# Archaelogical find



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

That could be any thing--an old clothes line---or the inlet to a cistern.

Dig ---investigate and get back to us.--Mike---


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

My guess is a cistern although the 30s seems a bit late for such things. You should deal with it if it is leaking out.


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## Squeakyhinge (Jan 29, 2011)

Thank you for the replies. Here's today's "find":

http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd411/Squeakyhinge/CIMG0063.jpg
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd411/Squeakyhinge/CIMG0062.jpg
http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd411/Squeakyhinge/CIMG0061.jpg

Stuck a garden hose in the pipe and got out dirt and it bottomed at 2 1/2 feet. Feels really solid at bottom of pipe. It's about a 3 inch steel pipe, strange for a clothes line. Seems too big for a well too. 

So cisterns weren't common after the 30's? A cistern is for water, right? Aren't you supposed to be able to climb into a cistern? For cleaning or something. We had a house once with downspouts dropping to a cistern; it had an "access panel" on top of 5 foot circular concrete.

I hope it was filled with something appropriate. Wonder if it could be some sort of outlet for an "artesian well".


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

. 

when were the lots split? Maybe a fence post or gate post.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Start talking to your neighbors. I've learned tons from the old timers in my neighborhood about my old property.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Squeakyhinge said:


> A cistern is for water, right? Aren't you supposed to be able to climb into a cistern? For cleaning or something. We had a house once with downspouts dropping to a cistern; it had an "access panel" on top of 5 foot circular concrete.
> 
> I hope it was filled with something appropriate. Wonder if it could be some sort of outlet for an "artesian well".


I restored an antique railway worker house in East Urbana Illinois. Gorgeous cutey of a house with magnificent oak and cherry floors. Next door were my gorgeous geezer neighbors who had on their property this huge cistern you could walk around in. It must have served acres of farmland or something but was capped off and dry. It served as a bomb shelter for a time and then as an underground dollhouse for their girls. It was really cool, in many ways, with girly wallpaper and all sorts of stuff. 

Anyhow, remembering your post, if you want to crawl into it and figure out what it is or what it was? Fine. I would stick a scope down first before I crawled into one I didn't know though. 

From what you said it is the only source of leaks into your basement so if it were me, and if there is no pirate treasure left inside, I would cap whatever is feeding in and out of it and close the sucker shut. It is probably deeper than you foundation and even that continuous slow leak will come to haunt you some day.


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## Squeakyhinge (Jan 29, 2011)

http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd411/Squeakyhinge/CIMG0061.jpg

Here's a new closeup. Used a garden hose to flush dirt out of pipe. The pipe is 2 1/2 feet deep with solid "obstruction" at the bottom. Still scratching my head.

Will ask some oldtimers in the neighborhood what it is. Or what was common back in the day.

Pipe is iron about 3 inches. Seems odd for a fence post. Seems too big for a well outlet too. I'm guessing it was an inlet for rain water from the roof?

Have yet to find out how deep it goes, but the sides are as you see it unless something gets larger down farther.

As you can see it is putting a big stop on the french drain and possibly revealing a bigger problem than run off water. Any ideas?


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I'm still putting my money on a clothes line.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

I'm with Mike. Keep digging and tip it over..... I'm also betting it was a clothesline.

DM


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## BigD9 (Mar 10, 2011)

3" diameter pipe set in concrete? My bet is a old fashion type 6 foot diameter satellite dish foundation.












My House


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## loneframer (Mar 27, 2009)

BigD9 said:


> 3" diameter pipe set in concrete? My bet is a old fashion type 6 foot diameter satellite dish foundation.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice. Those newer, smaller dishes are way less offensive than the old ones.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

oh'mike said:


> I'm still putting my money on a clothes line.


Me too:thumbup:


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## High Gear (Nov 30, 2009)

Way more concrete then I ever used for a clothesline..


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I dug one out of my folks back yard once that was every bit as large---


Clothes poles were taken very seriously back in the old days!!!!


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

There's a clothesline that was here when we bought this place that will last for another thousand years!
4" welded tube and a ton of concrete. 
You could use one of the "T"s to pull an engine easily..... they weren't messing around!

DM


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

DangerMouse said:


> There's a clothesline that was here when we bought this place that will last for another thousand years!
> 4" welded tube and a ton of concrete.
> You could use one of the "T"s to pull an engine easily..... they weren't messing around!
> 
> DM


Looks like the kind of thing my dad would build. He did everything in industrial style. I do know that we used to swing like monkeys on the one he installed at our house. Don't know about an engine but it would hold well over 100 lbs of kids.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Oh heck yeah, this could hold a LOT of kids! LOL (and their parents too!)
36' between the two poles, 3 lines can be attached to the welded loops.

DM


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

DangerMouse said:


> There's a clothesline that was here when we bought this place that will last for another thousand years!
> 4" welded tube and a ton of concrete.
> You could use one of the "T"s to pull an engine easily..... they weren't messing around!
> 
> DM


 
Could stand a little sanding and a coat of paint:laughing:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

chrisn said:


> Could stand a little sanding and a coat of paint:laughing:


You and yer paint..... :laughing:
Whatever paint 'they' used was pretty good though, I have to admit. 
7 years here and I didn't paint it! Maybe this summer, now that my inside of the home is close to done? I need to get some new line too, the goats got hold of the old ones...... !#[email protected][email protected]! goats.....

DM


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## BigD9 (Mar 10, 2011)

> I need to get some new line too, the goats got hold of the old ones...... !#[email protected][email protected]! goats.....


Look who came to supper. I called the owners and told them their son's 4H project animals were "on the lamb" and if these goats weren't theirs I would have to call the sheriff and get him to "grill" them to see who they belonged to. Did you know goats love flowers and other shrubbery. You should have seen my wife chasing them with a tobacco stick trying to keep them away till the owners came for them. Wish I had gotten a picture of her! Those suckers walked about a mile to get to us!


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

BigD9 said:


> Did you know goats love flowers and other shrubbery.


If it's green and growing, they eat it, yup. And even if it's not growing! We use ours as garbage disposals. Them and the chickens... between the two they eat just about everything we'd otherwise throw away.

DM


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

The wife could have lured them anywhere with the cig, they love tobacco:laughing:


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## ink (Jan 7, 2010)

I read a story recently about a company that would rent out goats to use as a green way to clear land. And they could do steep hills.. whatever. 

Here, I just googled it and found a similiar thing.
http://www.studiogblog.com/garden-i...learing-goats-for-hire-the-green-alternative/

Looks like some residual income, DM!


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## BigD9 (Mar 10, 2011)

> If it's green and growing, they eat it, yup. And even if it's not growing! We use ours as garbage disposals. Them and the chickens... between the two they eat just about everything we'd otherwise throw away.


DM, Let me see if I can understand this. You have chickens and goats and you are stranded circling 3000 feet above the airport? Can't wait to see a picture of this contraption you are flying in!


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Hang on.... I'll step outside and take a pictu


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## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

I say dig down a little deeper!


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