Present Day
The Winston Tunnel still exists, although in a very isolated area, and in a very deteriorated condition. Nature has reclaimed the right-of-way; the fan house, unused since the 1940s and severely damaged by the elements, was demolished in early 2007; and the eastern bore, located on private property, has been almost completely sealed with earth.
The western half, however, was purchased by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a "satellite area" of Apple River Canyon State Park. The DNR installed a new steel gate to replace the chain-link fence covering the western bore, and is developing the area with nature trails and other improvements. However, the tunnel is currently off-limits to general public visitation, as it is a very dangerous place to visit, with the ever-present danger of further collapse and rattlesnake bite.
Read more about this topic: Winston Tunnel
Famous quotes containing the words present and/or day:
“We do not rest satisfied with the present.... So imprudent we are that we wander in the times which are not ours and do not think of the only one which belongs to us; and so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
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—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)