Not for the faint of heart!!!

[jgas]

Hello all treasure diggers, thought I’d share a little story with you all as this is most likely the last pit of the year for us. The cold is gathering to the west and will soon take over our neck of the woods. Now I’m not against digging in the cold but I am getting older and the chills hit me faster now for some darn reason.

I figured I’d check out one last pit but I started it out by myself. Figuring it was just a hole full of coal ash I would just mark it if the list and move on next season. So I cut out the top grass in a good 4x4 or so. Started digging and the first shard of glass was a local beer from 1881. And this was at 3 feet. I hit several layers of ash and night soil with layers of glass which was quite unusual for us. It usually is one huge ash dump and then the use layer. But this one had several use layers and varying levels. Each getting slightly older as expected.

I was at about 6 feet or so when it got just too hard to toss the soil. So I called my digging buddy and he took off a couple hours of work to come help. He arrived and we started to bucket to ash and now sand caps. I had tossed up an LH Thomas ink and he tossed up an EA Sharp cone ink. Then out pops the really cool Anti Malaria bottle. Now this was getting interesting. He also found a broken medicine from Mobile Alabama MT Sprague. This was all above a thick sand cap. We probed all over the bottom through the cap and struck glass everywhere.

Then the bad news, no trees or roots, no nothing to hold up the sides and the collapse started to happen. Slowly thank God so as not to get hurt. We just sat and watched the entire hole fall apart wall to wall. And now way to much digging to get this done with only two of us. We decided to fill her up and get reinforcements in the spring. Open it up huge and go for that use layer. Now this dream will have to keep me warm and fuzzy all stinking winter!!! Ugh. Lol. At least we know it’s there and we are not tossing in the towel just yet. Here is to late season dreams and a quick return to spring. Bring on the Caterpillar Digger!!!! Good luck out there and be safe everyone. Hope you all have a great holiday season. Jgas.

 

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[EccentricInTexas]

Some Neat Finds!!! I wonder whats at the very bottom of the pit and how far down it goes!!!

 

[Bass]

Oh no! I can’t wait that long! Holy cow, an 1881 in the top layer means there’s no telling what lies beneath. I think you may have hit one of your best pits in recent times. The bottles you have already pulled are great. Love that anti malaria and the inks. Maybe you can just go into hibernation for the winter and wake up one spring morning and dig this jewel. Can’t wait!

 

[NJKLAGT]

Dang, those are some beauties, and you're not even into the thick of it! I'm glad that you guys are alive, because I can't wait to see what comes out next spring haha. This is gonna be good!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Wow...just awesome finds..

I can see you're in what appears to be a newer residential
area...how in the world did you figure out just where to dig?
Do you have to get utilities located first?

 

[Mudflap]

You gotta find some trench shoring to use. Nice finds coming out of those holes!

 

[Bass]

Looks like there might be some good patina on a couple of those bottles

 

[sandchip]

Glad you came out safely and with some goodies. Just ain't no tellin' what else is down there. Got a picture of the broken Mobile bottle?

 

[WaterScoop]

You gotta find some trench shoring to use. ...

I’m with mud flap on this one. No bottle or any other treasure is worth your precious well being. Trench shore.. I’ve known people trapped alive/ buried alive in cave ins.


Awesome finds nevertheless! Congratulations on your awesome discovery!

 

[scruggs]

Great bottles and pit! Good luck on your future hunts!

 

[jgas]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yep we get the utilities marked all the time. Never dig without that because it costs a fortune when you hit a gas line. Yep we need to shore it up when spring comes. I’ve tried some ways but just can’t seem to find the best way to do that yet. Any ideas please forward to me. I actually did not get a picture of the MT Sprague from Mobile. Duh. It’s a simple paneled medicine clear glass tho. Hope we can get the rest by opening it up quite a bit bigger in the spring. Getting my camera ready I hope for some good stuff. Jgas

 

[diggingthe1]

Those pits you find sure get deep. The ones around here hardly ever get past 6 feet. I hope you brainstorm something to keep you safe this winter. Sure is something to look forward to! Outstanding job with the grass replacement, and bottle finds!!

 

[Bass]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yep we get the utilities marked all the time. Never dig without that because it costs a fortune when you hit a gas line. Yep we need to shore it up when spring comes. I’ve tried some ways but just can’t seem to find the best way to do that yet. Any ideas please forward to me. I actually did not get a picture of the MT Sprague from Mobile. Duh. It’s a simple paneled medicine clear glass tho. Hope we can get the rest by opening it up quite a bit bigger in the spring. Getting my camera ready I hope for some good stuff. Jgas

I know how to shore up the walls if the pit was empty but not sure of a feasible way to do it when your walls aren’t defined and you’re still removing dirt. The only thing I can come up with is to dig out the sides of the pit a little more at 15 degree angles outward. This would require a ton more work

 

[sandchip]

The late, great John "Digger" O'dell actually had some plastic cylinders made that would fit one inside the next to prevent cave-ins. I've seen pictures of them in old articles and talked to one of his partners that used them. Don't know what it must've cost but with the stuff he dug, they probably paid for themselves pretty quick. Some of the privies he dug ran in excess of 20 feet, so I can see why he would want some kind of insurance against collapses. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Blak bart]

Awsome jgas !!! For those of us that cant really do that, its great to live it through your posts !! Congrats on some more great bottles, and thanks for posting !!

 

[jgas]

Thanks for the insight into the shoring up of the pits. I’ve considered to O rings too. I’m pretty sure either way we go with this it’s gonna be a heck of a lot of dirt removal. But could be worth he extra effort. Like we say, It only takes one good one. Jgas

 

[2screwed]

Eight of these bars and 4 sheets of 1/2 inch plywood cut lengthwise to the width of your pit would get you down 11-12 feet safely. The bars are a little spendy but cheaper than a funeral.

https://www.lodimetals.com/trench-shoring-bar

 

[sandchip]

Better than nothing, but they sure would get in the way of pulling buckets.

 

[2screwed]

Better than nothing, but they sure would get in the way of pulling buckets.

The bars stay up against the side of your pit so the center is open.
Like this:

 

[sandchip]

10-4 that.