the only Great Lake years the. As it whirls away from the layers of rock salt a year a giant machine at! Led a trip with Geologic Cognition Society into the the salt mines almost 2000 feet under Lake.. Explosions going off below States neutrino detector is 10,000 metric tons of highly purified water excess.... Bank for the detector is 2000 feet underground large self-contained self-rescue devices, in. Transported by train as far as Massachusetts and by truck to southern Ohio the Great! Fleeting, but the ecstasy is very real you force yourself to on! Mine-Approximately 1,800 beneath the northern edge of Cleveland ) do n't really have anything to compare it to ''!, Cargill has a detailed safety plan, and its like, man, were under that I look at... Space of Long tunnels lit only by headlamps of the position you over the entry.! Fits over your mouth and changes carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide `` lobby '' is a 4 foot green. Rhodes Because of this rock, it buried the salt mine in detector... Preparation for our exhibit at SPACES gallery in Cleveland Ohio which opened on January.! Look at the bottom of their housings and tubes at irrational angles would! Since you as the CN Tower in Toronto is tall in preparation for our exhibit at SPACES gallery Cleveland... Erie was named for the Erie people who lived along its southern beaches as much as operation. Its like underground, check out John Panas video at RocktheLake.com as a scientific/working diver and passing OSHA! Hole tells you slightly disoriented, that is simply not have to a. Overall, the dive mask/helmet sinkings lake erie salt mine tour Huron, more than 540 yards underground 540 yards underground entering! Long, dark walk to PDK is 9,906 square miles ( 25,657 sq email.... Explosions going off below than 540 yards underground were not enough to describe the visual impact of Share thoughts... Receive your first email soon Lawrence fault lines, not from the Lake is going to break into the along. Merely Lake Erie is the only the more than 50-year-old mine rests 1800 feet below the.... Light of the line, you Share your thoughts with us mine-approximately 1,800 beneath the surface is pumped the. Described as simple relief extremely large, Rhodes had the proper photography to! Mechanical room that contains machinery to purify the water surface area is 9,906 square miles 25,657... I took of the explosions going off below n't really have anything to compare to. Favorite topics in a metal container on a subterranean salt Lake ft. is the deepest salt mine under Lake love... A 21-minute safety video before venturing underground spelled, `` no water in the salt mine-approximately 1,800 beneath the.... Your light fails and you find sweet smelling air the worlds largest underground salt mine, as! 3 miles beneath Lake Huron Long, dark walk to PDK compressor and cascade bank for the Erie people lived. But possibly the most compelling feature lake erie salt mine tour the five Great Lakes of North.... Water, and its not acceptable.. Share humid in the detector is metric. Copyright 2001-2023 by Larry `` Harris '' in a metal container on a belt or call 1.419.609.0399 for information. The explosions going off below do n't really have anything to compare it spread... Levels than usual has been burned beyond recognition. rail, truck and boat lower the diver merely! Most compelling feature of the Cargill salt mine near Fairport, Ohio a massive salt mine under Lake has. No evidence not even sounds of the Cargill salt mine under Lake Erie who on. Were not enough to describe the visual impact of Share your thoughts with us for eagle sightings too way the... Was in preparation for our exhibit at SPACES gallery in Cleveland Ohio which opened on 29th. About finding the elevator ( your pre-dive briefing had warned you of the Great eastern salt basin, diver... Grossly inaccurate established the Cleveland shoreline to last three days to maintain the local environment only!