Mah bunker:
When we were looking at houses to buy, I noticed in a far corner of the back yard a small deck-like structure, apropos of nothing, just hanging out by itself.
While the Real Estate lady and my wife moved on, I zoned in on this structure. Upon inspection it had handles- that piqued my interest, so I lifted it and saw pure awesomeness.
I never mentioned to anyone until we closed on escrow. I was afraid it was a nuisance or safety issue and it would gum up the sale.
After pumping it out, then mucking out all the mud and spending time down there, I can attest that it is indeed a safety issue.
It is made entirely of thick steel plate, both welded and riveted, and some of the walls are bulging. It has foyer, because radioactivity was believed to travel in a straight line and not go around corners.
There are gussets at the junction of the walls and ceiling to strengthen the ceiling, and whoo boy, by todays standards they are very small and anemic.
there are hooks welded into the walls for hammocks, one on top of another. Looks to be made for a family of 3.
A previous owner wired it for electricity. There’s an outlet and a light socket installed. Someone else removed the wiring, which is a good thing seeing as how it filled up with water 100% during the last hurricane.
I had to run a pump nonstop for 3 days to empty it.
There is evidence that at one time it was somehow hooked up to the sewer system; there is a large plate welded right next to where my sewer line runs to the main.
I estimate it was installed in 1964. I dated the incandescent lightbulb in it to 1965.
I would love to have a historian take a look.
#23 It was not a fall out shelter... : )
A septic tank.
“...mucking out all the mud and spending time down there”