Theres this hole in my cellar

[Bramblefind]

There's this hole in my cellar

I thought this could be appropriate here since many of us spend time digging in old foundations and cellar holes.

My house is from the 1880s and the cellar is "rustic" so I don't spend too much time down there. I have noticed this hole but I always thought it was a foot or so deep and dry. I just happened to check it out and it is filled with water and over 6 feet deep

It is located right next to one of the foundation walls. From what I could see it appears to be lined with bricks. From what I can tell it also remains the size of the hole opening for the entire length (about 4"x 4" square) but I could be wrong.

The water has no smell. Thank goodness.

We use an old dug well for our water (we have an excellent purifier). It is located over 100 ft from the house.

Well? Privy? (yikes) What do you think it is?

 

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[Bramblefind]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

Very interesting - thank you!

I might have just found the smoking gun to move this into solid green check territory. The prior owner of this house built a work area down there and left a lot of odds and ends - jars of nails, screws, hardware and stuff put away in corners and in the rafters that I haven't been through yet.

I've just been getting into exploring it now since the hard winter came on (and most of the spiders are gone).

But look at what I found under a work bench! I put it on top of the hole for added effect

You think this is a reunited couple?

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

Very cool. I think you are lucky to live in such an old home with history. I say look for the pipe that went down.

 

[Carolina Gold]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

If you have an old hard drive from a computer theres 5 of those rare earth magnets in there. Really powerful ones. Takes a set of really small torx head screwdrivers to get at it though. (dont throw out the platters, thats coated with platinum!)

 

[deepbeep]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

How about one of those "rotorooter" guys that have inspection cameras for sew lines? You might find one that will work fairly cheaply just out of curiosity.

Just a thought,
Tim

 

[Monty]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

After some thought I think maybe it may have been use to draw wash water for doing laundry. I've seen several old houses with basements that used part of the space as a laundry room. Some even had a chute where dirty clothes would drop from the house into the basement. Just an after thought. Wash water doesn't necessarily have to be potable. Monty

 

[deepseeker3]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

The water would be pretty handy for recovering non-metallic items. As mentioned, use a wet vac to suck out the water, with an extension (tape on some PVC pipe). Water gets sucked out and pulls up any tiny valuable items off the bottom at the same time.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

Sump. The prior two homes I have lived in had stationary tubs in the cellar that drained into holes just like that. Ours were covered with wood lids. It is enough to keep up with an old ringer-washer but probably not a modern appliance (though our last one was sufficient even for that). Gravity eventually draws the water out. They also serve to keep the basement dry after rain soaks the soil around the foundation.

 

[dozer dan]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

try this. stand over the hole and say down into it,

"it rubs the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again"

and listen for a reply from the hole.

 

[Breezie]

Re: There's this hole in my cellar

Very interesting - thank you!

I might have just found the smoking gun to move this into solid green check territory. The prior owner of this house built a work area down there and left a lot of odds and ends - jars of nails, screws, hardware and stuff put away in corners and in the rafters that I haven't been through yet.

I've just been getting into exploring it now since the hard winter came on (and most of the spiders are gone).

But look at what I found under a work bench! I put it on top of the hole for added effect

You think this is a reunited couple?

Bramble, now you can say: I now pronounce you man & wife; you may kiss the bride! Congrats on solving you mystery, Breezie

 

[artemis moon]

I'm looking forward to seeing this mystery solved, as there was a hole similar to this in the basement of the house I grew up in. I was very intrigued with it as a youngster and used to throw all sorts of things down there including several Matchbox cars that belonged to my brother. One of my favorite pasttimes was to put a string down the hole and pretend I was fishing while I was waiting for my mother to finish folding laundry. Never caught anything though!

 

[mical66]

i agree that it is a well and would have had a hand pump . we had one in our old farm house in florida , but it was ground level with a concrete cap over it.

as for idea to get the stuff not magnetic , do you have any small kids ?........
ok i am joking,,lol i would never do that but could not resist ..

 

[piegrande]

As I have said on other threads, I was raised on a general farm. Corn; hay; oats; hogs; milk cows; chickens; dogs; cats; what have I forgotten. We didn't even have electricity until I was 10 years old. Used kerosene lamps and lanterns, old car battery powered radio (Jack Benny and Grand Ol' Opry); outhouse; real luxury was the Aladdin lamp, put out light like a light bulb using a mantle like a Coleman lantern.

A 4X4 hole for cooling cream or milk simply does not compute, to me. I have been wrong before and will be wrong again, but that simply does not compute.

I forget if this was in town. If it was, a long time ago, they started selling ice door to door.

Before that, they may well have brought the fresh milk or cream in the morning as requested, by the closest farmer.

But, I cannot imagine a 4X4 cooling hole.

I can imagine a source of water. The problem is, in my experience, that quantity of water would have enough pressure to overflow its hole during rainy season. Just a thought.

This is a great mystery.

 

[Holly_squirrel]

My grandparents house had one it was square and about 2 ft by 2 ft... It always had water in it and a sub pump ... Meant for pumping out access water.

 

[coinsareawesome]

Could be old well or trash pit or job-johnny.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Don't know why a camera would be needed when you can simply pump it out
and then have a first-hand look.

Bilge Pump - 1000 GPH 12V Bilge Pump

Just hook up to a battery and it won't be long till you're seeing the
bottom plus everything else down there..

 

[dieselram94]

That would probably suck it out faster than it replenishes...