The Friday night you see me not having a beer is rare, and it means I must have something very important to do Saturday morning. The week went by so slow waiting for my chance to go back and clean out as many documents as I could carry. I went to bed at 10pm just like a week night and woke up before 4am. I laid there until my alarm went off at 620am, I guess I slept on and off but mostly I laid there with my eyes slammed shut trying to visualize that room filled with files. The few snapshots I had in my mind were so vague and dream like. I was so adrenalized just to be inside the coal bunker, much less to find a room with a trove of documents to rifle through. I basically did a ‘smash and grab’ like a kid trying to rob a house, totally overwhelmed with his own fear and excitement. This time I would be prepared.
I brought with two boxes, carefully folded. I chose 12x12x4 as they would be big enough for standard size paper without folding them, and I figured I could stack them on top of one another on my rear rack. I brought a ratchet strap and a second bungee so I could secure it tightly for the quick ride back to Hegewisch. As there was major rain in the forecast, I brought four garbage bags. Two to wrap the boxes on my bike, and the rest to wrap whatever additional documents might not fit in the boxes and would be nestled in my messenger bag (which, like most bags of that sort, does not seal closed so water could potentially get inside). I grabbed a roll of duct tape to tape the bags in case I was concerned about tearing as well as a flashlight. I was ready.
I had breakfast and was on the road a little after 7am and parked on Baltimore Ave. almost exactly at 8am. A half an hour later, I was at Acme. For the first time, I took a direct route from the south, which I have never done. I always come south on Torrence from 106th and enter through the front door of the gate house. I was going to do the same when I saw a major section of fence fallen down just a little south of the quench station so I made my way in there.
I stashed my bike slightly out of sight, but where I could catch a glimpse from the east facing windows of the coal bunker. I scrambled up the 2×12 ramp and pulled myself up through the door. I was in. It was time for this operation to begin.
I knew I had to have some kind of plan to systemically go through everything. I decided to just grab everything on the floor and stack it on the empty shelves. Once the stack got about 18″ high, I started going through the pages. I put together one of my boxes and started tossing in anything that looked worth scanning back home.
I found that the lower cabinets on the floor were filled with brand new reams of inspection reports for the quench car, larry car, etc. I didn’t take any but might go back. They had fives reams in a block, plastic wrapped together and looked brand new. Would make for some really cool scratch paper. I decided not to take any based on their weight. I considered cutting the plastic open with my knife to take a single ream but figured I always need some excuse to come back.
I found some banker boxes that I hadn’t noticed last time in the opposite corner. They were totally disintegrated and their contents were piled on the floor. Brown accordion folders were stuffed with papers, some 5″ thick. I started bringing those over to my shelves to root through.
I found a great deal of catalogs from vendors and suppliers…pneumatic fittings, o-rings, etc. I tossed those violently into the corner, my new ‘garbage heap’, ironic to have such a heap in a room such as this which essentially is all garbage.
I grabbed the video tape I had left behind before. My fears were further confirmed when I looked more closely at the case. I am 99% sure this is just a sample video from the A/V house they contacted to make the new employee video, it is just a video for another of their accounts and has nothing to do with Acme. However – I found a second tape! This one was a blank TDK tape, it is labeled and I do think this IS real footage shot on the property. It is dated 1996. It was filthy dirty but I won’t go into more detail until I can see what is on it. I bought a VCR off eBay today and hopefully before the end of 2020 I will be able to share captured video from both of these tapes.
I came upon two pretty massive blueprints, about 24″ x 36″. One for each battery. It is a comparative study on the thickness of the gas headers for the ovens, checking (presumably degradation) the difference between 1989 and 1993. They are in such mint condition it is impossible to believe they have sat in this filthy room for 20 years.
By 9am, I had one box filled and I determined that there is no way I could fill a second one. Besides, scanning that box would be plenty of work for now. So I decided to call it a day. I left my second box and a garbage bag behind for a future visit.
Before I left, I decided to wander around the floor again. I came back to the area where people have clearly been climbing up to the next floor, where once upon a time the larry car would get loaded with fresh coal. A picnic table is leaned up against the wall. From there, you mount the wall itself and climb up into a level between floors, it is only about 3′ high and clearly not intended for people to walk around.
I was able to stick my head through where the tracks for the larry car were (taken to a scrap yard no doubt) and saw the expanse above! Very clean, flat and with tons of beautiful graffiti. I had to get up there!
Crawling to the north end, I found some 4x4s stacked up like a tiny staircase. I was able to use that to get up! And now I could look out the larry car port and see both oven batteries and the entire property. It was truly beautiful. My adrenaline subsided into a rush of calmness not unlike taking a prescription tranquilizer.
For the truly insane, a section of 2×12 will lead you from the NW corner of the north port to the fire escape, where you can go all the way to the top of the coal bunker. Even if that was steel and not rotting lumber, you would be without a hand rail (or net) for those few moments to lurch to the fire escape and I was happy enough with my progress for the day.
I made my way back down to the 1st floor, grabbed my box and got back outside. I was packing up my bike when I realized I left my gloves in the file room! They were soaked and offered little protection for the short ride back, but I’ve had them for years and they have sentimental value. So back up the ramp I went, where I darted back in to secure them.
I made it back to 134th and Baltimore at 10am after spending a little over an hour in Acme. The time truly flies by when you are immersed in the plant. The rain gave the day a seriously foreboding feeling – not sure that was needed, the place still haunts me even now on my 6th visit!
