Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part II (Austin: housing, getaway)

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by Dwangle

I wish I had thought of that! Wasn't there a radio station that used to broadcast from the Tower?

Probably they had antennas up there but I don't recall whose.

[audreycpsa]

Originally Posted by satx56

A tunnel from the Majestic Theater to Olmos Park is extremely unlikely. Why on earth would there be? Weren't there two jumpers from the Tower?? One hit one of the light pedestals.

I used to work at the tower not long before it got renovated by landrys, anyways there is a security guard that has worked there like since its opened and he told me there were 2 people that jumped. One was a young guy that supposedly had a bad breakup therefore jumped off the observation deck, and thats why there are the metal guards. The second guy was a older man i was told and back then the part of the tower were the antennas are was open to the public, and he jumped off there, cant remember which one he said landed on the light pedastal, but i think it was the first one. he took me up to were the antennas are now and its really high, i cant imagine jumping off there, or any high place..for that matter.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by audreycpsa

I used to work at the tower not long before it got renovated by landrys, anyways there is a security guard that has worked there like since its opened and he told me there were 2 people that jumped. One was a young guy that supposedly had a bad breakup therefore jumped off the observation deck, and thats why there are the metal guards. The second guy was a older man i was told and back then the part of the tower were the antennas are was open to the public, and he jumped off there, cant remember which one he said landed on the light pedastal, but i think it was the first one. he took me up to were the antennas are now and its really high, i cant imagine jumping off there, or any high place..for that matter.

I'm quite sure there were two jumpers. Yes, I can't imagine the depths of depression required to jump!

[wCat]

Originally Posted by Dwangle

I have heard numerous tunnel stories but not this one. I personnally have never seen any tunnel connecting anything to anything. One tunnel story that I heard that I don't think has been mentioned in this thread is the one in King William that connects Charles Butt's house to the HEB main offices in the old Armoury. My sister told me this story but I don't even know which house Charles Butt owns.

Too Mitchpoo....Torcido and Grant are actually in Alamo Heights and at a much higher elevation than the adjacent Olmos Basin. It's conceivable that there is a well that flows in that direction, (following a spring and the natural Olmos Creek and San Antonio river course). A tunnel would require them to dig about 100 ft or more down, and then about 6 miles from Alamo Heights to the middle of downtown. A dry underground creek, creating a cavern is more likely...but as the water table rises and lowers it most likely is not used for any kind of passage.

Ironically this topic came around again just about the time I found an article in the EN in 1940, when some students were looking around the city for possible bomb shelters.

One similar tunnel is supposed to exist from San Pedro Springs to the Alamo (was this mentioned here?). The article mentions it, and the claim is that a cave or cavern exists at the beginning somewhere near SPS and the other end lies underneath the Crockett Hotel. The comment was similar that to pass through it, one would have to " lie on their stomachs sliding through water and meeting various water snakes" to make a successful passage. Again...it sounds like one of the many cave/caverns that lie under our city in the natural limestone and aquifer.

Man made tunnels mentioned were under the St Anthony connecting to St Mary's Street where their original electrical plant was located.

The walkway tunnel between the Smith Young Tower and the Plaza Apartments (Formerly the very posh Plaza Hotel).

The passage between St Mary Church and the Parochial School, that is now La Mansion.

The cave/basement under the "Manhattan Cafe" (Greek owners at the time) I don't know if this is currently Mexican Manhattan Restaurant.

Last mentioned was a cave under the Menger Hotel where they used to keep beer and spirits cool.

Since this article was 1940, those caves may now be basements or even abandoned. There are probably tons more that we don't know about.

I do know of several other well know passages under streets...ie...the basement level walkway from the Court House to the Federal Building under S Main. The basement level access from the Majestic/Nix parking under Houston Street to the building North of Houston (used to be a bank) and a basement passage between the Travis Street Parking to the adjacent office building on Navarro at Travis Park.

Also, St Mark's Episcopal Church purchased the old bank building adjacent and to the West. They have a basement passage that connects the two buildings that leads to the original bank vault where they store fragile documents.

So...there is a starter list of passages and tunnels/caves/caverns. Anyone KNOW of others for a fact that exist around town. Some may be nothing more than an extended basement.

[Dwangle]

"Ballad of the Thin man'" by Bob Dylan--Something is happening and you don't know what it is --do you? MR JONES!!

[GWhopper]

Someone earlier asked the question wasn't Maggie's Reid's Red Derby before it was Maggie's. Yes it was. Attached is an picture of it from when it was completed in 1973.

Not only did Janice Joplin sing there, there is suppose to be a famous picture of the Rolling Stone's having breakfast there. I've search the internet and couldn't find anything. If anybody else knows of it, please send me a link or post it here.

[blizzrd]

I'm waay too lazy to go through 151 pages of this thread....but I here are some things I remember and have fond memories of:

Rally's
Burger Boy? Something like that...my grandparents used to get us burgers from there...I think it was off Gen McMullen
Sambo's
Callaghan Twin theaters
TG&Y
Winn's
Some place that sold hot dogs and had an arcade off Ingram Rd...I think it was called JW Franks or something like that.
Po' Folks
Pizza Inn
GodFather's
Mr Gatti's - there was one on Callaghan and Babcock that would play old school cartoons in a little theater.

[janet1313]

It's as if one new building is going up, and many old building are being torn down. That's the circle of life. That's the good and the bad of this story. Janet1313

[chud]

Originally Posted by blizzrd

Burger Boy? Something like that...my grandparents used to get us burgers from there...I think it was off Gen McMullen

There is still a Burger Boy on St Marys Street, they make good burgers. I always pick up a "working man's special" if I'm in the area around lunch time. One of my favorite Tobin Hill amenities.

[GWhopper]

Originally Posted by blizzrd

Some place that sold hot dogs and had an arcade off Ingram Rd...I think it was called JW Franks or something like that.

That was GW Junior's. It's been covered extensively in both Gone But Not Forgotten threads. In summary, it was a business venture by Church's Fried Chicken.

Don't forget to add U.R. Cook's to the list!