5100: An Urban Explorer's Magazine Published
Edmonton explorer Reduxzero (of http://www.drainsofmycity.org) and associates released the first issue of the zine 5100 this January. The name comes from the diameter, in millimeters, of the largest known drain in the city. Printed with a colour cover, the premiere issue features high-quality photographs and articles on exploring storm sewers, construction sites, basements and steam tunnels. More information on the zine, including ordering information, can be found at the 5100 website (http://5100.ca/).
New French "Wood and Clay Diet" Derailed by Teen Tresspassers
Also in January, a man lost for weeks in a cave system in southwest France was found by local teenagers trespassing in the caves. The lost man, Jean-Luc Josuat-Verges, had left his home in mid-December after telling his wife he was depressed and wanted some time alone. After becoming hopelessly lost in the caves, he sustained himself by eating wood and clay for 35 days before his Jeep was stumbled upon by the teenagers, who alerted the police.
Acme Steel Salvaged
An unlikely crew of environmentalists, retired steelworkers, historians and others operating under the name Chicago's Steel Heritage Project have successfully prevented the destruction of Chicago's last remaining steel plant, the long-abandoned Acme Steel (aka Acme Coke) complex. After purchasing the rights to the building from a scrap metal company for $250,000, the group plans to renovate the complex into a museum commemorating the steel industry in Chicago, taking a successful steel-plant-turned-park in Duisberg, Germany (http://infiltration.org/usufruct/archives/000150.html) as its model.
Explorer Conventions Planned
In 2004, Toronto hosted 60-odd explorers for a four-day exploration festival known to the world as Office Products Expo 1994, or OPEX 94. The event was a success, and general consensus was in favour of making a North American urban explorers' convention an annual event. After several rounds of submissions, voting, and polite bickering, a commitee of North American explorers has now decided that this year's follow-up convention will be held this summer in Montreal, Quebec. All explorers who are part of the community, please ask Montreal-based explorers for details.
In June, Europeans will be taking their first stab at an international urban exploration get together, which they've dubbed EUROPEX. The first annual European conference will be taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, a nation with the interesting quirk that it lacks laws against trespassing on private property. While the event is designed to minimize travel costs for Europeans, all explorers are welcome and no doubt many North American and Australian explorers will be in attendance. Ask Glasgow-based explorers for details.
China To Kick Canada's Ass
The Chinese city of Guangzhou has unveiled plans to build the world's tallest tower, thereby displacing Toronto's CN Tower, the current titleholder. The Guangzhou New TV Tower, to be completed by 2007 at a projected cost of $216 million dollars, will top out somewhere between 580 and 600 metres, depending on which final design is chosen, shaming the CN Tower by at least 27 metres.
Julia Solis Publishes "New York Underground"
After more than two years of torturing the English-speaking world, New-York-City-based author, photographer and explorer Julia Solis has finally unleashed an English-language edition of her October 2002 work, "New York Underground: Anatomie Einer Stadt". The new edition, fully titled, "Underground New York: The Anatomy of a City", was published by Routledge in November 2004. The hardcover, glossy book is filled with gorgeously gritty photographs and thoroughly researched history and information related to all aspects of New York subterranea, from abandoned subway stations to underground aqueducts. Details on the book and some sample photos can be found online at http://www.newyorkunderground.org; the book is available in most bookstores or through Amazon.com.
Discovery Channel Announces Airdates for "Urban Explorers" Show
The first three episodes of the much anticipated, much feared Discovery Channel show "Urban Explorers" will be showing on that the US version of that channel on Wednesays at 8pm, between 13 and 27 April. The show will feature an urban explorer, an engineer and two professional climbers performing in a variety of urban-exploration-type locations. Explorer Steve Duncan, of undercity.org and jinxmagazine.com, who appears as one of the stars of the show, says "The show is fairly history-oriented, which makes me very happy, and those who adhere to a UE code of ethics will be happy to know that no windows were broken, no locks were cut, and no animals were harmed in the making of this show," and adds, "Discovery would love to hear your feedback whether positive or negative; they should have a way of leaving feedback up at http://dsc.discovery.com/ eventually." (So far, no Canadian airdates have been announced.)
Others Announce Oppositition to "Urban Explorers" Show
In a related story, several explorers have voiced some fears and complaints about the upcoming show. Some fear the show will lack authenticity and misrepresent what urban exploration is all about, while others are more concerned about a sudden undesirable boost in the popularity of the hobby for the wrong reasons. Ninjalicious, of Infiltration, and Mr. Sable, of the Corrosion Project, have co-authored a press release/disclaimer they urge concerned webmasters to duplicate (or rewrite in their own words) on their own urban exploration websites beginning on 12 April 2005. The text of this disclaimer can be found at http://www.infiltration.org/discovery.html, or in plain text at http://www.infiltration.org/discovery.txt.
T-SHIRTS! T-SHIRTS! WE ALL HURT FOR T-SHIRTS!
After a two-year hiatus, we've finally managed to produce another batch of Infiltration t-shirts, this time in sizes other than medium! They're high-quality, heavy-duty, silk-screened shirts. With shipping they cost $20. To order one online with PayPal or a credit card, please visit http://www.infiltration.org/zine-paypal.html. To order one with cash, please visit http://www.infiltration.org/zine-order.html.
Call for Zine Submissions
Infiltration is emphatically encouraging submissions for our upcoming Military Leftovers issue. If you've got any good letters or tales relating to your adventures or misadventures in abandoned bunkers, missile silos, tunnels or fallout shelters, please e-mail them post-haste to ninj@infiltration.org and/or liz@infiltration.org. Thank you!
Old Issue
Infiltration #24, Stadia, was released last fall, and focusses on the many wonders of various stadia and arenas around North America. If you live on said continent, you can get a copy by sending $3 (US/CDN) cash to PO Box 13, Station E, Toronto, ON, M6H 4E1, Canada.
Thank you for reading Infilnews. We welcome your feedback and news submissions.
Sign up for Infilnews by e-mail.
Ethics
Infilnews