First of all, make sure to read the
end * of this description! This is a waterproof match container
located very near the gaping mouth of a large drain that courses
its way under the city and ends at an equally gaping hole under the
6th St. bridge. See the cache called "I'm Drained 2"
here. This reminds me of the
beginning of the GI tract of a giant planarian starting in the
center of the creature--the organism being in this case,
Waterloo.
The history of this drain follows: In
the early 1900s, Waterloo people, tired of cleaning up after
floods, decided to enclose Dry Run Creek in a large storm sewer.The
sewage now flows via a tube within the drain. You can see in this
1930s aerial photo
that the drain was definitely finished. To
celebrate its completion, in October of 1903 the Iowa League of
Municipalities held its annual banquet within the what was then a
large sewer pipe. A faded picture of it is shown to the left here.
Guests entered at points between Randolph and Wellington and found
a sumptuous feast laid for 400. I have heard that those that were
dining were serenaded by the echoes of music being played by a
band—also in the tube with them. I imagine the tune would have been
a bit hard to follow and talk about surround
sound!
In the late sixties firemen rescued an
acquaintance of mine that was stranded in the gullet of this great
concrete tract during an unanticipated rainstorm. He was attempting
to become one of the few daring souls to take the great Waterloo
underground express all the way to the Cedar River; this would be a
“do not do this at home” thing for most of us.
At the present elevation this cache may
not be available when it snows.
As is often the case, kids may be
watching. An inconspicuous flashlight or a little mirror may help
direct light where you need it.
*To "pick up" this cache you should
bring a 2 foot (or so) steel rod (0.25 inch or larger diameter), a
medium sized nut or a fish (or comparable sized) hook on a 2 foot
string. There's a powerful magnet and wire loops on the can. Make
sure to put it back magnet up.