Forgotten Tunnels Under Chicago - EXPLORING The History of Chicago Tunnels - IT'S HISTORY (VIDEO)
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Below the sewers and subways of Chicago, are over 60-miles of forgotten 19th and 20th century train tunnels. This mysterious labyrinth, once connecting the majority of the city’s most prominent buildings. Has sat in abandonment and disarray for the better part of a century - today, we will uncover the forgotten story of the Chicago Tunnels. Around the turn of the century, the City of Chicago was one of the most congested urban spaces in the United States of America. Chaos, might even be the most proper word to describe it. Between the horse drawn carts, were street cars gridlocked by the pedestrians moving in every direction. And although the city attempted to alleviate these issues in 1892, with the introduction of elevated rapid transport, known locally as “the L” the foundation of the new track structure obstructed valuable curb areas otherwise useful for loading. On some streets, the train commuters indeed saved time - but cargo loading guaranteed lane blockage - reeking havok on the trolly cars making their way through out the loop. And as if that was not already enough to cause high blood pressure, factors were grossly compounded by another component known as coal. You see, Coal was a primary power source for Chicagoan’s, and demand was abundant. Looking back, It’s Almost ironic to consider that the city literally emerged from ash to become covered in ash. The delivery of coal was a massive element of the cargo logistics impeding the cities quality of life. Not only jamming up already overcrowded streets, but dirtying them with the removal of its byproduct - ash. Even the Chicago Tribune gave its warning in 1874, that the huge increase in factories, hotels, and new skyscrapers with their steam-powered elevators, was a serious problem. On journilist argued "So dense is this volume of smoke that, unless there is a brisk, stirring breeze, the whole of it settles down in the central part of the city and leaves its dirty imprint,". From todays prespetive, this type of commentary presents strong contrast to the tourist praised city of glorious architecture that we know today. Another example comes from, author Rud-yard Kip-ling who was quoted on Feb. 8, 1891 in simply saying that “Chicago’s air is dirt”. News paper editors crusaded tirelessly against the "smoke horror." Proclaiming that "The city will shortly be blackened in appearance, new as it is, and grow unhealthier”. And although there was not a great solution for the so called “air of dirt” - containment of the ash and resulting congestion of the street could be addressed by moving it all 40 feet underground. I’m your host Ryan Socash and your watching - IT’S HISTORY. The History of The Chicago Tunnels This story’s orgins began Under the watchful eye of chief engineer George W. Jackson, As the Illinois Telephone and Telegraph company built the first 26 miles of tunnel to hold telegraph and telephone cables. In 1899, a narrow-gauge railway was laid with in the tunnels with excavation,
However, the project stalled after the Company ran out of money. And this is when things became interesting. In 1905, the Illinois Tunnel Company took over construction, expanding the network to 60 miles and On July 7, 1905, an 11-car train was dispatched from the Erie freight house - marking the starting a new era.
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BIG NEWS! WE ARE BACK! SO "SMASH THAT BELL" 👍 In the meantime, we are happy to address any questions about the channel in the comment section of this video before the video launch.
We are excited to announce the return of IT’S HISTORY, with a special episode premiering later this week about the forgotten Chicago tunnel system. Moving forward, a particular emphasis will be placed on the idea that urban decay exposes the remains of bygone eras and faded societies. In discovering the stories of abandoned monuments of the past, we can experience the most tangible form of time. Upcoming episodes will be hosted by Ryan Socash of the channel Kult America , who some viewers may recall from the URBEX adventure he organised to Ukraine with Indy Neidell and The Great War. Socash has also been a long time producer of IT’S HISTORY and associate of channel founder, (Spartacus Olsson / TimeGhost History ).
➡️ Stay tuned and please consider supporting us at Patreon! www.patreon.com/blastfromthepast
I'm a grown-up, I do not 'smash' bells! Still, I suppose it's to your credit that unlike a number of these "15 more examples of '5h1t you will not believe' " - type channels, you don't use "Winning the 'Lotery' [sic] " as an inducement to subscribe; or threaten me with lovingly, almost fetishistically detailed pictures of the centipede that will "Crawl on my face" if I should fail to do so!
It is thus fervently to be hoped that all the folks at IT'S HISTORY continue to 🦁 "STAY CLASSY!!" 🦅
It's a real shame the tunnels weren't just a little larger. That way they might have survived containerization. In which case I could imagine them in full swing today, with fully automated container drop-offs. Imagine operating a department store that could easily receive entire shipments of furniture right into the heart of the city.
@@lordsamich755
Underground. Yeah right. Lol
The containers /small shipments , are done from above. Electrical lines yes, can be done from below. Water systems and sewer, yes can be done below.
@@richiehoyt8487
Smash that bell baby !
Lol that could have different meanings lol
@@studiodevelopers2467
"The containers /small shipments , are done from above."
_Because there is no functioning rail system that delivers to each building._
"Electrical lines yes, can be done from below. Water systems and sewer, yes can be done below."
_If you watched the video freight logistics can and were done from below._
_Truck routes only took over for small shipments due to issues with rail gauge / transshipment costs. The small tunnels and use of narrow gauge railway is a similar story._
I actually watched this video on my tv but I had to come to the comment section on my phone to give you guys respect for accurately describing these tunnels I have frequently had to go into myself. I work in telecommunications engineering and I have a confined space entry certificate that I have to renew every 2 years, most specifically so that I can enter these tunnels at a moments notice. I learned quite a few things in this video that I didn’t know and I trust it’s accurate because the parts I do know were spot on! Not to mention those maps shown in this video, those are the only maps we have to help navigate these tunnels. We’ve made copies of our own that indicate known and discovered dead ends and certain obstacles. One thing I find interesting is the bulkhead doors you have to open and close to cross the river. You have to check the little valve just below the door to assure no water is in the corridor, then you open the door, a red light turns on above the door which also alerts the entry monitor standing by at City Hall. You crawl through, then close and lock the door back behind you. Then you proceed to walk through an isolated corridor underneath the river to another bulkhead door where you do the same thing. This section is typically a bit flooded too, usually up to around the knees or so. In fact, there are a lot of tunnel sections with high standing water which is why we must enter with waders on… I’ve waded water as high as my stomach. Oh and the majority of it is dark… can’t see your hand in front of you DARK. While some parts are well lit with lights provided by ComEd. I once had to climb a 4 and a half foot wall and shimmy between the wall and a pipe to get to the other side. The tunnel is a very interesting place… and communications are non existent so it’s important you travel with at least one other person and the monitor needs to know where you plan to go, what route you will take, and about how long you intend to be down there just in case a rescue is needed. My coworker got banned from ever entering again because he abandoned the construction crew he was with and exited the tunnel alone to use the washroom.
Cool story!
I worked in fiber too. What you described is super accurate.
Can you please tell us another chicago tunnel story ?!?❤
Hey I’m with cwa in Cali and I’ve been in some weird places in the beach cities area and inland. Lots of spaces off limits to the public, and even some the employees are ignorant of. Sometimes I’ve discovered them together with random security guards or managers trying to find a terminal. Great story!
yeah some up to date footage from the tunnels really would've helped the video.
In the mid 80 I was a concrete cutter and had access to the the tunnels it was amazing how thick the concrete was
That was a great job I got to see a lot of things around Chicago but now I’m a old man with great memories of the things I got to see
There's a theory that Chicago was actually Chilaga of the much older maps so basically it would be much older than we're told. Make the 1893 Chicago worlds fair way more interesting.
Damn I wish you was my grandpa so u could tell me stories 😊
It was paper thin in some spots. Quality control wasn’t there.
Share these stories! Where can i still access the tunnels? Im 25 and want to make these stories and places live on
I was very lucky to have been granted access about 10 years ago. I worked on installing some conduit for fiber between buildings. Got to explore the tunnels with and engineer who spent years in the tunnel system. I have tons of great photos and even found some train cars submerged under water. We were told everything was removed after the flood when they allowed the scrappers down in the tunnels to clean them out, however there were areas they never got to. We went through a long process to get access including homeland security. I’m so glad I had the chance to explore
My dad was a plumber that helped build many of the high rises in Chicago. He told me about these tunnels many years ago. His knowledge of old Chicago was amazing. My grandfather was a plumber who helped build the Merchandise Mart.
@corey Babcock rich??? How so?? My dad was a tradesman. A worker.
In the early 1980's I worked for a communications company, located in the Marshall Field Annex Building, south, across the street for the Main Store. One of my projects was to construct a a huge battery backup for a new piece of equipment. Because of the weight of the batteries and the age of the building, they had to be installed in the third basement of the building. This was the level where the subject of the film, the old tunnels. Of course I was much younger back then and just had to explore them. It was quite impressive. They were laid out under all the main streets and all the intersections were marked accordingly.
@@offhandacoustic I’m starting to jump down the Tartaria 🐇 hole 🕳 the last year , I’m having a hard time realizing that it’s possible there is something HUGE they are hiding from us .
🙂 Wayne, you're preserving history just by commenting, thank you!
Everything counts. ✌️
@@offhandacoustic Do you live in the CIty depending on age, the tunnels are no secret.
@@offhandacoustic 😂😂😂
@@offhandacoustic Even though these tunnels are well-documented?
It is mind boggling to me that a city could simply throw away or abandon such a monumentally useful, widespread piece of infrastructure and relegate it to holding fiber optic lines here and there. I can't think of any city that wouldn't kill to inherit something this incredible.
Everyone too busy gang-bangin' to put a couple of trains down there.
Fantastic research and presentation. Thank you. What a crying shame this was disbanded.
That's Illinois for ya.
You're spot on. If they ever truly want to build cities that you don't need a car in. Underground freight railways like this are essential.
And I can tell you as an OTR truck driver. There's nothing I would like more than not having to deal with a big city like the greater Chicago land area.
Everything pretty much unloaded out in the sticks and a city where you can pretty much walk to everything you need.
if one can make money from 1 million cars but not from a single railroad owner -so ´guess again why
Excellent video, and I should know. I have walked and inspected every inch of the Chicago Freight and Trolley Tunnel System (CFTTS). I have walked literally hundreds of miles in the CFTTS, while almost always wearing steel-toed hip waders (some of the tunnels are partially or completely flooded). From about 2006 to about 2010 I worked as an engineering consultant for the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The CFTTS is filled with fiber optic cable, concrete encased high voltage power lines, and steam pipes. I imagine this tunnel system will be maintained for many years to come, because it is very useful in the Chicago Loop for the aforementioned utilities. I no longer live and work in Chicago, but I have a ton of interesting and fond memories of this tunnel system.
@@VanceT45 I recommend that you do not attempt to enter this tunnel system. Every entrance point, and some areas within the system, are continuously monitored because the system contains sensitive infrastructure. If you were caught trying to do this you would probably be charged with some significant crimes.
@@VanceT45 16:30 should tell you everything!
This channel is like Hayley's comet, it comes back every 86 years
10 years too many...for Halley's comet that is
“it’s been 84 years” old lady in titanic
Comet Bob was way better
Algorithm doesn't have much rhythm does it.
I remember when Great Lakes Dock and Dredge poked a hole in one of those tunnels and flooded the whole damn system, baements flooded, transformers shorted out, a real mess.
I was traveling in the burbs of Chicago that day. Epic!
That was Opening Day for the Chicago White Sox when that occured.
Was this about 20 years ago? Thay had fish swimming in the basement of the John Hancock
Accident my butt 🤣 they flooded them on purpose. Just like the underground cities in Minnesota that are 100,000 years old. They were absolutely fine until the 1940s and then they locked down the tunnels leading to the labyrinth city under Minnesota. Makes perfect sense. We can hide and be safe under there. And the government can't have that now can they
We do a little trolling
In 1918 my grandmother was 18. Her first job was to be posted in a tall tower of the Chicago rail yard and record the number of every railcar that passed through.
Modern day 'trainspotters' stand in awe. She probably didn't think it was so great at 20¢ an hour though, lol.
Women have always had the easy and safe jobs.
@@Right-Is-Right 🙄 I'd say maybe you'll outgrow it, but guys like you rarely do.
@@ptaylor4923based on username and profile I doubt it identity politics is crazy
If they ever make a 3D fallout in Chicago, I hope they feature these tunnels.
How could they? We have no original maps less alone maps from the miners who dug it so we honestly have no idea what's below us look into Waxahachie tx they about put in a super collider like Sweden but they basically kept it under wraps to the locals once everyone found out no one wanted the chance for a black hole lol.
Even regular fallout in Chicago would be awesome
Chicago is already in the post war Fallout timeline.
I hope they make Fallout: Chicago, that would so awesome
@@SUBARCTICPSYCHO It's an occasionally mentioned city in the modern games, and the only appearance it did make directly was in Brotherhood of Steel, which didn't even have the city itself, just a bunker.
So I'd say that there's more than enough room for Chicago in Fallout ;)
They'd be so interesting to explore!
They'd be dark.
Interesting to explore. Until you run into beetlejuice. In her living room.
What was flooded is now filled with concrete, when the hole was punched in to the tunnels while doing work in the Chicago river, the quickest way to plug the tunnel was pump concrete into it.
@Kabuki Kitsune not true, I was just down in them last February. They are used by Com Ed and other companies now.
@@gofastandwynn how’d you get down there? I love to go urban exploring and I’ve heard so much about this
The old Chicago tunnels played a prominent part in the 1997 science fiction horror film "The Relic". The idea of a terrifying monster hiding somewhere in that maze of dark tunnels was a good one. Some scenes of flashlights in those tunnels reminded me of that B movie. Really interesting history.
I have seen "The Relic" (a fun and cheesy horror movie) and I have inspected the freight tunnels adjacent to the Field Museum. The freight tunnels can be a little spooky, so I didn't like thinking about horror movies when I was working in them.
Sounds like it's based off the Minotaur and the maze.
@@function0077 The tunnel at the Field Museum is or was 12 feet instead of 10 feet like the rest of the system.
Being from Chicago, I’m hyped for this episode
Hello Tom, its Ryan here (new channel host) and I thought I'd mention that I'm also originally from Chicago so this topic was of personal interest to me. In the event that people like it. Especially people from Chicago, I have other videos in mind such as searching for Chicago's last yellow street sign, The lost street car network and the reversal of the Chicago river! Make sure you share this video with everyone from our home town!
@@KultAmerica I hope this video mentions the Deep Tunnel Project in passing (commenting before watching, shame on me)
@@KultAmerica There was a channel called "The Chicago Aussie" that did neat little Chicago videos for a while. You might like that content in case you're a little homesick. I certainly enjoyed his content when I moved away for a while.
@@KultAmerica I've known of the tunnels for a long time and I was geeked to see this too. BTW I was born in 1966 and although the electric busses were gone I still remember the overhead wires lasted for a few years before they took them all down in the early 70's. I'll bet there are still some remnants left on the underside of some overpasses.
The last yellow street sign! Yes, I'd watch that. I remember those and don't remember ever seeing them change them. Suddenly they all just magically changed to green.
Same
seems to me like this would be a good thing to get running again as getting delivery trucks into city centres gets harder every year
But I doubt those tiny tunnels can handle modern day freight
The tunnel system could be automated today.
There is a usable delivery tunnel under a lot of downtown Chicago. I've delivered down there. Probably not 40 ft. Down but you have to wonder about structural integrity. A tunnel on top of a tunnel.
@@AlexCab_49 tiny tunnels we rent out to Amazon? I can see it being a niche.
A few years ago a company was hired to seal a portion of the tunnel under the Kennedy expressway downtown. They pumped the tunnel full of concrete. The tunnel then swelled up causing a huge bump accross the expressway that sent cars flying. After a bunch of accidents the expressway was shut down for repairs causing a backup from Wisconsin to Indiana.
Reminds me of the time about a year after the tunnel flood when the Michigan Ave bridge suddenly popped up/open. My dad said that Chicago was the only place where rivers leak and bridges fall up. 😂
False
I was working as a trader on the Chicago Board Options Exchange the day the tunnels flooded. We lost power and had to go on backup. Within an hour or so, the powers that be decided to close the floor down for the rest of the day. Walking outside and just across the street, one could see divers in full deep water suits being lowered into the basements of the Chicago Board of Trade Building from an outside access shaft. I swear it was something I never thought I'd see anywhere except a movie. The crews they called in to patch up the hole that led to the flood were geniuses. They just kept pouring high pressure concrete of some sort into the hole until the whole leak was stopped. One of the many cool stories about growing up in and working in Chicago. Still a city with a million untold stories.
So they broke through the wall with a wooden pylon, and then waited for 6 months before working on it? They were basically asking to cause a flood at that point
Coming from a point of experience. I can explain the tunnels in one paragraph right now. Anyone who has done any underground work in the city of Chicago since the early 90s knows. Look up the great Chicago flood. The tunnels were first produced to move goods and supplies around downtown. Now the tunnels are used to run electrical, plumbing, in some areas is use to run steam pipes to office buildings. These tunnels also run under the Chicago River. They were replacing pylons and they broke into one of the tunnels, which produced the great Chicago flood
Have you been inside the tunnels?
@@ITSHISTORY yes I have. The tunnels that run under the Chicago River have been sealed shut. Most of the tunnels have city service is running through. I was in the tunnels in the late 90s 1997 to 1999
@@ITSHISTORY I've been in the tunnels that run under Uptown in the Lawrence and Broadway area.
@@peteroleary9447 how does one gain entry?
@@psychologicalsigma9917 you can't anymore
Wow this channel is back i’m surprised
It’s crazy that someone served 16 years out of a 25 year sentence just for trespassing in and exploring the abandoned tunnels of Chicago while real criminals in Chicago routinely get away with much more severe crimes like murder with little to no punishment.
Exactly. Makes me think that its not completly abandoned, whenever government overreacts about something this petty you know something is up.
The tunnel system is not abandoned. It is maintained by CDOT and it is off limits because it is filled with utilities (e.g. fiber optic cable).
Yeah, these are our tunnels (the people) not theirs (defacto gov agents) .
I remember when tunnels flooded. I was ion the Haz Mat Team with the Chicago Fire Department. Made a few visits to the tunnels. The water filled the tunnel and the drop shaft to about 10 feet below the lower basement of the Field Museum. The Conrad Hilton got water at around 7:00 am when the Building Engineers were changing shifts. The water was so forceful in the tunnel it blew the steel door of their access to the tunnel off it’s hinges. Luckily for them there was a concrete support in line with the flow that it directed the water down into the 3rd lower level basement and they were able to start pumps and were pumping for days up and out into the city sewer system. City Halls 2 lower levels were flooded for a week after the hole was plugged.
One of the many things that made Chicago unique. I heard about the underground tunnels on a PBS TV program back in the 90's.
I get more and more interested with Chicago’s history everyday. I’m one of those New Yorkers that love NY but the rail history around the Chicago area rivals no one but I still love the MTA.
Love this story. I worked at Montgomery Ward Corp on Chicago /Kingsbury, which ran along the river. They had sealed off their subbasement access so we never flooded. We could see all of the equipment in the river and on the bridge from the tower in which I worked. I've always been intrigued about the tunnels. Just fascinating. Thanks for great footage
Dallas Texas had a similar Tunnel system, except it was designed for full size train cars pulled by electric locomotives. Unfortunately, 95% or more of the tunnel system no longer exists, with the only accessible parts being the former loading/unloading stations in the basements of buildings. It's believed the the unique electric locomotive is still buried within the tunnels; however, thanks to many sections of the tunnels no longer existing, there's no way to find the trains, much less excavate them.
a man named Alfred Beech built a subway in Manhattan in the 1880s and has one car that is blown from one end of the tunnel to the other by compressed air. it's still down there and is accessible on occasion from the basement of a building on 3rd avenue, from what I've been told. Isn't there a subway in El Paso or Fort Worth made for the Tandy (Radio Shack) corporation?
@@lawrencelewis8105
*Beach
And his subway was completely dismantled, in 1871, after less than a year of operating. When the (now abandoned) City Hall subway station was built in the 1920s, it wholly incorporated Beach's subway within it.
Trains no longer run there, but (as part of an MTA tour) one can visit the station-and even find a plaque indicating where the Beach subway was.
Cincinnati built a large subway system that was never finished and sits abandoned today.
@@lawrencelewis8105 Actually, the tunnel was built by the predecessor building owner, a department store that built the tunnel and parking lots so trolleys took the patrons from the parking lot to the store in the tunnel. I think most of the tunnel is still in existence as I have seen several videos of it.
I wish America has infrastructure ambitions and engineering competence like this today
The structure shown at 6:23 is actually the Museum of Science and Industry, not the Field Museum. It is located in Hyde Park, miles away from any of the tunnels.
Thank you for this remarkably well researched and informed video. What a crying shame that these tunnels are no longer operational today.
I find it very interesting that the air was so pure. You’d think a system of tunnels deep under Chicago would be muggy and humid.
the power of geothermal energy. The temperature below ground, particularly in a colder region like Chicago, is about 55 degrees F year round. It's why root cellars are/were a thing. And quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the air _was_ humid, but at that temperature it can't hold very much moisture and would be quite dry once it came back up to surface temperature.
The air in the tunnels was even sold to cool theatres in summer. In winter, it was easier to warm the tunnel air for heating than to try to warm the outdoor air.
14:10
16:52
These train cars are still in the tunnel today, as well as rails still in the ground and even some signs. A sign can be seen at 15:56.
Rails can also still be seen in place at 16:36.
Those cars and only surviving locomotive were removed and saved by the Illinois Railway museum. They were in an elevated part of the tunnel under Grant Park which saved them from the flood in 92. There may have been a few cars hidden away in places but I can't see anything being left now after the flood and clean up of the tunnels. A couple flat cars were saved in the early 80's by IRM, they were found in a basent of a building being torn down.
@@boduke6073 The surviving loco and ash cars had been raised on the elevator for dumping the ashes and someone had stollen the copper wiring from the elevator with the elevator powered on, 600VDC.
I live in the building close to where the pilings breached the tunnel. I was not living there at the time the "leak" occurred but I was working at the Merchandise Mart, one of the buildings that was flooded. They had to close the building for a few days as the flood created havoc with the plumbing and HVAC systems. It was quite an adventure. I recall the terrible stench, and having to use porta potties on our floor, and seeing videos on the news of fish swimming in the basements of the affected buildings. The loop looked like a ghost town for several days. Sadly it took some buildings months to recover from the water damage.
I wish every city had underground freight railroads like this. The dream of having cities that you can walk to everything. Something like this would make a huge difference in the functionality of these cities.
DisneyWorld was built with below-the-surface connections for employees and trach removal, etc.
I remember that flood even though I was still in school and halfway across the country. I started university that year and was heading into IT. In industry-related publications there was discussion about changing the then common placement of server rooms, often in the basement of buildings.
In the movie THE BLUES BROTHERS you can see a bit of these tunnels.
Is that when Carrie Fisher shoots at the brother?
@@JasperJanssen Yes.
Right before they rush to the Bluesmobile and say: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit It!"
@@xaenon -- That tunnel was not anywhere near downtown Chicago.
@@gregb6469 that's what I thought too. I thought that they were pretty far away.
I remember going to a salvation army near the city, it had 2 floors and a basement. In the basement there was some renovating going on and one of the far walls was broken down. Behind it laid what looked like a tunnel. I was young and scared of getting in trouble from poking my nose where there was caution signs so I didn't... They covered up the wall but I know where the tunnel lays. I think about it sometimes xD
I'm a little late to the party but, just to add to this; with 1st hand experience. About 20 years ago, I was invited by an acquaintance from the car hobby to do some questionable exploration; I jumped at it. What we found was astonishing. To summarize: It seems that there is a tunnel that isn't on the map that connects Cicero to Chicago then down thru Bridgeview, Lemont and ends at a defunct business at the border of Crest Hill/Joliet; within eyesight of the Joliet Prison --- the same prison where they filmed the opening scenes from Get Smart & The Blues Brothers
That line also has a secret terminal at KAOS headquarters under Sox Park codenamed 'Kominski'.
I need to know more
In the classic film "Union Station" from 1950, there are a lot of scenes filmed in the tunnels.
I tried for years to get down there and i had access to some of these lower levers in the 90's. Never got in but i did see where some of the basements had connected to the tunnel. My last attempt was the IC train station at Randolph and Michigan. By the way, "highly Illegal" would have not stopped me from trying as it has not stopped people to this day. After the flood, most of the stores waterproofed there former tunnel entrances and made it impossible to get in. Still have the feeling that I would like to et down there.
Another thing, did you folks ever look into the legend that Capone and his boys used the tunnel to move booze back and forth from the south to north sides to avoid detection?
I lived in Chicago from 2000 - 2005 and my biggest dream was to go down there. However, after 9/11 the legal risks were way to high !
@@ITSHISTORY Why is it we are drawn to places we are not supposed to go like flies to a light? I doubt in 2000 you would have had much success. It was 9 years after the flood and by then most of the Loop buildings had made there tunnel connections completely sealed off. Although, some of the building engineers said that with a little effort one could remove a few things and still get in the tunnel. It was very difficult to get anyone in management or ownership to talk about the tunnel. It was a taboo subject most of the time. Getting anyone in City Engineering to talk about it was impossible. Most claimed they knew nothing about it, which was not true. This was one of the best videos I have ever seen. Informative, complete, but it would have been maybe better if they went a little more into the politics. Like who supported it what years and who was behind them. However, I am sure information like that would be very difficult to get. If you have an interest, try and find some info on the Deep Tunnel Project. Still being built 100's of feet below ground and most Chicago folks know nothing about it. It is one of the largest projects in US history, totally out of site, kind of secret, and difficult to get detailed info on.
@@dbeaus a myth
@@theemagog7859 Interesting you say Myth. The flood was no myth and the millions of dollars in damages was no myth. As I said, you could see the sealed up entrances in some of the buildings and there are still many people alive who worked in those tunnels. Perpetrating a myth is done usually for a reason. What reason could they have to prolong a myth like this?
When miles of underground tunnels can only be accessed by a single entrance under City Hall and all unauthorized people are severely punished, that's when you know your city is being run by Vampires.
Excellent and fascinating video! A great documentary reviving a bit of nearly forgotten history. Thanks for doing this. It was very enlightening. There is a whole "other world" in Chicago's underground tunnel history! ~ Victor, CHAP
Your image of the Field Museum is actually the Museum of Science and Industry.
At the time, it actually *was* the Field Museum! The Field Museum moved into their current building in 1920.
@@GregoryLindsey1979 The MSI building itself hasn't moved since it was built for the Columbian Exposition though, and the tunnels definitely never went that far south
(+I once spent several hours looking through old World's Fair maps to try and find where the field museum (building) was located, only to find out that it was in the MSI building all along... :l )
@@Trusty125 That's a very good point, I hadn't considered that.
I wouldn’t doubt The MAFIA used these Tunnels back then lol.
My first thought was a lot of hanky punky went through these tunnels
Born here in '58 and I'm still living in this great city. The Green Mill tavern has a tunnel leading to the Aragon Ballroom, a place I've seen near 100 concerts starting in '73 :) It's rumored A. Capone used that tunnel during prohibition. Think it goes to the Riviera Theater too... all in a few blocks distance of one another.
Downtown has many pedways too. I loved taking them from my law firm job, to the courthouse and/or Marshall Field's on State St. all underground, esp. in winter or rainy days.
I’m sure “The Outfit” is more than familiar with these.
Fantastic video
I lived in Chicago about 30 years ago. I was a regular at a jazz bar in my neighborhood, if I remember correctly, it was called something like.. the Green Mill? Anyway, the bartenders always told me there was an ancient tunnel entrance behind the bar, that lead to a labyrinth under the city. They never let me go down there to explore, so I never knew if they were bullshitting or not. Maybe it was true? ;)
Yes. That's true. Old school mobster bar.
I loved the City of Chicago, it has rich culture and traditions. I'm sad to see it go down in recent years.
Down in recent years? The city is going through a building boom. Thousands of people are moving to Chicago. Rent and property values are sky high. Almost all of the top schools in the state are in the city. Quality of life is great. The city has vastly improved from where we were 20 years ago.
@@obosumba I’m not talking about some new buildings being built. Historically most places improved along with development. Also, people are moving out from Illinois, consequently I doubt if others are moving to Chicago in big numbers. Having said that, Illinois is one of the states where more people are moving out than moving in.
The channel is back!! A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
I've been in one of the Al Capone tunnels! Those tunnels all over are amazing. Our Deep Tunnel is pretty outstanding too. ❤️😉❤️
@Anita Martini show me plz thx...
@@tan45 I wish I could but it's not accessible anymore as far as I know. There was a tunnel attached to the Green Mill, a club he frequented but they don't let anyone go into that one.
YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!!! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This event made my career - we had set up a DR site the week before - just across the street in 440 S LaSalle - a demo. But when they shut off the loop grid that was the only building w power and we ( our client ) was the only firm trading from Chicago that day. High speed (9600 baud !! ) modems to NYC.
I worked in the Board of Trade in 1991. It is across the street from the Federal Reserve Building. Maintenance kept telling us we were ok, because of the various levels of basements. We kept hearing rumors about the City Hall. Then one hour later, I was told to leave my office immediately. We had clients in that day. The electrical vaults were breached. I heard a rumor they directed the water to the available portions of the Deep Tunnel System South. Back then we learned how to work remotely, minus internet. I had a early version of a laptop, I took home that day. Trains ran as they came in, no schedule. Unbelievable how this happened. Thanks for another great bit of history.
Just moved here to go to college, great to see the city I grew up visiting from a suburb is getting some historical appreciation
You know what would’ve been interesting to explore in Chicago? The H H Holmes nightmare building of death.
oh shit, is that the murder hotel? _The one we have a blueprint of?_
The site of the original building is now a USPS in Engelwood. BUT...the original basment is still there!
wow, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed that video. so interesting.
IT'S ALIVE
Welcome back team!
What’s amazing is that the first 16 miles were excavated in secret. Crews would dig under cover of darkness operating from the basement of a saloon.
My first company’s office building was once connected to this network. We explored the basement once, but unfortunately the entrance had been bricked over.
I wish people would build inspiring things like this today, instead of bullshit software. These things were built by better men, in an era with better values.
I used to work as an engineering consultant for the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and I have inspected the entire tunnel system. Which building did you used to work in?
Late 50d early 60s, me and boys entered the tunnels at Polk street with candles and poles with nails to fight those sewer rats. Went many times spooky and fun
@@function0077 It was around Wells and Van Buren
@@sosaysthecaptain5580 Cool. I am very familiar with that part of the tunnel system and the buildings above. I worked a number of years on the 19th floor of the 175 West Jackson building.
4:05 ”electronic trains”?
The first to use wireless microchip technology and GPS.
Utility and communication cables were a main part of the 1991 disaster. Cables went from the tunnels into buildings that were otherwise not part of the system, When the watar came rushing through, the seals around the lines blew out, allowing the water into more buildings than were really connected to the system. I was part of a government team that handled the immediate issues of the event. More than 90% of building were cleared for reoccupancy after the first week but building owners and managers kept them closed for much longer.
Great video!
Very interesting video.
Thank you very much. 😎👍
Nice to see you back. I for one missed these. Thanks
... i think in time of trafficjams these kind of tunnels can get more interesting again... automated cars can bring the deliverybay of big stores, hotels, restaurants, etc out of the center... means no trucks blocking streets for delivery...
And outside the center can be a good hub to unload trucks.
This feels like it could be an awesome base for an arg
im in chicago someone wanna take me on a tour ? ive always ALWAYS wanted to explore underground cities but had no idea there were some in chicago, sooooooo cool
Great setting for a video game. Been here my whole life never knew about these tunnels
I find it interesting that this is compared to Elon Musk's idea. Since the thing that killed it was basically a lack of use, since it was easier and cheaper to use conventional above ground methods. This exact thing is likely to happen with Elon Musk's tunnel system. It's not compatible with all cars, it would likely cost money (as opposed to driving for free on roads above) and it may not actually save that much time overall. So it will likely suffer a lack of use.
Many of my fellow IBEW local 134 brothers have worked in those tunnels..Even at the time when the tunnel failed and the city had a big flood
I love videos like this about the history of places.
Love your videos, Wabash and Erie Canal would be one I would love to hear a deep dive into. I live and fish in Indiana and frequently come across unusual geographic monuments to it that are almost unrecognizable now
Sounds good!
I know it's a long shot, but having been born in Omaha, NE, and then living in Chicago for almost all of my adult life - sans the 2 years I spent in Seattle and Tucson in my mid 30s (between 35 and 36ish) a few years ago - I'd love to see some historical videos on Omaha. There are some odd parallels between the cities, and word on the street is that Omaha used Chicago as its city planning model. I know a really good Omaha sleuth/historian who has dug up some really cool information; I'd love if my beloved birthplace got some internet love.
Ive worked in one of the buildings that was connected they walled off both ends of the tunnel in the building but the station is in the basement for coal and goods delivery and the boilers are there i have pics amazing honestly
Thanks for this, it was fascinating.
Good to learn some new things about the city I grew up in!
Excellent presentation. Polished, professional and enlightening.
Being from Chicago while watching this is very exciting
Chicago is a very great place I'd you're into history and old architecture, My grandpa worked there years ago.
Amazing times we live in where everybody has a video camera in their pocket! Makes you wonder how much pure gold you'd be missing out on, if not so!
Could you imagine when city council first learned about this YOU BUILT WHAT! …WHERE!! HOW MANY MILES!!!!
This is a great idea to move goods under cities. Relieving busy streets of delivery vans and trucks today.
60 miles of covered cycle way
Could you imagine!
never would work
I would love to find these and explore them
me too
There is a tunnel running under Pensacola Bay in FL that once connected two forts. Might make an interesting story for you.
What surprise that I was in Midwest over 30 years but never heard about such magnificent monument before!
Great presentation.
19:27 I think Chicago is still America's primary rail artery?
Wow. 16 years for trespassing? And my ex got a couple weeks for multiple drug charges including distribution, credit card fraud, and domestic assault in the presence of a child. In the dozen or so times he’s been in and out of jail in the last few years, I guess he’s lucky he only assaulted women and sold meth and heroin and didn’t trespass 😂
They don't want anyone asking questions and figuring out what is really being trafficked in those tunnels and it aint drugs or weapons. Why do all the tunnels connect to major buildings and city hall? Every major city has these underground tunnels. Something isn't right here.
very cool story, well told. interesting.
Great documentary! It would be amazing to explore these tunnels!
Ah, Chicago. Where trespassers get 20 years in prison but the mayor can break federal law and destroy an airfield on a whim and violent criminals are given a slap on the wrist.
Chicago is actually a stunningly beautiful city, , , , , when you're not being shot at.
You can get shot anywhere Chicago isn't even ranked that high for that.
@@mbsnyderc OK, you go take a walk at about 8pm in the Englewood or Austin neighborhoods and let me know how it works out for you.
Chicago ranks 26th on the list of most violent city's Lubbock Texas ranks 24th Odessa ranks 23rd Beaumont Texas 21st you go for a walk there.
@@mbsnyderc I DID, and the people feared me as I strolled down the boulevard.
@@theturdcurd2382 No they didn't.
Wow! You taught me something new. Thank you.
i work at the riviera theater and it has tunnels that connect it to the green mill, the uptown theater, and the uptown lounge, I think some of them are blocked from actually passing through but the tunnels are still there.
A 16 year sentence for wanting to see part of Chicagos history?? But wannabe gangsters get a slap on the wrist when they jump you. . . see, this kinda insanity is why ppl are moving away from Chicago
I’ve also heard of tunnels that go from like Cicero Avenue all the way to the lakefront during World War II they were moving tanks and other types of vehicles to ship off to war
A literal underground railroad. I wonder of there were ever train car robberies, under chicago. Imagine shipments of Tiffany being picked clean by bandits.
The Milwaukee Road freight house on the south side of the tracks just east of Des Plaines Avenue had Chicago Tunnel Company tracks in its floor. The building was gone, but for many years, the floor and track were sitting there, exposed.
Less than a fortnight ago I checced this channel for updates, great to see the return!
Wow! Fascinating & historic. Thank you.
As a Saul Bellow fan I love this.