civilized ku # 2388-89 / ku # 1221-22 ~ a visit to a wayback machine

Ghost town ~ Adirondac / Tawhaus, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenMcIntrye Furnace ~ Tawhaus / Adirondac , NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenTangle ~ Tawhaus / Adirondac, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenTamarack bog ~ near Union Falls, NY - in the Adirondack Park • click to embiggenSorry for the delay in posting this entry, but during my NYC friend's 5 day / 4 night visit, we were out an about everyday - together with an evening art event, dining out, and numerous sittings around with rye, bourbon, and wine - and I never found the time sit down at the google machine and make an entry. That written, now that I have some time on my hands as I and the wife sit about (a belated anniversary getaway) in our cabin (in front of a toasty fire, waiting for Hurricane Sandy to make its presence known), I can post this short and sweet entry.

That written, here's the short and sweet of it .... one of the places my friend and I visited was the abandoned Adirondack mining town of Tawhaus (or Adirondac, as it was formerly known). Much to my surprise, the old McIntrye Furnace - situated a few hundred feet down the road from the town and, until recently, nearly invisible due to being hidden by 160 years of forest and undergrowth - was dramatically on view. I have passed by the furnace on a number of occasions and taken notice of its upper reaches (it sits below the road level), inasmuch as it is located a mere 20 feet from the edge of the road albeit obscured by vegetation.

Needless to state, we stopped to investigate and, again to my surprise, found that not only had the furnace been cleared of vegetation but so had the 100 ft. slope down to the Hudson River beneath it. On that slope, much like an archeological dig (which, in fact, it is) was an incredible array of mill work mechanicals lying about in disarray just as they have been since the mill structure collapsed in 1856. Not to mention the remnants of an imposing 50-60ft. tall / 12 ft. thick granite block stone dam which dammed the Hudson River and diverted water to a flume which drove a large waterwheel which, in turn, turned a couple 20ft. gears which powered 4 large "piston" units which supplied blast air to the furnace which was heated to 2500 degrees.

All in all, the place was a truly interesting historic site. I'll have more pictures and more to tell when I get back home on Tuesday.