Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park - CT - July 16, 2005

[reefseal]

I've been reading these posts with great interest. Unfortunatley, have not been able to make any of dates have been open to general public. I am hoping will be open following weekend (22nd) as I know I will be able to dive. (Wife and kids will be visiting sister-in-law in Southington, ct close by. If so, will be sure to be there Saturday!

 

[dbg40]

On the wall of the side that seperates the 2 quarries (Silver Street), at 65 -70 ft we discovered a small brick wall. Could this brick wall have been used to close up the rumored tunnel between the 2 quarries? Can we bring sledge hammers to find out ? Actually a pneumatic jack that works off a scubatank may work. Just kidding.

Actually it was as black as a cows stomach and cold as ice down there with one heck of a debris field and trees in that area. Please people dive safely.

On the serious side:

When people go to dive this weekend check out the pictures and articles posted about the history of the quarry. You'de be amazed at the history there and the impact this quarry has had on The World's Building Trades. If you are in town take a look at some of the buildings and churches. Notice any similarity between them and the walls of the quarry. What I like about diving the quarry is that its also an historic dive if you can see it that way from my perspective.

The Middletown library (just over the bridge)also has articles about the quarry but you need permission to get to them.

Chris

Middletown, CT

Chris, Im thrilled to see you so excited about the quarry! I see it the same way, from an historic point of view. I can imagine what it took to work some of those "shelves" in the walls, must have been one tough and dangerous job. Its amazing to dive those vertical walls, and see the tool marks from the quarrymen left so long ago. I found a drill rod, and a facing chisel on one of the ledges on my first dive there. Was going to return for them, but was never able to relocate the spot. they were just leaning upright against the wall, just where a worker left them in 1936. I have a book on the town of Portland, with some great pictures of the Quarries as they were worked. would love for you to see them.

 

[ScubaSarus]

Dave I've always been looking for any info on the quarries in our area for years. Id'e love to check out the book sometime. It would also be nice to locate buildings around the world that used Portland Brownstone. I would also like to know were else outside of CT brownstone was quarried. Its my style of interest. I just like CT history. If you like CT history and legends check out this link. I think in here you'll find the sunken house in Gardner Lake. (New London County).

http://www.curbstone.org/index.cfm?webpage=126

 

[N.E.Diver]

That would be a cool dive as well. Anyone dove gardner lake??

 

[scubajim]

Hey Dave what was the vis last weekend. I'd like to know what to expect. We went to Willow Springs in PA on Tuesday and the vis was 5'-6'. We did Dutch Springs on the way back and it was 20'-30' vis. Brownstone is only 40 mins from me. I can't wait to dive it. Will try to make it Sunday

 

[mer]

Before the first thermocline vis is decent 10'+ if you stay off the bottom.

Between 10' deep and 25-30' where it gets really cold, there is a pretty decent algea bloom, vis is closer to 7'.

Below that it's dark, but vis is over 20', again, if you stay out of the silt.

 

[Morpheus]

Has anyone ever dove the Sunken house in Garner lake??? that sounds Sick!!!! I would love do to that!!

 

[dbg40]

Hey Dave what was the vis last weekend. I'd like to know what to expect. We went to Willow Springs in PA on Tuesday and the vis was 5'-6'. We did Dutch Springs on the way back and it was 20'-30' vis. Brownstone is only 40 mins from me. I can't wait to dive it. Will try to make it Sunday

Depends on where you choose to dive, the vis just off the entry was more than 25' with bottom plants. It's fairly sandy there, and we swam through a large school of little blue gills that were pretty friendly. If you go straight out it drops down fairly quickly to to the wall, where it becomes cold fast. Drop over and the vis is pretty bad, usually, lots of particulate algae floating there but really no worse than you find in most thermalclines. Hang on the wall and just drop in place, and when you hit the bottom (between 55' to 75') it actually clears quite well, unless it has been visited by a diver with less than stellar bouyancy control! If you get my meaning, on a good day you can get 25' or more vis, but usually its at 15' +-. I do bring a small BC light, but never find a need for it except to peek into a dark place in the wall. This is, I think, the best "get aquainted" dive in the quarry, the walls are completely vertical, and do not run in a straight line. Instead, they take a series of 90o turns back and forth, and its pretty wild to see the knife blade sharp edeges on the corners of the walls that run down the wall for 50'. Those quarrymen knew there stuff! In other parts, the vis varries greatly, somtimes to just a fiew feet, but there is lots of "history" to see. in one place there is part of what seems to be a short wooden platform jutting out from the wall, interesting. There are the remnants or old iron railings along the ledges in spots, and some curious brick walls filling openings in the walls in two places that I have seen. Last week, my dive buddy Chris, (aka cbsaw) went in with another diver, and found a deep cleft in the wall, possibly deep, the lights would not reach in too well, and they wisely did not follow it in. That definately needs to be checked out! It really is a pretty neet dive, and I do not think that anyone familliar with this kind of dive would be dissapointed, and although it's been said before, i'll say it yet again, the people there are unusually nice folks, willing to help, or just chat with you. The hayes brothers do a fantistic job of tracking divers, and they have a constant watcher looking over the water for any signs of a problem. and Ed brings with him, very highly trained divers ready for just about anything. I would hope to see you there soon, and any other divers that think they may like to give it a shot. It's close (as you have said) it's not some old stinkky waterhole, infact, its a beautiful site, and some come just to photograph it. The water is clean, and the people are fun. Load the car and get down here! I promise to give you the right # this time

 

[Chris Sawallich]

PORTLAND -- A vote to schedule a town meeting on the quarry lease proposal has been deferred.


The Board of Selectman agreed Wednesday to defer action on scheduling the town meeting until town officials have completed a review of the proposed lease agreement.

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Three brothers propose leasing the town brownstone quarries from the town for up to 25 years and creating an underwater dive park and water recreation facility in the North Quarry.

There is a no similar dive park in the Northeast, according to the brothers, Edward, Frank and Sean Hayes. They say having one in Portland would be a natural lure to Scuba divers and to families from throughout New England and portions of new York.

Two different reports prepared for the town have encouraged Portland to use the quarries as the centerpiece to stimulate economic growth in town.

"We are making sure that all the work is completed before we bring (this matter) to the board of selectmen," First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said.

Bransfield briefed her board colleagues on the status of the discussions Wednesday during the regularly scheduled meeting.

There was no opposition to the proposal from the selectmen; in fact, two of the selectmen -- Michael Coleman and Ronald W. Kutz -- publicly endorsed the plan.

However, there are still some issues to be further defined, and questions that various selectmen want answered before they send the issue on to residents for action.

"I gave them some information, and I got some feedback from them," she said.

-- In particular, Selectman Thomas W. Flood said he was anxious to knew more about where the parking would be for the water park.

Bransfield said the Hayes brothers have said they have made arrangements with private form for parking. Flood asked that it spelled out in the lease agreement in greater detail.

-- The brothers propose paying the town up to 15 percent of the gates receipts in exchange for the lease.

While he and Kutz approve of the proposal, Coleman asked for a more detailed description of "just what constitutes the gate fees."

Bransfield said her intention is "to make sure that we have the best agreement for the town, and one that will last 25 years."

"I am a very thorough person," she continued, "and I want to make sure that this agreement reflects that same degree of thoroughness. I want to make sure my i’s are dotted and my t’s are crossed."

To contact Jeff Mill, call (860)347-3331 ext. 221 or email jmill@middletownpress.com.



©The Middletown Press 2005


We'll get it there!!!!

 

[lord1234]

That is a total bummer. Why did they chose to defer the vote? It seems that according tot his article all that matters to them is parking...gosh that parking lot should be able to accomodate at least 100 cars...