Comments on: Ravenna AKA Great Pit Of Carkoon http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:12:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Steve http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-73812 Steve Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:32:23 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-73812 I think the original Green Lake overflow went down the present Ravenna Creek in Ravenna park. Whether it followed the present Boulevard as far as the present Cowan Park, I'm not certain. It seems clear that the Ravenna trunk sewer (the deep-bored part of which collapsed in this episode) amounted to a culvert for the original Ravenna Creek above Cowan Park. Sewers were generally combined storm and waste-water drainage in those days. I think the original Green Lake overflow went down the present Ravenna Creek in Ravenna park. Whether it followed the present Boulevard as far as the present Cowan Park, I’m not certain. It seems clear that the Ravenna trunk sewer (the deep-bored part of which collapsed in this episode) amounted to a culvert for the original Ravenna Creek above Cowan Park. Sewers were generally combined storm and waste-water drainage in those days.

]]> By: Gina http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-73367 Gina Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:24:24 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-73367 Wasn't Ravenna Blvd formerly a creek before it dried up when Green Lake was lowered? Bet there were a lot of little creeks that missed getting culverted. Wasn’t Ravenna Blvd formerly a creek before it dried up when Green Lake was lowered? Bet there were a lot of little creeks that missed getting culverted.

]]> By: Steve http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-71283 Steve Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:56:10 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-71283 Hello LS once again. Dang! Correction! I misread my city map. The steep street in question is NE 56th St. Hello LS once again.

Dang! Correction! I misread my city map. The steep street in question is NE 56th St.

]]> By: Steve http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-71281 Steve Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:46:23 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-71281 Hello LS: Sorry I missed your question. The house that had its basement slump is on NE 55th place between 17th Ave and Ravenna Blvd. It's one of the steepest streets in town, I suppose. The house is on the north side about half-way up (or down) the hill. I noted the house because I'd been to a garage sale there once but I forget the house number. It could easily be directly above the tunnel, which cuts straight ahead where Ravenna Blvd turns north and down the hill. Be clear that the basement floor slumped but there was no indication that the house shifted or was damaged. Hello LS:

Sorry I missed your question. The house that had its basement slump is on NE 55th place between 17th Ave and Ravenna Blvd. It’s one of the steepest streets in town, I suppose. The house is on the north side about half-way up (or down) the hill. I noted the house because I’d been to a garage sale there once but I forget the house number. It could easily be directly above the tunnel, which cuts straight ahead where Ravenna Blvd turns north and down the hill. Be clear that the basement floor slumped but there was no indication that the house shifted or was damaged.

]]> By: Steve http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64518 Steve Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:36:25 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64518 I went back to newspapers I could find on microfilm about this. Your first statement is closer to correct, it seems. A huge cavern gradually opened above the broken sewer trunk as the sand was slowly washed away, and the roof of the cavern suddenly caved in. No one seems clear about how long the process took. There was some mention of settling of the street some time beforehand, but that didn't cause much alarm, apparently. The entire hill, at least at the north end towards Ravenna Park, is a big sand dune. The tunnel is big enough for a person to walk through, hunched over a bit. Originally it was dug by hand and lined with brick. For the repair, it was lined with steel. It needs to slope downhill from near Cowan Park Grocery to near the Ravenna Park ball field, so it's something like 145 feet below grade at the top of the ridge where the collapse occurred. I went back to newspapers I could find on microfilm about this. Your first statement is closer to correct, it seems. A huge cavern gradually opened above the broken sewer trunk as the sand was slowly washed away, and the roof of the cavern suddenly caved in. No one seems clear about how long the process took. There was some mention of settling of the street some time beforehand, but that didn’t cause much alarm, apparently. The entire hill, at least at the north end towards Ravenna Park, is a big sand dune. The tunnel is big enough for a person to walk through, hunched over a bit. Originally it was dug by hand and lined with brick. For the repair, it was lined with steel. It needs to slope downhill from near Cowan Park Grocery to near the Ravenna Park ball field, so it’s something like 145 feet below grade at the top of the ridge where the collapse occurred.

]]> By: Matt the Journeyman http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64456 Matt the Journeyman Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:08:49 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64456 We drive through there very often. I've seen these photos before and I've always been curious about where all the earth went. Was it slowly sifting into the trunk and creating a cavern over time, whose roof fell in that night? Or was it that the trunk broke and all that soil just got flushed through the system? That's a lot of earth! We drive through there very often. I’ve seen these photos before and I’ve always been curious about where all the earth went. Was it slowly sifting into the trunk and creating a cavern over time, whose roof fell in that night? Or was it that the trunk broke and all that soil just got flushed through the system? That’s a lot of earth!

]]> By: mb http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64420 mb Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:36:55 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64420 http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec96/back_pages1296.html http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/dec96/back_pages1296.html

]]> By: LS http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64402 LS Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:54:25 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64402 Steve- Do you have any more information about the house that sank 5 feet in '76? Maybe the address or cross street? Thanks for the info on this. I live a block away and had no idea... Steve- Do you have any more information about the house that sank 5 feet in ‘76? Maybe the address or cross street?

Thanks for the info on this. I live a block away and had no idea…

]]> By: Bev Hawes http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64386 Bev Hawes Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:59:24 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64386 My freshman year at the U - I do remember when this happened but wasn't very concerned about it. Could dig out notes I took in classes but doubt I had anything to say about real world news. I also returned to the U in 1985 and remember coming across 520 on the bus, looking at the new spactator stand being erected at Husky Stadium, and when I returned to the eastside later in the day it was gone! Does anyone have pictures of its collapse? My freshman year at the U - I do remember when this happened but wasn’t very concerned about it. Could dig out notes I took in classes but doubt I had anything to say about real world news.
I also returned to the U in 1985 and remember coming across 520 on the bus, looking at the new spactator stand being erected at Husky Stadium, and when I returned to the eastside later in the day it was gone! Does anyone have pictures of its collapse?

]]> By: Shannon http://www.vintageseattle.org/2009/08/31/ravenna-aka-great-pit-of-carkoon/#comment-64371 Shannon Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:12:26 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/?p=2589#comment-64371 Of course I had to look at the modern-day view on Google maps. With the exception of no enormous gaping hole and a few more trees, it looks exactly the same. I wonder if the current homeowners are aware of this exciting bit of history! Of course I had to look at the modern-day view on Google maps. With the exception of no enormous gaping hole and a few more trees, it looks exactly the same. I wonder if the current homeowners are aware of this exciting bit of history!

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