Underground tunnels in Portland

[Haeve]

Some days back another local person posted on another thread - I don't remember which one - a news link recounting an horrific accident that befell a Portland area man in January. He walked into his backyard - the ground opened up under his feet - and he fell into a forgotten, underground, water-filled cistern 35 feet deep, where he drowned. (Truly the stuff of nightmares.)

It happened about five miles SW of downtown Portland - an area that has been buiit up for a long time. It is easy to forget that the suburbs west of downtown Portland were all once farmland.

That said - LE has done numerous ground searches in the area of the Skyline School, and if Kyron had wandered off and met a similar fate, he would have been found.

[P.S. Can someone direct me to instructions on how to upload links?}

Here's the link to the post you mentioned:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5434940&postcount=410"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - *~* Questions for our locals *~*[/ame]

 

[funknut]

That said, I think what little is there is true, it's just that us Oregon editors are sticklers for citing everything in articles, hence the tag. And yes the link to the Oregonian article works, but it's from the Wayback Machine. The Oregonian unfortunately puts everything into a paid archive, a phenomenon we call "O-Vanish".

You could definitely work in some more of the conspiracy theory into the article if you can word it cleverly and cite a reliable source. Citing verifiable sources is an ongoing battle on wikipedia as a whole, and not just unique to Oregon topics. Unfortunately, I see a lot of unnecessary ASD (articles for speedy deletion) occurring on perfectly relevant articles, with the reasoning of unverifiable sources, regardless that the sources are perfectly verifiable. Quite few sticklers will use ASD rather than try to improve an article.

 

[Haeve]

You could definitely work in some more of the conspiracy theory into the article if you can word it cleverly and cite a reliable source. Citing verifiable sources is an ongoing battle on wikipedia as a whole, and not just unique to Oregon topics. Unfortunately, I see a lot of unnecessary ASD (articles for speedy deletion) occurring on perfectly relevant articles, with the reasoning of unverifiable sources, regardless that the sources are perfectly verifiable. Quite few sticklers will use ASD rather than try to improve an article.

I wouldn't word it cleverly, I'd just tell the truth, as the sources tell it, and cite it. For the rest. Yeah, I haven't checked my edit count lately but I'm one of the top 500 editors, so you're preaching to the choir. Cheers!

 

[wenwe4]

Underground tunnels and caves were often inhabited by the Chinese railroad workers in southern Idaho as well. Near the Twin Falls area (where Evil Kneivel attempted to jump the canyon in the mid 1970's), the courthouse used to have displays of the Opium flasks that were intricately handcarved, they had found in the tunnels, caves, and canyon floor, left behind by the Chinese rr workers. (Just a little trivia about tunnels)

 

[boggled_in_ohio]

please forgive me if this has been discussed. For some reason my SEARCH function will not work on this site, is there any particular reason for that? Every time I try to search , i get a message saying I do not have access to that area or something to that effect.

Anyway, I just wondered if any searchers have ever looked for Kyron in a place apparently called the Shanghai Tunnels?? I just saw a show on Travel Channel I recorded earlier and it was about these chambers/tunnels beneath the city of Portland, Oregon. I had no clue they existed even! It really creeped me out watching this show and I kept thinking the whole time, that sure would be a "good" place to hide Kyron. Do any locals know about this place? Is it easily accessible to the public? Do vagrants live down there? Or are they totally abandoned/sealed off? What's the story? And did LE search there at all?

 

[loves2bmom]

Sometimes the search function doesn't work for me either...some days it does. :SHRUG:

The tunnels were discussed briefly in the locals thread but maybe someone can add more info here too.

The tunnels, which mostly exist in the Old Town part of downtown Portland have been mythologized out of proportion. They are mostly the basements of old buildings that were connected. Also possible tunnels between hotels and brothels, speakeasies--this was all in the early 1900s. So no, no tunnels of this sort in suburban Portland AFAIK.

ETA: This article sucks, but it's a start. Shanghai Tunnels

 

[dorothyz]

I don't know that much detail about them, but I do know they give a really hokey tour of the underground part (a lot of class field trips go there). Because of that, I would think there is someone keeping an eye on them and that they aren't just open to anybody, but I'm not sure.

 

[boggled_in_ohio]

I'm glad to know its just not me being "snubbed" of the search feature, lol. That's why I rarely start a new thread because most times it gets deleted/moved because it was redundant (which I understand, I'm not griping). Anyhow, I find the underground tunnel thing interesting. There aren't any tunnels UNDER Skyline by chance are there?? That would explain one way Kyron left the school "Unseen"! (by a stranger OR by TH) . Or could TH have driven him to a tunnel? She watched a lot of CSI reportedly. I can see her knowing about something like that and utilizing it to her advantage... As usual however I'm probably beating a dead horse and barking up a wrong tree and all those other analogies. However I didn't see a thread discussing it so thought I'd bring it up.

 

[21merc7]

boggled;

I think it is a great idea, also any large utility type ground things, you know, water well, telephone cement things, what have you.

I don't think LE can just search everything and everywhere. So it would be kind if a few locals could volunteer with the help, and advance notice to LE, maybe one LE at least on site, to help do this. A lot to ask of locals and LE, but it is a more reasonable idea than just woods, and it is quick, quick as Kyron was swept up.

Excellent question, wish I lived there, I would do it alone like a big dummy! Please no locals go alone, tell LE, get a friend, cameras, video, anything to help you not be a suspect, but look if you can. Go in groups, not alone. JMO as always.

 

[T-Rex]

LE used that as an example of a useful tip: Some people called in about some tunnels nearby, where they used to play, as children.

 

[BringKyronHome]

LE used that as an example of a useful tip: Some people called in about some tunnels nearby, where they used to play, as children.

I think that example was of old train tunnels though...I don't think they are the same tunnel system.

I wonder how close those tunnels get to the Skyline area????

 

[freefallzzzz]

I think that example was of old train tunnels though...I don't think they are the same tunnel system.

I wonder how close those tunnels get to the Skyline area????

The only tunnel I am aware of in that area that is very near the school is the Cornelius Pass Rail Road Tunnel.
There is a map I did earlier up in the thread that Kimster posted.

I can tell you from personal experience =(, they KNOW when you are in THAT tunnel as they have thermal cameras in there and maybe even around that area..
The DBF is a huge railroad buff and we go exploring a lot..

This site is a resource we use for railroad locations (active and abandoned) which includes tunnels

http://www.brian894x4.com/AbandonedRRmainpage.html

 

[boggled_in_ohio]

Mods- thanks for moving/merging my post. I really apologize for starting a new thread when it was discussed here. I sure wish I could make that search function work. I will try to just post replies to already existing threads so as to not make more work for you moderators.

I can see by reading this thread that its not likely that the tunnels are a place where Kyron could be. I didnt know there were cameras in them! It's too bad Skyline didn't have cams =(

 

[SkeeterWI]

Bumping this discussion.. after I read this thread earlier in the summer, I wondered if this was key to Kyron's disappearance.. Red herring or not.. after today's press release, I think it's worth another look.

 

[Billylee]

And I still want to know if they ever searched Rainbow Lake. It is something like 5.8 miles away from the school and IIRC the grid search only went to 5 miles from the school (not counting Sauvie Isle of course.)

 

[scandi]

I had posted this the night or day after Kyron went missing..

I don't believe he is in here as this is an active railroad but it is interesting about the people arrested..

map of tunnel is posted on first page of this thread

<snip from Washington County Sheriff Website>
dated Jan '09

What Does "No Trespassing" Mean to You?
Groups of People Just Don't Understand

There's a railroad tunnel that begins a little west of where NW Rock Creek Road joins NW Old Cornelius Pass Road; it's east end is in Multnomah County. The railroad and tunnel are the property of the Portland and Western Railroad Company. The tunnel is clearly marked with several "No Trespassing" signs — the signs also advise that there is video surveillance in the tunnel. About a year ago, a fire caused about a quarter million dollars damage in the tunnel.

Deputies recently responded to a call that there were six people in the tunnel. They found two adults and four juveniles — the adults were lodged in the jail and the juveniles were arrested and processed for Trespass I.

Soon after this incident, another call came in that there were six people in the tunnel. These people were all adults and lodged in jail for Trespass I. The very next day, there was yet another arrest.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/cgi/sonews/letter.pl?searchstring=jan09

Free, I just had to give a special thank you for this post. Researching the tunnels in Forest Park and thanks to you finally found the RR tunnel you guys are talking about.

Where's that Hi-Fiv'er :hand:

 

[scandi]

The only tunnel I am aware of in that area that is very near the school is the Cornelius Pass Rail Road Tunnel.
There is a map I did earlier up in the thread that Kimster posted.

I can tell you from personal experience =(, they KNOW when you are in THAT tunnel as they have thermal cameras in there and maybe even around that area..
The DBF is a huge railroad buff and we go exploring a lot..

This site is a resource we use for railroad locations (active and abandoned) which includes tunnels

http://www.brian894x4.com/AbandonedRRmainpage.html

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I'm interested if they have or will check with camera equipment this area with these drainage pipes at the entrance of the train tunnel right before you enter there's a hillside
Corneilius pass rd. There's large drain tubes that drain down from Skyline school
area and down the roadway.
I don't know if this is where this early lead was or not.I am very intersted in these drainage pipes.What if little Kyron is in these pipes.It botheres me alot his little body or now bones can be stuck in there.It's not fair to him to keep him in there if he is and not check.

 

[freefallzzzz]

I'm interested if they have or will check with camera equipment this area with these drainage pipes at the entrance of the train tunnel right before you enter there's a hillside
Corneilius pass rd. There's large drain tubes that drain down from Skyline school
area and down the roadway.
I don't know if this is where this early lead was or not.I am very intersted in these drainage pipes.What if little Kyron is in these pipes.It botheres me alot his little body or now bones can be stuck in there.It's not fair to him to keep him in there if he is and not check.

I've looked for information about this drainage pipe and cannot find anything?

If anyone finds anything out please post, I'm curious.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/06/kyron_horman_chronology_of_eve.html

This was an early lead on June 4.

10:44 p.m. A caller to 9-1-1 wants to make sure officers have checked the train tunnel in the area near the school. She says "sometimes kids play in there, wants to make sure someone has checked that."



Where is this tunnel?How far away from the school is it?Walking distance?May I please ask if someone has a picture of it?