NYFalls.com Talk

While following the Wynantskill to see the falls I came across more than a few remnants of the factories and industries that used the waterpower of the creek.

One of the more simple, yet ingenious, constructions I found was a 'pipe' made from brick. To keep the water pressure from bursting the bricks apart, the pipe had iron bands around the bricks. The pipe was about 3 feet in diameter.

Another view of the pipe and some of the foundations surrounding it. More foundations stretch off to the right, out of the picture frame.

A clinker forms while coal is burned in a furnace, when non-combustible waste products fuse together. Usually the ones I've seen at old industrial sites or near railroad beds are about a couple inches across. This one had long dimension of about seven inches.

A pair of bolts protruded from one of the foundations. I guess they probably held down the factory building sill plates, but they could have anchored equipment or machinery as well. These were not your usual find-in-your-hardware-store size bolts.

On the other side of the brick pipe, a former millrace ran parallel to the Wynantskill. Portions of the wall had collapsed, otherwise it was difficult to see that a wall was even there.

Above the set of falls farthest upstream, there's an large iron pipe that carried water to another set of factories. You can see how the force of the water moved the supports and twisted the steel.

Here's a section of pipe that looks like someone took the time to take apart. Not sure what the reason could have been - a salvage attempt, possibly? It didn't look like a failure or accidental break.

Here's a look inside the pipe, looking downstream. Note all the silt built up inside the pipe. I suspect it entered the pipe and then settled out of the water because the water velocity was too low to keep it moving. I wonder if anyone ever got the job to clean the pipe out now and then...