Rod, you asked me to take the photo. We are looking nearly straight down a pit. I would say the depth is about 30 to 50 feet. You can see a ledge to your right, which is accessible from a small crawl-through, also (but we didn't go there on this trip).
.....the next step would have been a doozie! This is a flash picture from the opening you saw in the previous photo. Keep in mind, the previous photo also was taken with a flash (bounced off the high ceiling of the cave), along with a shutter speed of 4 seconds. So when you are there in person it's considerably darker than what these photos would suggest (on this return trip I had several flashlights and extra batteries). Dimensions are also difficult to portray in photos like this, since there is nothing here for you to compare for size. I would estimate that it is 20 feet or so across to the far wall. When I was there I thought it was probably 50 feet down, but in retrospect I'll bet that's an exaggeration. It is deep enough, however, that stepping over this precipice would have likely resulted in some pretty serious bodily injury, and I would be very surprised if one could climb out after such a fall. Thanks for not taking that step, Eileen!
Talk of poems, prayers, and promises.
Things that we believe in.
How sweet it is to love someone.
How right it is to care.
*******
-----How long it's been since yesterday.
-----And what about tomorrow?
-----What about our dreams
-----and all the memories we share?
****
(More from John Denver, Poems, Prayers, and Promises)
A relaxing, comfortable, and colorful addition to ANY yard. Of course, I'm talking about Olga and Mario, but the hammock is nice, too!
Hmm. More Hammock fun! By the way,
----------- did I tell you that you can
--------------------------- order yours now
--------------------------------------- from http://spiralsofjoy.com/ ?
Lie there by the fire,
and watch the evening tire,
while my friends and my lady
sit and watch the sun go down.
(John Denver -- Poems, Prayers, and Promises)
The Enola Gay was loaded with LITTLE BOY, the first atomic bomb, from this bomb pit.
Here you see photos of "Little Boy." Unfortunately, the bomb pit for "Fat Man" was recently vandalized. While the glass has been replaced, the photos have not, so it looks just like this, except that it is empty.
As you can see from the water droplets on the glass panes, it had been raining that day. In fact, heavy rain moved in immediately after I took this shot. I tried to wait it out, but it was more determined than I was patient. So, I headed back south, to the village of San Jose. We will be back up to the North Field, however, later.From TINIAN OCTOBER 2009: A Glimpse of where History was Made, as it Transitions to History Itself
Until about 2 or 3 years ago, the pits which had stored "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" were all covered in with dirt and abandoned. Then as a part of a long overdue restoration project, they were excavated and covered with protective canopies. In case you can't read the plaque: "NO. 1 BOMB LOADING PIT. ATOMIC BOMB LOADING PIT. FROM THIS LOADING PIT THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB EVER TO BE USED IN COMBAT WAS LOADED ABOARD A B-29 AIRCRAFT AND DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN, AUGUST 6, 1945. THE BOMBER, PILOTED BY COLONEL PAUL W. TIBBETTS, USAAF, OF THE 509TH COMPOSITE GROUP, TWENTIETH AIR FORCE, UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES, WAS LOADED LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 5, 1945, AND AT 0245 THE FOLLOWING MORNING TOOK OFF ON ITS MISSION. CAPTAIN WILLIAM S. PARSONS, USN, WAS ON BOARD AS WEAPONEER."
The identical pit for "Fat Man" is just across the parking area.From TINIAN OCTOBER 2009: A Glimpse of where History was Made, as it Transitions to History Itself
