Starless Rivers

The intake tunnels are of the modern rectangular barrel conduits like shape. They are approximately 4.5-5.5 meters (15-18ft) high and 5.5-6.0 meters (18-20ft) wide. These tunnels were constructed in the late 1950’s. There were constructed to encaspulate the river further more, to make way for the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX) / Interstate 83 which is immediately overhead. The dry weather flow is channeled into the western conduit and always runs at velocity. Its not uncommon for the river to overflow into the center conduit during periods of heavy precipitation. The eastern conduit typically remains dry, except for small streams of water that leak out of the walls from the Interstate 83 above. During Baltimore’s flood of July 2016, the river was observed flowing into the Eastern conduit and wrecked havoc at the end of the central conduit prior to the first Junction Chamber.

Once you take the decision to enter into the Mouth of Jonesy, your senses will quickly be inundated by unworldly external stimuli. The world around you will quickly transform its self into a foreign unforgiving environment. The explorer will quickly realize, “Humans do not belong in here, this is a no mans land”. Your instincts are not far off as this is an area on earth that was not designed for human life. If you scream, no one will hear you. Jonesy will swallow your reverbs. The explorer may notice the most significant and immediate environmental change is the overwhelming acoustics that this part of earth  produces. At this point, you are positioned directly underneath of an Interstate. Shortly thereafter that the roar of diesel locomotives passing over the earth, 20 meters above your skull, penetrates your chest.

 AVOID on the left.

A strong steady wind sweeps the face of the explorer. The breath of Jonesy himself.  The natural barometrically-driven breathing of the tunnel. As air quality was one of the chief safety concerns of the explorer, this cool, dry & non-malodorous wind would provide a short lived psychological comfort of what lies down below.

As the explorer continues to push forward, the tunnel takes a gradual, slight bend to the east (bending left). The acoustics begin to change significantly. Which in turn just intensifies everything. The explorer would start hearing a dull yet overwhelming, roar that only increases in decibels as they get nearer to the source. Adrenaline glands running on full blast, the tunnel starts to straighten met with a swift downgrade. At this point, it is evident that the source of this noise is water that lies down at the bottom of this concrete downgrade. Depending on what lighting gear you have, you will notice there is an straight, divider at the bottom. The ceiling height begins to increase as the explorer travels down this decline, onward to the next section.

At the bottom of this decline brings the explorer to Junction Chamber 1 of this massive storm sewer. Known as, Triple Barrel Hall.  Its where the 3 barrel conduits/tunnels turn into 2 massive ones known as JFX Diversion Tunnels. It is estimated to be about 175-200meters deep inside.

Approaching Triple Barrel Hall, Junction Chamber I

The Mouth of Jonesy: Entrance
Jonesy’s Nares: Tunnel Section I
Triple Barrel Hall: Junction Chamber I
Penn Station’s Chasm Hall: Tunnel Section II
Goliath Chamber: Junction Chamber II
Hendrick’s Folly : Guilford Avenue Diversion Tunnel
Flume Chamber: Jonesy’s Last & Final Run

WARNING!!!
Many of the environments & areas presented on this website are hazardous, and were only entered on the basis of extensive training, experience and planning. Do not try to access these sites / tunnels / storm sewers , they should not be trifled with. The intent of these pages are to provide historical documentation. An explorer already risked their life, so that you can explore virtually from home… so stay safe, and stay away! Consider this neither a disclaimer, nor a recommendation.

“The Jones Falls below North Avenue enters closed conveyance and flows to Harbor. During periods of extreme flooding, ponding occurs at the upper end of the conduits and water flows overland down city streets to the harbor across the proposed rail alignment. ” – Baltimore Northeast Corridor Alternative Transit Improvements Volume II

This is the point prior to the Jones Falls River going underground. This stage that leads to the tunnels or conduits are much newer then the other old tunnels of the system. It was constructed to cover the river further more, to make way for the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX) / Interstate 83 in the late 1950’s which is immediately overhead. It appears to be designed to accommodate a massive volume of water. Its difficult to estimate how much water could fit in here but it does appear that it could serve as a cache or a loading zone of sorts prior to going underground.

Its quite expansive.The river is encapsulated or channeled via a massive 6+ meter (20 foot) retaining wall on its eastern side. At the widest point, just before the 3 concrete box like conduits, its width is approximately 40 meters (130 feet) across. The river is brought up onto a smooth concrete expanse. It almost resembles a staging area, in that the river has a chance to smooth and spread itself out before dumping itself underground. Once the river is brought up to the concrete like stage, the grade drops significantly (as we will frequently see in this tunnel system at these sort of transitional points). The dry weather flow is channeled into the western conduit and always runs at velocity. Its not uncommon for the river to overflow into the center conduit during periods of heavy precipitation. The eastern conduit typically remains dry, except for small streams of water that leak out of the walls from the Interstate 83 above. During Baltimore’s flood of July 2016, the river was observed flowing into the Eastern conduit and wrecked havoc at the end of the central conduit prior to the first Junction Chamber.




There was a number of consecutive years that a well established yet “Bum Colony” or “Bum Encampment” resided on the western shore of this infall stage. Without flat out stating this location, I like to call this general area the “Forgotten Triangle”. It really presents a sense of remoteness and isolation. Your pretty much in the center of an industrial urbania yet on the same token your very isolated. In this forgotten triangle of land that sits low and surrounded by high retaining walls. A perfect location for a squatter one can only presume. Years later nothing is left from this Bum colony except for loads of trash and a resident cat that always makes his presence known to you across the river way.

Imagine what this place must look like with 15-20,000 cubic/ft/sec loaded up in it. This is the last place a man would want to be.

https://youtu.be/3PHqw-1_pW0?t=1m18s

Jones Falls Conduit System
Jones Falls River Infall Stage
JFX Intake/Infall Tunnels
JFX Triple Barrel Junction Chamber
JFX Diversion Tunnels
Guilford Avenue Junction Chamber
Old Guilford Avenue Diversion Tunnel
The Original JF Conduits Proper

WARNING:
The intent of these pages are to provide historical documentation. Many of the environments & areas presented on this website are hazardous, and were only entered on the basis of extensive training, experience, research and planning. Do not try to access these sites / tunnels / storm sewers , they should not be trifled with.   The intent of these pages are to provide historical documentation for future generation.  An explorer already risked their life, so that you can explore virtually from home… so stay safe, and stay away! Consider this neither a disclaimer, nor a recommendation.