The Hole idea starfted in the Truman adn. Construction began During 1952 Ikes adm.
The Corps of Engrs was in charge of THe whole thing. From the water supply for it to the Exhaust holes for Boiler and Generators. All things being reduntant? ie 2 power plants 2 or more of every thing.
I am talking about Site R The first of the underground facilities. THe Gran,daddy of them all.Upgrades lead to steel frame buildings mounted on springs!
THe Engrs drilled holes 36 " in Dia. of the exhaust pipes thru green stone before they knew how to steer the bit. When it drifted off after 600' they built a chandeller with 4 lights (compass poits to measure the drift) and calculated what they needed to do to find the bottom of the hole inside! Gave the miners a corrected heading and said 12 more feet in that direction and you gaot it. And they were corredt! NO job Too big for an Engr.more to follow...
Site R sites:
http://cryptome.org/site-r/site-r.htm
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/raven_rock.htm
http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/200...homefrontp5.asp
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter 'Monday' Poniedzialek
540th Combat Engineer - H&S Company
My link to site R http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/raven_rock.htm
Site R support 1952-96 was prtovided by Ft. Ritchie Md.
Paul HInkle
WW2 vet
LM VFW
vision impaired
Senior center Volunteer
Pa. coal cracker
Retired USCS
From 1952 until 1996 Site R was supported by Fort Ritchie Md. There is a History on this post that it was built by an Engr. Officer Capt. Barrick. He supervised all of the WPA work on the post. Even to building a post HQs In the URL scroll down to the 3rd color Post card. Titled Officres Quaters(incorecrly) It is the post Hqs. The Engrs collar symbol was the model for it. Most of the building is blocked by trees and shrubbery. The stone building is a replica for the Enhgr. castle http://www.ritchieboys.com/EN/camp.html
Paul HInkle
WW2 vet
LM VFW
vision impaired
Senior center Volunteer
Pa. coal cracker
Retired USCS
pdhinkle: Very interesting. I never realized that WPA labor was used in building Military
Camps in the 1930's . I always thought it was done by Corps of Engineers.