Another Buried Tank Mystery?

Rustaholic · #1 09/01/14, 11:10 AM

July 18 I was setting up my little 18X40 canopy at Mom's place across town and even though it has been set up there many times this was a new location.
I anchor it down by driving T-posts next to each of the ten legs and tying it down. One hole as I was just starting to drive the T-post in was down just a couple inches and the area around it including where I was standing was bouncing. A rock would never bounce like that.
Wouldn't that just have to be a buried metal tank?

Mom's soil there is about eight inches of black muck on top of 18 to 24 feet of hard clay.
Next Spring I am going to dig that tank up because I just MUST see what it is.
Right now digging there is done with a pick. In the Spring just after the ground thaws out digging is easier.

Mom and Dad bought that place in 1943 and built that house in 1955 to 57.
This buried tank is about 60 feet behind the house and way across the yard from where the old farmhouse was that they bought. Mom knows nothing about it. That farmhouse they bought was about 175 years old when they bought the property. Dad put in a basement for the "new" house then they moved into the back addition of the farmhouse and Dad tore down the farmhouse. He used to lumber to build first a floor then covered it and moved into the basement while he was building the walls and roof. That back part of the farmhouse is still there and we call it the shack. Several people have lived in it since my parents and even my older sister moved out of it. This buried tank is just so far from the old house and even the people before Mom and dad knew nothing about it.

winemaker · #2 09/01/14, 11:15 AM

Fuel tank for an old gas pump. A few farms around here still have them. Most of the pumps are gone now, worth big bucks.

Harry Chickpea · #3 09/01/14, 11:23 AM

You may only have a 50/50 chance of finding a tank. Clay soil can do some odd things.

You brought back a schoolyard memory from long ago. Every spring there was a small area on the playground that would "bounce" the way you describe. We used to jump up and down on it and it would bounce even more for a while. There was no tank underneath, but a small vernal spring that never made it to the surface. The clay would get filled with water and become soft and act somewhat like jello. The bouncing was very similar to what you describe.

jwal10 · #4 09/01/14, 11:39 AM

Old septic tank, Maybe? Old ones were steel....James

copperkid3 · #5 09/01/14, 12:31 PM

I'm thinking that tinknal probably moved his to your place......

wogglebug · #6 09/01/14, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copperkid3

I'm thinking that tinknal probably moved his to your place......

...or the gnomes and leprechauns did, when they couldn't get any peace. Do not disturb them unnecessarily or they'll pack and up, taking their gold with them before you can steal it.

bja105 · #7 09/01/14, 07:20 PM

If you work it right, you can keep us on the edge of our seats for a year or more.

MO_cows · #8 09/01/14, 07:42 PM

Could be a septic tank or cesspool. Our house was built in the 30s, it had a metal septic tank until about 10 years ago, that's how long it took to rust out.

light rain · #9 09/01/14, 08:23 PM

Hope whatever it is full of gold, the 14 carat kind not the black gold kind...

AmericanStand · #10 09/02/14, 11:05 AM

I once found a car buried in my backyard.

copperkid3 · #11 09/02/14, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmericanStand

I once found a car buried in my backyard.

**********************
for signs of "Jimmy Hoffa"?

Rustaholic · #12 09/02/14, 11:37 AM

Going back how far I know the history of that place I really doubt it could be a car.
Not bouncy clay either.
I have driven so many T-posts there but that area is just a no-go.
You can't jump and get it to bounce.
Hit it with a T-post driven with one of those heavy two handled ones and quite an area bounces.
It is 50 to 60 feet away from where the old three hole outhouse used to be.
That outhouse was already a good distance from the old farmhouse.

30 years ago I already dug out the 200 gallon gas tank and this area is 40 feet from where that was.
I remember watching my ornery step father dig the root cellar over next to the old well. He was a very tough and determined guy and he worked hard for two weeks swinging a pick and shoveling out the pieces to get it dug. No car would fit in it but that is what makes me say nobody in their right mind would try to bury a car there.

Rustaholic · #13 09/02/14, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copperkid3

**********************
for signs of "Jimmy Hoffa"?

Jimmy Hoffa is under concrete.
21 to 25 years ago I was down in Detroit with my mother visiting with my Aunt Dorothy. Her boyfriend was there too. Paul was his name. Paul offered to take us all out to eat so we were in his car driving to a diner.
Back in the day Paul was Jimmy Hoffa’s driver. Even if Hoffa flew somewhere Paul went too. When they landed a limo would pull up and the driver would get out. Paul would open the door for Jimmy then get in and drive away. This is all we knew before this day.
When this occurred Paul was 90 or 92 years old and still a big tough guy. Just as we were about five blocks from the diner Paul was talking but I saw the slick car and well-dressed dude behind the wheel stare at Paul as he passed. The dude did a U-turn and followed us. I just saw him stare then brake and start that turn. As we pulled into the parking lot and were getting out of the car I saw that car pull in and park across the lot from us.
We went in and at the table I made sure to get the seat with my back to the door. It was a good call because I heard the door open as a gal was bringing glasses of water and menus to the table. That dude walked past the table and sat at the bar far enough down so he was behind Paul. I saw the guy behind the bar acting nervous and asking the dude what he wanted. The guy looked relieved when the dude just waived him away. The gal came back and took our order and as she left the dude walked up to the table.
I do not remember Paul’s last name but that is how the dude addressed Paul. “Mr. ??????” Paul just grunted. His face looked mad and very determined. Then the dude said, “I just wanted to stop by and tell you that we are still watching you.” When Paul just sat there the dude turned and went out the door. The dude’s shoes cost more than everything I was wearing and as he had walked up to the table in that silk suit I know there was a revolver in a shoulder holster and a pistol at the right ankle. As that Mob dude went out the door Jimmy started talking. He named the mob family that did it and told us there were two concrete jobs open for Jimmy Hoffa’s body. He said with confidence Jimmy was either under a shopping center or a freeway ramp. He named the exact one for both of those places but I cannot remember those details. It should be easy to look back to then and see what shopping center and what freeway ramp was being built.

light rain · #14 09/02/14, 03:33 PM

Rustaholic, when I was about 7 in the 50's my Mom worked in the senate as a secretary. She was involved in the typing for the investigations against Hoffa. She brought home a book that showed some of the things that Hoffa and his folks did to people that bucked their wishes. It wasn't pretty. She said Hoffa would walk past her and call her by her first name.

Saying hello and asking her "how she was today or something just trivial". She actually respected his family commitments but also knew that he was behind terrible, vicious murders.

We have a friend who is a good man who is pro union. But I have never forgotten those pictures...

Rustaholic · #15 09/02/14, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by light rain

Rustaholic, when I was about 7 in the 50's my Mom worked in the senate as a secretary. She was involved in the typing for the investigations against Hoffa. She brought home a book that showed some of the things that Hoffa and his folks did to people that bucked their wishes. It wasn't pretty. She said Hoffa would walk past her and call her by her first name.

Saying hello and asking her "how she was today or something just trivial". She actually respected his family commitments but also knew that he was behind terrible, vicious murders.

We have a friend who is a good man who is pro union. But I have never forgotten those pictures...

You sound like someone that should have met Paul like I did. He was big and strong and I bet especially when he was younger he would have been a dangerous guy to cross. If you saw what the mere presence of that mob dude did to him with that obvious threat you would know Paul knew something they didn't like.

Rustaholic · #16 09/02/14, 04:51 PM

I am sorry I let this get so far off topic.
If we get another good rain day I hope I get a chance to head over there and put a shovel in the ground. It was only down two or three inches.

I actually know there was an underground stream although it might be seasonal about 35 feet from there.
Since the top of the hill behind Mom's house has been flattened a good bit and there is a very large church up there now the stream could be gone.

It was just like an eight inch tunnel of very sandy clay going through hard clay that was either draining melted snow water from up on the hill some place or maybe even the swampy pond up behind that church could be where it was coming from. If it is the pond then it is probably still there.