Interesting Storage Unit

Ultradog MN · Jul 31, 2016

I bought some scaffolding from a guy off of Craigslist yesterday. Older guy who's retiring after many years in the stucco business. So I went to the address near downtown St Paul and was surprised to see where he had it stored. I guess these caves were made many years ago to grow mushrooms in. The sand stone is very soft and would be easy to mine out. These caves are at the base of about a 75' cliff. Above are some fancy homes with a great view of the Mississippi river and downtown St Paul.
The caves didn't go in real far, maybe 80' or so. The 3 openings all led to a central cavern inside with the ceiling about 10' high. I'm not real claustrophobic but it was kind of creepy in there. I was glad I only had to go in about 25' to get the scaffolding. And it was quite chilly inside - maybe 55 or so.
This is along the river bluff where there are a lot of caves. Most of which were sealed off by the City. A couple of weeks ago some people went into one and had to be rescued. It made the local news.
So that's my scaffolding/spelunking story and I'm sticking to it.

Bob Bancroft · Jul 31, 2016

It looks as if there's an electrical service in there.

larry@stinescorner · Jul 31, 2016

Does that truck for sale have a dump bed?

gtractorfan · Jul 31, 2016

Larry, I thought you'd see this as a great root cellar. Think of all the turnips you could keep in there!

larry@stinescorner · Jul 31, 2016

Good Idea! Maybe Ultrsdog will lease it!

Brown Swiss · Jul 31, 2016

Well that brings back some memories, I worked at the underground sand mine at Clayton Iowa. I am still alive is all I can say, more than I can say for some of the equipment, that was the most dangerous part was close to he side of the bluff, spring and fall the rock falls where horrendous, some took 3 haul truck loads to haul it all away. Many pieces of equipment didn't make it, like a 330 Cat when a guy was milling and the ceiling collapsed on it, he came out okay but the 330 was junk. MSHA finally stepped in and made them bolt and mesh the entire mine, over 14 miles of it. Fun times! LOL

Geo-TH,In · Jul 31, 2016

Definitely interesting storage unit, never seen anything like it. Did it stay dry? Any rust?

Do they need damp dark conditions to grow mushrooms?

We used to have many clay brick factories years ago. One old brick kilns was used to grow mushrooms. The little community is now called Toad Hop.

jon f mn · Jul 31, 2016

I've been in the lime mines near Kc many times to deliver. Was quite an experience the first time I drove my truck into a hole in a cliff. The one I was in was suposed to be 16 miles deap. I didn't go all the way in, butbit was 5 miles when I got out.

NEKS · Jul 31, 2016

There is a rock quarry on the side of the bluff overlooking the Missouri river at Atchinson, Ks. When its snowing and blowing they can still mine rock out. I looked in the opening and that's all farther I wanted to go. Long ways back in there. Its good hard rock too.

mmfan55 · Jul 31, 2016

I have been in underground warehouse areas in the semi. Old rock quarry shaft mines converted to business parks. Large enough to drive semi rigs through. Neat useage.

rustyfarmall · Jul 31, 2016

(quoted from post at 06:12:31 07/31/16) I've been in the lime mines near Kc many times to deliver. Was quite an experience the first time I drove my truck into a hole in a cliff. The one I was in was suposed to be 16 miles deap. I didn't go all the way in, butbit was 5 miles when I got out.

Been there. Done that. Didn't really bother me that I was undeground, but there was a serious lack of sufficient lighting, and just barely enough space to manuever an 18 wheeler.

charlie n · Jul 31, 2016

There's one south of St.louis that has several businesses . Saw one in Quincy also. Constant 69 degrees. No need for heat or air conditioning . Sounds like a perfect answer for the penal system.

farmerwithmutt · Jul 31, 2016

Remember an article about a guy growing corn in an underground mine I think. Strange as it may seem but it was specialty seed . The air temperature humidity could all be controlled plus there was no chance for cross pollination. Amazing the uses for caves and don't forget under ground homes.

sms · Jul 31, 2016

There is an old iron mine (Iron Mountain) used for record storage in this area. A old cement mine filled with clean water they will sell you to fill your pool. I have seen the doors in the cliffs near Salt Lake City UT supposed to be storage/shelters? I don't suffer from claustrophobia and have done real spelunking in some very small places.

jacksun65 · Jul 31, 2016

I have been in a place called the Tropical underground in KC. Many semi loads a day go in and out of there. It's an old salt mine that they have turned into massive storage facilites. they have roads and maps and tell you to stay in the lighted areas because of people getting lost in there. they had a fire in there once and a fire crew got lost, they left their truck and followed the smoke out. couldn't find the truck untill several years later. by then it was junk because of the salt.

Dick2 · Jul 31, 2016

Lord help anyone who tried to get me inside that! I'm seriously claustrophobic!

Goose · Jul 31, 2016

Is that what the steamship "Iron Mountain" was named for?

In the early 1870's a steamship named Iron Mountain with over 100 people aboard went around a bend in the Mississippi River and was never seen again. Never. Ever. And the superstructure of the boat was higher than the depth of the river at that point, so it didn't just sink.

One of the great mysteries of the era and still unsolved.

Traditional Farmer · Jul 31, 2016

I know a fellow in the Shenandoah Valley that has on opening of a cave on his property,the cave runs underground for several miles he uses his end for a livestock shelter.Pretty nice cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.

Greg K · Jul 31, 2016

So that's where limes come from! They mine them. Lol That would be neat to see for sure.

Greg K · Jul 31, 2016

I think Louis L'amour found it in one of his novels. The Haunted Mesa IIRC

old · Jul 31, 2016

There is a place on the Lake of the Ozarks where there is a few man made caves. I was done for a marinara that us to be here. They also used it for boat storage in the winter time. I have never been in them but there is a place on a bridge where you can see them. Now as for caves this being the cave state I have been in over 100 caves in this state and some made you really thing about things. Like one that has over 21 mile of known passage ways and a water fall that the water is flowing into the cave going deeper not flowing out. Went in that cave one Friday afternoon and the group I was with did not come back out till Sunday evening

Ultradog MN · Jul 31, 2016

Well fellas,
I'm thinking I'd rather be in that darned cave than up here on this scaffold. If you know what I mean...
Thanks for all the replies.

AlinArk · Jul 31, 2016

hoax.... all crew survived except a black steward,rest of crew went on to crew on other boats the remainder of the boat was found in a field 2 1/2 miles south of incident it was known as one of the worst flooding of the Mississippi river of all times i think there were 14 vessels lost in that flooding.

Goose · Jul 31, 2016

I read that.

Steve@Advance · Jul 31, 2016

Many years ago on vacation in Colorado, went to visit the town of Creede. They had just completed their new volunteer fire dept. facilities.

The fire department was in need of a new station. Guess they didn't have the funds to buy or build, so being a bunch of miners, they pooled their resources (dynamite and beer) and blasted out a hole in the side of a mountain!

They gave tours as a fund raiser. Really neat the way they did it, a common aisle with parking branches for each vehicle.

Don't know what happened to it though, maybe they out grew it. Went back 5 years ago, it was no longer a fire dept., but a curio shop.
=creede%20co%20fire%20department&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=5]fire dept

RedGreenGuy · Jul 31, 2016

Back in early 70s I worked as engineer on local out of Quincy IL along Mississippi River bluff. We spotted box cars inside of active limestone caves. I was told the dock we spotted to (large doors like a locker plant) was for food storage. Set 4 cars each day to the dock about 1/4 mile inside. Mine was still being mined for limestone so had to turn off all radio equipment prior to entry to avoid accidently setting off explosives used in mining process.

Machnegative · Jul 31, 2016

The underground firehouse is still in use as a firehouse. They built a little curio shop and mining museum next to it that is also connected to the community center (also underground). The firehouse is easy to miss with only a nondescript single door marked no parking.

JimIA · Aug 1, 2016

Very neat. Thanks for sharing!

Loantaka · Aug 1, 2016

Old, any chance you were at the 1995 NSS Convention held in Missouri? I was there (as a member of the NNJG) and had a wonderful time caving and even went to a pre-convention camp. Can't remember the names of the caves we went too but some were very interesting. Lot of variety. I think this trip was the first time I saw a well casing passing through a cave passage. Also the fossilized prints of a saber-toothed tiger according to one of the local cavers.
One of the classic tight passages in the US is the 51-foot long "gun barrel" in Knox Cave in New York. A lot of fun but definitely not for those that are claustrophobic!

old · Aug 1, 2016

Nope in 1995 was when I got my back injured and had surgery in Jan of 1996. So have you even sen Bridal Cave?? It is of course a tourist cave but I was part of the crew that found a lot more of it and helped carry dive tanks in so they could dive the lakes that are in the cave. Carol cave is the one I was in from a Friday till Sunday. I even have 3 caves on my place. Feel free to e-mail me some time it is always open on here

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