Looking for Info on the Chicago Fire Debris Field

Has anyone been to the Chicago Fire Debris Field ? They apparently dumped all the wreckage after the Chicago Fire in Lake Michigan and from what I've heard it has open savage rights (you find it you keep it). I was wondering where it is. Can anyone help
Thanks
Stay Hep
Tom

The 1871 fire resulted in a small mountain of debris (remember, the reason so much of the city burned is that it almost every building was made of wood so there wasn't all that much left) that was dumped in the lake. Periodically, inquisitive individuals put 2 and 2 together and figure out that this pile of rubble must still be out there somewhere. It is still out there but out there isn't, at least not anymore.

The debris was simply hauled to the edge of the lake and thrown in and formed the basis for Grant Park, just east of the loop. Michigan Avenue was the lakefront prior to the fire - the train tracks that are now the South Shore line actually ran on trestles over the water and the landfill was needed as part of Burnham's plan to create an open parkland along the lake. We were making lemonade from lemons, as it were.

Some of the saltier locals used to make up locations for the debris field just to watch folks wander about for days out on the water trying to find the pile but with the advent of GPS it has become too easy for folks to find out that they've been had. Kinda spoiled all our fun.

Steven

thanks steve!
have you ever been down to any the fields you mentioned?
tom

Check out this thread the caisons

The site is mentioned in several books and several charters go there.

From Divechicago.com

CAISSONS: Though not a wreck a very popular site scattered with bottles and relics dating back to the Great Chicago Fire and prior

Click to expand...

East of the downtown Chicago locks about four miles out into the lake is an area known locally as "The Caissons." Although it may well hold some debris from the fire, it's actually an unorganized (fly?) dump that was used for many years - some say pre-Civil War through the 1920's. The name comes from a couple of old wooden caisson frames out there, apparently dumped after some long-ago lakeshore project.

Time has buried most of the field under the lake bottom, which is largely comprised of clay marl. You won't generally find anything lying about and instead are going to have to dig - you'll need a good shovel and a smaller hand rake as well as a goody bag. If the zebra mussels don't hole your suit, the bits of glass and other detritus often do.

The area is poorly defined and covers maybe a square mile or so of lake bottom, although the debris is somewhat intermittent - you can be in the middle of the field and dig and find nothing. In most areas you will be in about 60 - 80 feet of water. This is blackout diving - the need to aggressively dig will instantly silt you out and leave you to work blindly. Scooter wash can help, although the marl is somewhat resistant to being flushed away that easily. It's a very messy dive.

Most of the charters know exactly where the area is located. Hank at Chicago Dive has certainly been out there more than once. Tell him you'll help scrub the deck at the end of the dives and buy a t-shirt or three and maybe he'll put a trip together for you.

Steven