The Coral Castle's Famous 9 Ton
Gate
This is the coral structure that started it all for me. The famous 9
Ton gate.
Made of a solid piece of coral, this block of coral weighs 18,000 lbs
and was positioned so perfectly that the touch of a finger could move
the entire block around one time.
Ed had somehow found the exact center of balance of the block, cored a
hole through the block, and mounted it on top of the bearings of an old
Model-T Ford to allow the gate to spin.
In 1986, the gate stopped working. A 20 ton crane was brought in with a
team of engineers. They attempted to fix the 9 ton gate, but could not.
It still does not function to this day.
More importantly than it effortless ability to spin was how Ed was able
to find the exact center in a piece of coral that was not perfectly
shaped, that spun around with less than an inch clearance on each side,
and how did he lift it there without any equipment?
Go here to learn more about the Coral
Castle
More pics to come.
Stay Tuned...
Michael Kohler
Coral Castle
Explained
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2009
Coral Castle Explained - All Rights Reserved
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