Bessemer Tornado

Posted by Naaman

Tornado Damage in Bessemer, Alabama, from April 28, 2014

Timberline West  apartments and the public golf course, which is likely a total loss.

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The Final Ascent

Posted by: Naaman

With the property sold, renovations supposedly imminent, and access restricted, I made my way up the steps of the hotel for the final time.  

Much has changed since I first entered the building on a hot summer dawn in 2009. What was once a pristine abandonment was now an old haunt for too many who never appreciated it.  Ownership has changed hands.  Taggers have made their mark. Base jumpers have lept off the roof. Birmingham's underground river, which flows through the basement, is the only constant in this structure. 

It was a bittersweet run. 

Fishtrap Tunnel

Posted by:  Naaman

Hand-carved in the 1880s, the Fishtrap Tunnel (or Jefferson Tunnel) was named such because of its constant flooding.  

The tunnel was the site of "The Battle of Jefferson", a July 17, 1908 gun battle between striking coal miners and local law enforcement which caused the governor to deploy the state militia. 

Fishtrap was also the site of an incident that would lead to a 1900 Alabama Supreme Court case. 

Now it is just a wet, mud-filled hole. Water drips from hundreds of places in the ceiling, which has slowly eroded and the metal which once reinforced it has failed.  The rock tunnel is caving in from all sides.  Huge chunks of the ceiling can be seen in the clear water. 

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American Life

Posted by: Naaman

The Stonewall Building, aka the American Life Building, was built in 1940 or 1926 depending on who you ask. It has been abandoned for around 30 years. 

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28. Ascent (Video)

29. Traffic (Video)