this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2023
86 points (97.8% liked)

What is this thing?

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No idea what this is or what the letters might be.

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[–] [email protected] 70 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's Latin.

It says "Don't dead open inside."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Was your house built on the site of a previous house?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

it actually was a street prior to 1954

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Okay. You said it was like ten inches down, so I'd guess it's probably not something related to your house, it's probably some bit of infrastructure from the old street. Which means we should be thinking in the realm of "outside municipal access covers", and not "something installed to make my house better".

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

10” isn’t all that deep. 4-6” slab with some subgrade. That’s 10” and would be about the depth for backflow preventers. Which that likely isn’t. But depth means nothing.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Uhhh was it a bombed out one?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What are/were the names of the local water, electricity, gas companies?

Either that or a prototype slime monster trap...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it's changed over the years. I'll check what it was back in the 50's

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can you try that thing where you put a sheet of paper over the letters and gently rub a pencil sideways over it, see if you get any more details on the letters?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Probably something like a sewer drain access point

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Don't open that! If you do, I'll know where the next pandemic began.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are there any wires attached that aren't in the picture? First thing I thought of was some kind of grounding device.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

looks likes it's just surrounded by dirt

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

...and nothing underneath?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

not that I've been able to see less I start digging

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

I would do that. Start on the side away from the bolts and see if that is a lid.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You don't have a call before you dig phone line in your area?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I would have to yes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that another cover lid with screws? The letters look like C U B E, though it could be a 6 and an 8 where I think it's C nd B

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Not sure it helps, but I fiddled with the levels & stuff to try to make the lettering clearer. Didn’t have much success, but I do see something that could be ‘co’ to the right:

Adjusted image

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No harm in spinning the bolts out I wouldn't think. If it's sewer maybe it's covering a conventional looking plug cap.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If it's pressurized there could be harm

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Especially if it is suage