Subject: Our 3's A Charm Investigation Saturday Night Up In Comstock Country.......
Date: 3/5/2012 8:35:07 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
From:LordOfThyNight@aol.com
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Donovan's Mill
Investigation 2

As some of you watched the videos and seen the photos from our first exploration then you know that this is an amazing place. My goal is not just to investigate cemeteries or mines around Virginia City but to also investigate the mills that processed the ore.

In my opinion it is the mills that are perhaps the most haunted of all sites in the region. For example the ghost that communicated with me by knocking back and forth just took place up the road. Since I had never been in Donovan's Mill at night I was not sure what to expect but I knew that giant rats and massive cobwebs would be at the top of the list.

When we first arrived here we sat out front in the truck talking about the mill. The first time I explored the mill I did it from above looking down into it from its upper decks. Our goal this time around would to explore it from the bottom up and conduct an actual investigation of the mill.

By no means is this a small mill site their are multiple buildings, foundations, cyanide tanks and machines. This mill had it all assay office, metal shop, vault, stamp machines, mixers, conveyor belts etc. Just check out our site and you can learn about it more in depth. It has a very very deep history in relation to the Comstock Lode.

The property is extremely overgrown on the backside their is a hill that has collapsed right onto the mill itself as dirt and rocks are pouring in through its windows. Being on the upper floors is allot different then being on ground level believe me when I say this. We worked hard to just get into the mill with all the foliage and loose rocks.

When I entered the mill their were millions of rat droppings everywhere and all the machines were covered with webs. I found a pair of new sunglasses someone dropped in the power room. Next to that room the water damage caused warping which looked like this giant face. Their were broken pipes, loose floor boards, broken glass, piles of machinery parts and tools everywhere.

The power room had many electric boxes and stairs that led down into this smaller room which had an old water tank, mixer of some kind funnel machine an a generator. There was also an old heating system built into the wall here.

Their is allot of dust and the flooring is old wooden planks inside. All the machines are rusty from water damage and their is allot of debris all over the place. All I could think as I went deeper into the mill is how their probably is hundreds of rats just watching us walk around.

The next room had two giant wood mixers or vats so large an SUV could sit in them. The one still had a rotor inside with broken blades and behind it was a passage that led me to a room with these massive metal tanks. There was also a compressor on the ground and fan blade.

The mill was sort of an intricate maze of passages with old stairwells leading to various locations. One of the rooms was a work shop with shelves. There was old furniture inside such as a cabinet with broken glass barely holding up.

Their was a narrow passage with a recliner near one of the wooden stairs that was a bit eerie just in the middle of the room. I am sure at one time kids used this place to hang out but it isn't very safe. There is allot of rust, broken boards, sharp parts and definitely rats. Tammy seen a rat look at her underneath a platform that I walked over.

There was a small entrance that led into what I believe was the essay office lots of old furniture,chest, books, Thermos, papers and file cabinets etc  Allot of things that you would expect to see in an office that was in operation till the 1950's.

Then behind that room were all the mills stamp machines which pounded and broke up the ore on the second story. The second story stairwell was steep but when I made it up there I stood directly below where the upper platform was where I photographed an owl on our first tour of the mill. I am glad I did not take the narrow stairwell down to the lower levels on my first investigation as it was very unstable so it worked out in the end. The series of platforms led me to the front of the stamp machines and behind. On the backside however you had your option to take the winding stairs to the third floor or ascend up a wood ladder.

It was a very interesting setup on the second floor as their were giant gears, iron wheels and some of the mills oldest stamp machines. Behind the stamp machines were chutes where ore came down then could be pounded by its stamps. Their was a plate that said Carson City Foundry on one of the stamp machines. There was another long platform that led me into the room with the mixers all made out of wood including the railings. I actually found a giant grinder on the ground that fell off one of the stamp machines I thought that was pretty cool just laying on the wood flooring covered in dust.

Their was no EMF readings accept at one point there was a spike I questioned but who knows. Afterall even though power does not operate the mill there are lines that run along the mill so we have to discount any fluctuations. EMF and gauss is no guarantee I had hoped for more readings but in this case we had cold spots and other activity.

One thing did stand out in the mill beyond everything else and that was I could hear what sounds like someone following us around. Their were times I was alone and would hear a floor board creak on the story above me or in the next room particularly when I asked for signs or stirred up the activity. I heard allot of noises I cannot explain although its an old mill this was not wind or a rat it sounded like someone walking around and at times making to much noise. I took off alone a few times to take night-vision films of the entire mill inside and I know I was not alone. I could feel something right on top of me at times perhaps the mills first owner maybe even someone who once worked here at this mill.

When I met back up with Tammy in the room with the giant mixers I felt like something went through me as we hit a major cold spot. Tammy spent sometime in the dark taking EMF while I did the EVP sessions and videos throughout the mill to complete our case.  We generally split up to get more work done then meet back up time to time it produces better results. Most amateur ghosthunters will not do that because they are in fear of noises or separating. However a true professional will be someone who does not fear the unknown but rather takes it head on. Tammy was on the other end of the mill while I was on the second story gathering evidence for our site.

Tammy mentioned to me during her exploration that she noticed somebody was stripping the place for its copper wire. If the owner reads this I am letting you know this because its not right. Nobody should visit these historic sites just to sell there photos or steal to make a profit its wrong.

I had an accident when I was filming on a platform though when I went to photograph an engraved metal plate. There was a gap between a stone wall and the wood platform. I misstepped and my leg went straight down into the gap. I busted up my knee pretty bad and my recorders batteries went flying forward over the railings into a pile of dirt and dust. I had to literally dig up my batteries with rats running all around me.

Their was also this one room with some sort of vault or safe in it. The entire vault was a giant rats nest wait till you see the photo their was probably a hundred rodents living in that thing.  Although the place is full of machines and wood this mill is a home for rodents. At one time its windows were whole their were no holes in the roof and power ran through the entire place. Today just about anything can jump out at you and chances are it will have bebe eyes lol.

What I found amazing within the mill is all the passages, stairwells, ladders, machines and woodwork. Its a very cluttered mill some points the ceilings are low while other areas have narrow halls. When I visited the mill my first time I could not see the lower levels from above just some of the machinery below. But you really have to delve into this mill to find all its secrets. Afterall despite its condition its one of the only mills of its kind still standing in the Virginia City area. Most of the machinery within still remains and its a historic landmark to mining history. Many of the mills in the area no longer stand or they been torn down not Donovan's Mill though.

When we left the mill we took a few night shots of the mill which some of our viewers like that kind of thing. Its allot more creepy at night then during the day but I never judge a place on how it looks but rather how active it is. It was active to a degree something was moving around in the mill on the upper floors watching us and we had gotten are few shares of chills but as Tammy said its definitely not as scary as it looks.

Their was a big wooden building on site I went in with allot of junk inside including a very old boat. It was obvious that over the years the buildings surrounding the mill and mill itself have been used as storage. Just as in the mill we found a newer washer inside so its kind of sad that today its just a heap yard. These mills should be turned into museums and be restored perhaps the condition of Donovan's mill is beyond despair.

We spent sometime climbing up the hillsides and the foliage has consumed this place not to mention all the old rusty pieces of metal that are scattered everywhere. We also went into this small shed and a couple other onsite buildings.Its not pleasant traversing around the mill lots of stickers, sharp rocks etc  I also spent sometime alone hiking between the buildings seeing if I could collect any other strange evidence as I waded through high brush and stood on the back porch of an old miners house. I tried to get to the structure on top of the cyanide tanks but I could not reach the ladder.

Tammy and I were walking back when a cop drove past her luckily he didn't hassle us. I then crossed the road sat on my truck wearing my top hat looking at the stars when a second cop passed me. This cop also didn't stop so I highly commend the department for leaving us alone. In Florida if you were walking around at night they would pull you over, strip search you, your car and even bully you. I guess allot of the police in FL are rednecks but the tone of the police is allot different in this region. They are use to urban explorers, hikers and folks taking photos of the historic sites here. So they generally do not mess with you and its not that we were doing anything wrong its the fact of not wanting to be hassled after we spent the night investigating. We were tired, dirty, wet shoes and hungry. It was time to go home and share all our great finds with the public.

I am not sure what the mill will reveal with all my investigations I study our audio, photos and videos thoroughly prior to them every being indicted onto our paranormal site. We have our work cut out for us we covered Dayton Historic Cemetery, Comstock Trail at night and then finally a more in depth investigation of Donovan's Mill.

We had a bit of a long ride home but they say 3's a charm so it was our night. I have to say all three locations had minor activity. Well it depends what you consider minor afterall is seeing a ghostly shadow, balls of light, creaky foot steps and heavy cold spots minor activity? You decide as we will wait to see what our audio recordings, ghostly photos and evidence reveals. You know your doing some serious adventuring when you are out from dusk to dawn lol!

Where two cases are now finalized many new cases will be born from these cases. I cannot wait this March to revisit the Washoe Club again afterall St. Patties is approaching fast so why not drink some brews and enjoy all the ghost Virginia City has to offer?  Anybody coming out this way we are more then happy to show around this amazing area.

On my way home from the investigation I had to stop at a gas station and get cleaned up. I was really dusty, dirty and I took a nice dive in rat droppings when I fell. My knee is still badly bruised but ill live it was a great mix of investigations and your going to enjoy all that is coming your way from them GUARANTEED!
Lord Rick
Founder
Author, Producer and Talk Show host

PS Still in touch with the television producer nearly on a daily basis so there may not be any investigations for a couple weeks due the documentary. I also been told that the pilot may become a monster series so if it does I do expect to become allot more busier trying to investigate and mesh other big upcoming projects this year. Just to keep everyone in the loop that things are progressing nicely between our cases and television documentary.

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