Re: How did they do that? 100 years ago.
#9
Good and interesting point 2010 (You are right it will be interesting to see what it looks like when it is emptied) and thanks for uploading the pic?s however; the one inlet pipe which is clay 5-6? round approx. comes from part of the house rainwater system directly from the roof gutter ?on part? of the roof and the other clay pipe we could call an outlet goes to a very well-constructed soak away next to the house, so whoever built this did it on purpose to circulate the water in the 9 foot circumference pond / sump or drain.
I can see where you are going and it?s only empty in the pictures because I am trying to get the fish out it?s normal retained height is just under those two pipes as you can see from the water mark, it maintains this height right through the summer months there is some evaporation but very little so if it was some sort of drain it does not work very well :) and/or it?s age has caught up with it but again will need to clear it out before I can confirm that.
Whatever it is the question is how was it constructed and why or how does it retain water? It housed 7 of my 18-24? koi for a short period of months whilst the bigger pond was built.
I am having a bit of a time with the baby koi at present and it is a battle of wits, got most of them into the big pond now but there is a group of very clever ones that burrow into the silt and gaps in the gravel when I go anywhere near the pond / sump / drain, trying hard not to stress them out but they are making life very difficult.
A few other points to consider this is right outside i.e. within 10-15 foot of the French doors leading into the house, I find it hard to imagine that a drain of this magnitude (it holds roughly 6500 Litres "as far as i know") question then is would it be built so close to the house itself and only service one piece of gutter, additionally; there is no lip for anything to sit on i.e. a lid the top edges are beveled and smoothed.
It has got me beat, looking at drain construction in the early 18-1900s now :)
Anyone else have any other suggestions?
Thanks
Paul