24 Comment(s)
nice man, nice brick tunnel and nice exposure....raaaaaaspekt!
curly
thanks :) Getting a good angle on the gate is difficult and everything is the same colour! There was an old photo in the same place, but it was badly painted, pretty patchy and for some reason shot fisheye.
farken yeah!!! what a feature!!!! bring that on!!!! nice shot, nice subject, nice tit bits, nice work :)
yeah that's really interesting, I think the shot might have looked nicer with less light on the brick wall behind the gate...but overall very good shot. I have no idea what that gate could be. because it's deffinately not for water...If I was going to take a stab in the dark I'd say it used to have a grid to catch foreign objects under the water...because you can see the water level mark on the wall is pretty much level with the top of the gate. But even that's a bit iff...go back and check the other side of the wall for any broken fixtures i noticed one in the top-centre of the photo.
The marks on the walls are from the tidal water. This photo was taken at low tide. With the age of the gate and the drain, I don't think environmental issues were regarded as important. From the size of the holes in the gate it would only stop large debris, not rubbish or litter. It does look like it was attached to the other side at one time.
A gate in a drain is def. weird.
Suppose the gate wasn't for water distribution.
Suppose it was there for ... something else?
Perhaps the drain wasn't a drain to begin with...
I don't know the history of the drain but me thinks it's use was for something prior to drainage.
Who knows... but yeah l want ed to take a stab in the dark ;-)
There is a manhole at the left edge of the photo, which drops into the corner of the alcove. Perhaps the gate was for worker safety? Secret Ninja Tunnels!
hhmm me thinks it's a death chamber now...
COOOOL! tie them to a gate and let the stinky drain water rot them away.
Fucken "A" COOL Site!!!!
There is an old fort in Manilla where the chinese used to keep prisoners. They would be put to death enmass by locking them in a large tidal drain under the fort. Then when tide came in all drowned and the gate was opend AND THE BODIES CARRIED OUT TO SEA!!!!
I assume the tunnel isn't lighted and wonder how much equipment you have to carry down to these exotic sites to do this work. That, and how many people go along to help (and of course) what sort of oddballs you'd encounter every now and then. In America they'd probably be armed... We're there ever tracks in this tunnel? I'm not familiar with tidal drains as a couple of commenters suggested, but the gate looks like it was meant to stop something being rolled to a stop for storage. I like the site, the photos are interesting to examine, evocative, and the photography well done.
Equipment varies, but often: a body, 3 lenses, 2 flashes + triggers, torches, 2/3 tripods and a lightmeter. I've been doing solo missions lately, most people don't like sitting around for the time it takes to plan, arrange and take the shots. Otherwise ekweleks helps out a bit. I have only once encountered other people in a drain, and they were workers. There are never tracks in this tunnel, its is pretty difficult to find, with only one (semi-hidden) visible entrance. I doubt anything was ever stored in here, that would block waterflow - the main purpose for which storm drains exist. Additionally the gate is located almost 1.5km from the river entrance. Thanks for the interest :)
hey alby,
have you done this fort in manila and do you know anything about other stuff in manila. if so give me an email coz i will be going there in the near future. thanx
eli
Wow. Nice shot. I'm suprised to hear that you don't encounter people in the tunnels. I live in Seattle, which has an abandoned sub-city underneath much of it, and I've met homeless kids who claim to sleep down there.
Maybe the gate is to keep animals from wandering in low tide. Hmmm, but doesn't look like the gate went all the way across.
bella foto compare, sei proprio bravo...
I reckon the gate had a wooden panel fixed in it at one time. The idea being that workers can close it at low tide and keep most of the sea water out when the tide comes back in.
Maybe the gate was designed to impede the use of the tunnels for attack. I don't know where this is, but perhaps in wartime they were worried about people moving people, bombs, or equipment through there.
ahhhh dsankturary
Ninja turtles {lock down} mechanism? Crocodile stopper? Was it actually bolted into the brick, or was it loose? I have an idea if it just so happens to be loose which I doubt it is; I seen a gate like this on a gutterbox-like thing. Sort of like the little cement drain inlet things on the bracken ridge oval outback of CCC, but in Hervey bay when I was a wee kid? I doubt it's loose but it coulda been pumped down there in a strong storm? Maybe it was too keep goats in or out? I like this picture, still aint found this whereabouts. I'll stalk it down.
whats the white thing under the gate?
I think it's an aluminium can. The hinges are bolted to the brick.
In the background where the light is coming in is about to be cemented up. They have put a concrete mould in place with steel support rods and will fill it this week. You now have to get into the tunnel from further down, closer to the river. All the way along that section of tunnel the manhole covers are being sealed as they are putting new residential buildings above.
yeah they started sealing up some of the joints above. Looks like the only way to get in now is via the river. Every time I look from an ground level entry, it seems to be filled with water. Then again there's heaps of activity around the site, the grounds are being flooded it seems.