The Upper Vat Rooms
Making our way up the stairs from the lower level upwards we find ourselves walking up into the bright sunshine of day - as the room we entered was missing its roof. Just like the rooms below, this one also featured a collection of concrete tubs. But unlike the lower vat rooms these tubs were not laid out along rows but instead were pushed up against the walls of the room.
The Lower Vat Rooms
After leaving the cavernous room on the south end of the complex, we moved through a small doorway into a smaller single-story room. The room was lined by series of window and door openings and was rather well lit considering it damp and dingy appearance. Most notable, however, was the set of four large concrete tubs laid out in two rows in the center of the room. Our first thought was that these tubs were the cheese vats themselves, and that milk was curdled within them. But the room’s exposed brick and sandstone walls - along with its low roof and dirt floors didn’t seem to be a good environment for food production. These vats must of been used for something else.
The Stella Cheese Factory
When we had first stumbled across the vast complex of ruins we weren’t sure what we had discovered - but had assumed it was connected with the Baltic Mine in some manner due to its location. (check out our first exploration of the ruins HERE) It sure appeared to come from the mine - faced with a patchwork of sandstone and topped by a steel smokestack. But its layout and sheer size was something entirely different. This wasn’t a mere hoist building or dry house that we had discovered - it seemed more like a factory. It turns out it was.
The House
For so long have we been dwelling in the realm of industry and infrastructure here at Baltic that we have failed to appreciate a more humanized angle. For all we know these sandstone walls and concrete foundations could of been built by giants, aliens, or Gods - anything but the brittle and mortal man that we have come to know. But these epic structures were indeed built by men, and from time to time during our travels we are sometimes reminded of that simple but often overlooked fact. At Baltic it would be the discovery of remains from a simple house that would provide our much needed human perspective for the day.
Coal Trestle
After having taken some time exploring the remains of the Baltic’s compressor and boiler houses, we headed off into the woods to see what else we could uncover. It wasn’t long until we came across a looming concrete wall stretching along the hillside. Sitting about six feet in height, the concrete wall was backfilled to its top on its backside - creating a flat terrace along Six Mile Hill’s base. We thought it was perhaps another building foundation, but its length was far too long. To make matters even more confusing was something we discovered half-way along its length.