# SHOULD I OPEN THIS UP



## dollarbill (Feb 14, 2008)

This is in a wall of a house I've been working on .I belive it an old cole shoot that opened up to the street in front of the house . There was a dumb waiter a few feet away to haul the coal or what ever up stairs .Should I open it up or concetrate on the 2 or 3 privy that I ve not dug out back yet .


----------



## rlo (Feb 14, 2008)

my curiosity would get the better of me.


----------



## capsoda (Feb 14, 2008)

I would already be on the other side looking out!!


----------



## Poeticallyinsane (Feb 14, 2008)

Open it up! You can always put the bricks back if you dont find anything.


----------



## GuntherHess (Feb 14, 2008)

Seems like a lot of trouble for a few lumps of coal.


----------



## rlo (Feb 14, 2008)

one too many lumos of coal for christmas Gunther?


----------



## Jim1870 (Feb 14, 2008)

I'm with Matt.  

 I'm still a novice, but why would there be anything behind the coal shoot?  My house has one that wasn't covered up.  Nothing but coal went through there to the best of my knowledge.

 Jim


----------



## capsoda (Feb 14, 2008)

I would still open it. It might have been loaded with trash before it was sealed and if you don't you will beat yourself up every day wondering what was behind door #1.[]


----------



## GuntherHess (Feb 14, 2008)

After filling 2 door holes and a window with stone I can tell you its a lot of work.
 If you dont have to fill it back in after you open it then go for it.


----------



## mikmis (Feb 14, 2008)

how far below the surface is it ?it may be easier to dig from the outside near the foundation instead of removeing the stones.


----------



## rlo (Feb 14, 2008)

capone!! I love it!


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 14, 2008)

Hey all thanks for the feed back .Michael a concrete sidewalk is pourd over the top .If  I dig it out I'll have to use porta power to make sure it does'nt fall in  till I couls sure it up.. I afraid Matt may be right .A lot of work to find a chunck of coal .Have to admit I wana know whats back there though . Looks to be 3 or 4 feet deep back in there . The rock lental is about 2 and a half feet deep. I'll let yall know if I decide to break into it. Thanks agian all .bill


----------



## tigue710 (Feb 14, 2008)

just open the top up Bill, move enough so you can get a good look inside.  A lot of people dumped trash in their basements.  If it is a coal shoot you probably wont find anything real old though, unless they changed how the coal was delivered.  I figure they probably used coal into the 20's at least.


----------



## mikmis (Feb 14, 2008)

i found alot of bottles around foundations especialy ones that were burried several feet or had basements.they can usualy be dated to when the house or building was built.when they took a break to drink a soda,beer or even finish off a bottle of whisky they would through them next to the house knowing it had to be backfilled .


----------



## cowseatmaize (Feb 15, 2008)

When you open it up there are a few things you MUST have. First is electricity. That will power the spotlights and sound equipment you will need. Then a good movie camera, stills won't do it. Lastly and most important is... Geraldo Rivera.
 I'm looking forward to this one.


----------



## cowseatmaize (Feb 15, 2008)

> I figure they probably used coal into the 20's at least.


 As least is right. My grandparents house was using it most of the way through the 60's. I remember the hole. They used it, not bock it off. That was in Scranton PA though.


----------



## Jim1870 (Feb 15, 2008)

I had a 7 foot section of my foundation dug out to straighten it.  They found a two foot long petrified rat, still in his nest.  So, you never know - you might end up with a trophy. - Jim


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 15, 2008)

Hey cowseatmaize great to see ya back posting.  I have everthing except Geraldo Rivera .Ill have to put a call in see if hes avalable . Iam sure its a coal shoot too. Ive dug the floor up allready .There were only three pice there and they were broken .Scroll flask.a pontil puff and a big iron . The reast was rock.coal.and dirt .Keep on and I might attempt it. Hey Michael I talked about trash and bottle being on the out side of privy walls one time.I myself have put bottles and cans in the back fill up next to walls .Maybe they'll be treasures one day . Thanks agian all think I'll go snoop a bit.   bill


----------



## rlo (Feb 15, 2008)

hey Jim  did ya keep it?


----------



## LC (Feb 15, 2008)

A Lady I know pulled this out of a dirt floor in an old root cellar about fifteen years ago, said she stubbed her toe on the neck. She said all she saw was the neck sticking out of the dirt when she looked to see what it was. She gave a pull on it, and out it came. Never know what you might find in unusual places.

*Some of My Junk*
*http://www.freewebs.com/yesterdaystreasures/flasks.htm*


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 15, 2008)

Hey LC I understand well that floors can hold many things .Every thing in this pic except the John Bull and Pickel Jar came from the floor of the smoke house next to this house .There were 6 of the jugs . Thats why I'am so well ya know about open this thing up .Oh love the flasks LC .Thanks again all . bill


----------



## bigghouse (Feb 15, 2008)

Wow!!! those are so cool!! i like the little ink ones!!! i'm confused, is the picture you showed us wear you found all those bottles??!!?!?!?

 anna


----------



## GuntherHess (Feb 15, 2008)

> floor of the smoke house next to this house


 
 good to hear, I havent touched the floor of my smoke house yet. Might do that this summer (its the fire wood storage facility right now).


----------



## rlo (Feb 15, 2008)

LC that flask is gorgeous.  Id like to stub my toe on that, stead of my furniture


----------



## tigue710 (Feb 15, 2008)

right!  I wouldn't mind stubbin a toe on that at all!  Sweet flask...  I've dug a few basements but never found any bottles.... cellar holes on the other hand, or crawl spaces....


----------



## LC (Feb 15, 2008)

Wow, that I would think would be a rarity to find that many good bottles in one mud floor. I bet you were in hog heaven for a while when you started getting them off the floor. I would dig down a few inche to make sure you didn't miss anything.       I can tell you one thing for sure concerning this place and that is the only thing will you find around here on these floors is dirt period............... 
     And in answer to all concerning stubbing their toes on something like the flask, I wish I had stubbed mine on it as well , instead of having to buy it from her. If I remember right She also found what I think was an amber Brown's Tonic or something like that. It was shaped similar to a Hostetters Bitters only the neck was a bit taller. I wanted it as well, but felt she was asking quite a bit more for it than what it was worth at the time.
     You know, it also might be a good idea if you Ladies or Gents who have these old root cellars would go down in them with a metal detector as well, might find some good old coins


----------



## Jim1870 (Feb 16, 2008)

Rio,

 They tossed the rat but I'm still convinced that it added a hundred bucks or so to the cost.  It scared the crap out of three "seasoned" concrete workers.  Come to think of it, they never did come back to give me an estimate on the steps.  - Jim


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 17, 2008)

Hey Anna heres a pic of the the floor those bottles came from. The first pic is from inside the house were the smoke house is . I'll show a pic of the smoke house after I've dug every thing around the property . I was shaken like a leaf  when the first bottle came out op and it was an American oil .Have to say I'am a God fearing man so I was giving thanks the hole time . I hit clay about 2 to 2 and a half feet down and figured I hit bottom. I wander some times if I sude have dug deeper . The piece you see laying around were the broken stuff. This floor was dirt bricks and rock. Idug the privy beside it an came out with the John Bull and the pickel and a lot of common and local stuff. Then I dug part of a small dump there and got a few more local things and some more common stuff. Next pic will be the well I,ve started a few early commons 1890 1900 bottle 2 feet down and nothing sense. Only have a 4 and 12 foot probe Iam down about 7 feet and the probe sinks so I got a way to go .Kind hard to dig it by myself . My wife helped up to this point. She hasnt had much time of late or the weathers been to bad . Theres still several privys to be dug there to and a little more of the dump .


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 17, 2008)

The well started


----------



## dollarbill (Feb 17, 2008)

One privy dug and  filled in and bricks saved for work inside and out side the house.


----------

