They Drained This Canal For The First Time In Decades, And What They Discovered Is Truly Bizarre

The Canal Saint-Martin in Paris is one of the city’s oldest and most beautiful waterways, but the centuries-old four-and-a-half-kilometre canal is also one of the dirtiest and has to be periodically cleaned out.

City authorities recently drained and cleaned the canal for the first time since 2001, removing over 40 tons of debris in the process. But it wasn’t all beer cans clogging things up; thousands of artifacts were pulled from the muck, and they range from fascinating to downright bizarre.

The Canal Saint-Martin in Paris has a very rich history. Its construction was ordered by none other than Napoleon in 1802, designated to bring fresh water to the city’s rapidly growing population, and provided an avenue for commerce. In typical French fashion, the funding was procured through a tax on wine. But as the city grew, the canal was put under immense strain. Today, while still scenic, it has mostly become a watery garbage dump.

City authorities recently dammed and drained the canal for the first time since 2001. Workers descended into the canal bed to begin the cleaning process. So far, they’ve removed over 40 tons of debris and counting. It’s a bizarre sight for city residents; the water is still so low that you can practically walk across it,They found a lot of wine bottles, but there was a……Read Full Story Here…,…