Historical flasks found...

[southern Maine diver]

Hey Bram...Kelly...

I have a little luck now and then. I just posted these to inspire... to remind me that no matter how hard we look, obviously we still don't find it all! Especially diving for bottles. I know that I looked this 1/2 pint over at some point, but I just didn't see something at that time. It was probably mostly buried, so I couldn't make out the shape among all the other debris, so I passed it over I guess.[:-]

When I say debris, I mean piles of it, old shells, muscles, rocks, recent trash, lobster traps, perriwinkle shells, crabs, rope... I could go on and on... you just have to take your time and turn everything over and take a second look at it.[8|]

I'm still learning...[]

Wayne

 

[LC]

I know where there is an awsome dump located out in the Ohio River. Bottles such as a Berkshire Pig Bitters asa well as many other pontiled bottles were dug up from it. But me scuba dive, don't think I could ever get good enough to try it. Makes me sick knowing where that dump is all these thirty years or so, and not being able to capitolize on it. Has to be some fantastic bottles still out there.

 

[Bottleman]

Awesome finds and its nice to see you back on the forum again! Do the bottles you find under water ever get a sand blasted look to them like the glass you find on the beach or does being buried protect them underwater?

 

[southern Maine diver]

Bottleman...

Hi Tom. To answer your question, the glass fragmments you find on the beach or shoreline, have been turned over repeatedly by the waves and the surf. They are tumbled in the sand for years and years giving them that rough, sanded appearance. (a bottle tumbler can do the same thing) SOme of the bottles I find are a bit rough, scratched or etched mostly. The majority of the bottles are in great condition depending on where you find them. They get covered over by mud and sand or marine growth and they come out looking like they were thrown in yesterday!![]

Also, freshwater bottles seem to be in a lot better shape than the salt water bottles.

Great question. Thanks,

Wayne

 

[southern Maine diver]

L C...

Louis, Hi... how are you doing? Thanks for the input on the Ohio bottle dump. I have never been out to Ojio, but I sure would like to visit for 4 or 5 days. You wouldn't have to dive, just come out on the boat or help on land. Anything found would be split 50/50 and you could have the first pick!!!

I love going to new places, new surroundings... new challenges. Ohio is pretty cold, frozen and iced over in the winter isn't it? seems like it should be a late spring, summer, early fall type of diving. Anyway, thanks for looking and thanks for providing me ideas for future adventures.

Wayne

 

[LC]

Doing okay Wayne, hope things are the same with you. I would love getting involved in a situation such as that Wayne, it would be a rush, anything pertaining to hunting bottles is a rush to me for that matter. And what the heck, if you would be down there too long, I would break out the fishing poles and do some fishing as well !! I do not know whether a lot of bottles would be found there or just a few, But I know for a fact that a Berkshire Pig Bitters from Cincinnati was brought out of there as well as the iron pontiled Tobey soda that I am showing in this post, as well as quite a few other pontiled sodas and other bottles of various varities. I was wondering though, if there is any laws that would cause a conflict with us doing that out in the river. I have never heard of anyone going out and doing that in the Ohio River before. If you are truly interested in doing this possibly at a later date, keep in touch, its for sure it is not going anywhere. I do not know about you, but I am a warm weather person myself, although there was one weekend I can remember where I and another fellow dug a dump on the river and the river had been up and then receded. I remember crawling between sheets of broken ice and digging bottles out of the bank, and it was a cold weekend indeed! I am adding a link below showing some of the jumkers I have if you would like to view them. I have many more than what is shown there, but have gotten away from working more on the site to get them added.Thanks for you reply, if we do not chat again before Xmas, I hope you and your family have safe and happy holidays, Lou

http://www.freewebs.com/yesterdaystreasures/index.htm

 

[southern Maine diver]

Hi Lou...

Thank you for the warm holiday wishes. I hope you and your loved ones have a Merry Christmas and safe , healthy New Year.

Now, as far as the state laws are concerned, the laws differ from state to state, mostly you have to be careful that you are not collecting anything out of a Fed park, state historical site, things like that. Most rivers, lakes large bodies of water are owned by the public. That is why there are many public boat launches, fishing, skiing, jet skis, canoeing... those kinds of activities.

Most of the antiquities laws are for protecting shipwrecks and historical sites. I haven't had any trouble diving for bottles around the New England area, although I understand divers are required to get a state permit in Conn to recover isolated finds or artifacts. I'll be looking into that before I go to Conn next year.

As far as not knowing what's on the bottom of the Ohio River, that's the fun of it and the challenge!!![] I go by the theory that, if you find one in the area, there is likely to be a second one laying around somewhere. It's up to me to find it.[8|] I turn over everything I can, trees... rocks... boards... pilings... tires... all of these things are underwater obstructions and when bottles roll along the bottom, they usually stop when they come to rest up against something or they roll into a hole or depression of some kind.

The banks of the rivers have typically been dumpsites for many years and the water, current, ice flows, floods all dig into the banks and dig the bottles out naturally. Nature opens up these dump sites and give us little hint as to where to start looking, digging and diving.

Don't you love it?[]

Wayne

 

[PhilaBottles]

sometimes we have to bail out the water from a privy if theres been a good rain. thats the extent of my diving.

 

[LC]

This is definitely in the river and would have nothing to do with any Federal park, or state historical site.
I believe that in the early and late eighteen hundreds, without question, there was a lot of dumping on river banks. I am guessing, but I would say before the dams were built in the rivers there were areas where the river might not have been 100 to 200 feet wide. That is just a guess on my part, I should try and do some research on just how wide the river was in my part of the country during that time period. But if I am correct, then there are definitely dumps a good ways out into the river around any city most likely.
I do know for sure that it is definitely a dump I am referring to, not just a fluke as for someone finding a few bottles.