#1 Last week's postings really inspired me to take a closer look at the cellar, so Friday afternoon LeeAnn got a coleman lantern and a tape measure and we dutifully trotted into the cellar to have a snoop in places most people do not go. We climbed up the flue, got spiders and dirt in our noses and did a lot of exclaiming. We chipped at the floors, got stuck on nails, and pretty much got dirty but what a lot of fun. These are the photos so far- about 25 of them in all which may go onto another page. Some things really surprised me and I believe we made and confirmed a few discoveries.
The front cellar room (on Second Street side) with the one and only brick wall "liner" in the entire basement. There is a "dead space" of maybe 5-6 inches between it and the granite foundation. We thrust eager hands into the loose bricks but dust has filled up along the floor level. Lee Ann will vaccum this out and we hope something may be found- even if it is not the hatchet!
This shows the west granite foundation wall which continues after that brick wall above stops and the 90 degree brick short wall which frames the entry door.
Washroom chimney (with face)- this is a double flue design. I climbed up into this thing while balancing on the caldron and found this very ominous stuff dripping reddish brown out of a pipe which is built into the upper left side of the chimney stack.
Going behind the cauldron into the first cellar room, there is a loose brick which I am shooting the shot through into the old laundry room. This is a recess to the left of the cauldron chimney, 41 inches deep where the Kieran diagram shows shelves. It is behind the water heaters.
We chipped at the washroom floor through the concrete and it appears there is brick underneath by the chimney- a bigger chunk needs to be chipped out for anything conclusive about the rest of the floor. Now, time to go into the first cellar behind the washroom. This is the open flue there
Privy window - I wonder if that latch hook dangling there was a flap to close for privacy? Oh, Kat- I did not forget to check the front entry radiator for you. It is much further south and west of the old chimney base, you can see the pipe downstairs that goes up to it in the hall.
These are some really good shots. Thanks! I especially liked the one showing the space under the stairs and the one of the *dripping-looking* hole.
I had seen that *shelf* (board) up inside the middle cellar niche in that area behind the laundry room (what you call the open flue)- but never saw how far it went or where it went, and of course never saw it so closeup.
I also see why you called that brick wall in the front cellar a *false wall.* I thought you meant the interior wall- I see you were describing the outer west wall on the south side.
The lighting you are using is amazing. I've never seen the place so bright!
Does Lee-ann/you subscribe to the theory of Tom Lange et all where they-and/or-producer of that video opined that the sitting room boards of the floor under the couch were flipped sometime after the murders in a renovation so the bloodstained surface now is the ceiling face into the middle cellar? Did you see any signs of that?
The ceiling above the sofa looks just like the rest of the ceiling. Impossible to see any difference-at least with the naked eye. The Luminol they used only phosphoresed under black light. I would think that flipping any boards would be quite an undertaking-they are long runs. With the floor carpeted wall to wall, I think any bloodstains would have been covered if they still survived a good scrubbing. I wondered how they repaired the square of carpet that was cut out- or was the whole room recarpeted? And on another topic- I would love to get some theories about that oozing pipe in the chimney on the previous page. We know there is a water-gathering cistern in Bridget's closet. Does this hook into this chimney pipe? Curious thing. Or somehow, is this how the cauldron for washing was filled- and did the pipe run over to the washroom sink somehow?
out of a pipe which is built into the upper left side of the chimney stack. 
