It’s an interesting phenomenon when abandoned skeletons of industry become endearing local landmarks. Part of the their appeal is that these ruins endure without human aid; in fact, they survive active hostility. So it’s a strange, sad feeling when these vestiges of the past succumb to natural causes.

This has been the case as Duluth’s Canal Park “cribs,” otherwise known as “Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum” or “The Duluth Ice House.”

There was quite a local tizzy a couple weeks back when the concrete pillar in front of the larger structure disappeared. Divers located the pillar under water.

Cory Fechner reports on Perfect Duluth Day that the whole works is now sinking. It seems unlikely survive the ice-out.

UPDATE: I’ve been had! As a comment writer here points out, the post is a hoax. But the Cribs is certainly beginning to sink. It’s just a process that may take years rather than weeks. Really, aren’t we all sinking?

In a way, it reminds me of how I felt when the city of Hibbing tore down the remains of the Dupont power house at Carey Lake. These mysterious reminders of the past bring more comfort than city planners often realize.