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Post by fireball on Nov 10, 2019 17:52:41 GMT 8
Leaving aside any complications from possible asbestos it would be relatively easy to mark out a safe trail through a fairly restricted part of the interior. The complications arising would be of course visitors jumping barriers or making arrangements with any caretaker for 'private tours' (and of course any side business arrangement any caretaker may make with scrappers or for salvage). But even if no internal access was possible just looking at the outside from a boat or even from ontop of the structure is impressive. Getting on board can be a problem with any sort of waves but then at the moment the boat (and as EXO points out the outriggers of the Banca are not ideal) comes straight on to concrete and no step up so that could be made easier quite easily. Indeed, with a wood landing area with steps swimming from boat to steps would add to the visitor experience. Can't ever seeing it being an economic venture rather more one for a non-profit foundation or national pride and even then reliability of boat transport and realistic pricing would be crucial. Or, leave it the way it is and for those who want its there to visit.
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Post by cbuehler on Nov 11, 2019 11:07:45 GMT 8
Wonderful to hear from you Fireball! He is the one who made a fantastic photo record of our visit to Ft. Drum, bringing along his small inflatable raft for exploring the flooded lower level. I can excuse him for being more optimistic with regard to admitting visitors, as an inveterate explorer, however I really don't think it possible to any degree at all with safety. If this fort were to be somewhere else in our often overly reactive world, it would have been condemned long ago, and likely demolished entirely. The Only the Philippines lack of financial resources (and interest) has saved it thus far from ultimate destruction. I must reiterate that there are still live 14 inch projectiles still within on the bottom level. I cant recall how many remain that were partially accessible or visible (at least a half dozen) and perhaps there more now completely buried beneath rubble. Problem is that some of these are fuzed, which makes them potentially much more dangerous than the ones that are not. Even though some are partially submerged, none appeared corroded enough to render them inert. I honestly believe that the best for the fort would be to seal it off, thus possibly prolonging its future.
CB
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Post by jayveedr on Nov 20, 2019 21:25:50 GMT 8
Hello everyone! Sorry for the late response, I've been busy recreating the floor plans of Fort Drum so I wasn't able to give proper thanks to everyone's responses I went with the monument direction and made it a "landmark" on the sea (seamark hehe), but I took a more ambitious approach of installing a statue on top that resembles a sentinel guarding the gates into the city. Here's my progress: (deviantart) p.s. How do I properly attach images to my post?
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Post by fireball on Nov 24, 2019 12:35:14 GMT 8
Hi Jayveedr
Not sure if you have actually visited Fort Drum but if not you need to do so as even a boat trip around the outside will be of value. Fort Drum is a unique, large and very impressive piece of engineering which does not need a statue on top as that would not improve the site but rather detract from what is actually there.
If you are thinking along the lines of a sentinel guarding the city then what about a figure rising from the sea as there are shallow areas within the bay which would make this quite feasible and that would indeed be striking and it could link into Fort Drum as tourists could take the roundtrip boat trip encompassing both sites. Just be careful to make sure its quite a few mile out to sea from Roxas Boulevard as otherwise the next thing you know it will be in the middle of the next SM Mall.
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Post by cbuehler on Dec 15, 2019 23:27:39 GMT 8
As Fireball mentioned, a trip to actually see the fort would be a must. Also, I think everyone would agree that a statue would be very inappropriate and the fort would be best left as is.
CB
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