This project was going to require a lot more work. The spiral staircase was totally rusted out and unusable. Fifty years of neglect had taken its toll.
The stairway would have to be completely redone. That’s okay. Mr. Sims loved his new project and looked forward to restoring it to museum-grade authenticity.
The Final Touches
Upon consulting with an engineer and some contractors, Mr. Sims decided to widen the entry space since it was going to be completely rebuilt and reinforced anyway. Things were really coming together. The hatch looked brand new. But before descending, he took a couple more precautions.
First, he had the crew install an electrical wire to power a light bulb inside the shelter. He also had them install a black pipe that would serve as an air tube.
All Systems Go!
Finally! The day he had been waiting for. With the hatch secured, reinforced and rebuilt, entering the underground vault was now safer than a Fantasyland ride at Disney. There was nothing preventing him from climbing on in. He felt like a little boy again, playing in the backyard. He jumped on in. But, honestly, he held some doubts and fears of a big letdown.
“I kind of thought it might have been a real cheap job like a storm drain just thrown in to the yard with the little bit of the steps of something,” he admitted, “but it turned out to be a lot cooler than that.”
A Way in
The entrance to the bomb shelter was so dilapidated alternative measures became necessary. To get down into the space below, there was no other alternative.
Mr. Sims inserted a ladder down into the deep entrance. The workers were going to need a way in anyway to do the necessary repairs inside the shelter and to rebuild the stairway.
The Long-awaited Descent
As Mr. Sims descended the ladder, the excitement he contained was palpable. Learning of the possibility of this historical relic existing on his property was the reason he bought it, it was the final selling point. And now he was ready to see what sort of value it held. Step by step, he entered, thinking about the significance of this bit of history buried away for over a half century.
His foot stepped off the last rung and he was in! Immediately, he thought it looked beautiful. It was completely empty. There was an arched entrance to the circular shelter area. It could have been much worse. Though he was really hoping it was going to be a functioning fallout shelter stocked with water cans, radiation detectors, supply boxes and other vintage bomb shelter items, it was in great shape. This piece of history was definitely a fallout shelter, and it was definitely his.