Tags
Baltimore, batman, bats, Cromwell Park, Dams, engineering, Gunpowder Falls, Hiking, HISTORY, nature, photography, Public Works, Research, water history
The other day I received an email with the following photograph. It asked if I knew what this ‘tunnel’ was for? It was holding up progress on the construction of some new buildings. In the email there was an attached drawing of the building site with the location of the tunnel circled in red. Holy crap! The drawing, to scale, would mean that this tunnel was about 30′ wide! After researching drawings from 1873 onwards, not finding it in any, I went up to look.
What I found was an opening of about 18″ x 24″. Talk about a let down! Below is the contractor’s foot, for size reference.
So, since I was there I stuck my camera into the hole to get some pics – glad I didn’t climb in there. Do you see what I see on the left, dangling from a crevice in the rocks??
Well so much for finding part of the Underground Railroad or an Indian Burial Ground or a secret cache of moonshine (yes, that was suggested). After about 2 hours of meetings and investigations, I took a walk.
Looking across the construction site to the upper dam.
The lower, older dam is my favorite. The inspector told me that since it is marble, someone should pressure spray it clean. Ok, I’ll get right on that!
First, get someone to remove that log, which has been on there since the storm of 2010!
This dam has held up pretty good since 1880
The valves which were inside the old gate house.
Sorry Batman – the only bat cave I could find…
Great post!
Thanks! Lets go up this weekend,