Crews Prepare For The Unearthing Of The Buried Belvedere

Tuesday, June 12th 2007, 4:30 pm

By: News On 6

The countdown has begun, just a few more days until Tulsa digs up a piece of the past. Friday at noon, crews will unearth the buried Belvedere. Workers got a jump start getting the 5th and Denver site ready. The News On 6â€™s Heather Lewin reports crews started moving dirt Tuesday morning, the goal is to clear away enough to expose the vault, and then they'll work on the seal to get ready to see what's inside.

Only one car will be allowed on the south side of Denver until the weekend, one that hasn't seen the light of day for 50 years. Crews closed off half of the street Tuesday morning and began to dig.

â€œWe are opening up the site completely. We've had to remove some sidewalk,â€ said Tulsarama chairwoman Sharon King Davis. â€œIt's kind of exciting."

For project organizers and onlookers, this is the first glimpse of real action in the highly anticipated unearthing of the 1957 time capsule.

While the general public can catch a glimpse of these early preparations, seating is limited to a select few when the car is actually unearthed, but organizers say that doesn't mean you won't be able to share in that moment.

Friday at noon, they'll pull the car up, an event which will be simulcast on screen in the Tulsa Convention Center and broadcast live during the News On 6 at Noon.

â€œThe seating here at the site is for our elected officials and for those alumni of 1957, those that were particularly involved when it went in in '57," said King Davis.

Sharon King Davis was there, a 10-year-old girl, her grandfather was on the Belvedere committee.

â€œTo be a part of that and then to get so passionately involved for so many months, I find myself getting emotional over a time capsule. Now how weird is that?" said King Davis.

She's not alone.

When the car comes up, you won't actually be able to see it. The Belvedere will still be wrapped in a special car bag and unveiled Friday night at the convention center. Weâ€™re told as of Tuesday afternoon tickets are sold out, but you can still watch this event on Channel 6.

News On 6 anchor Terry Hood will be hosting our special program, The Buried Car and What's Inside, live Friday at 7 p.m.

For more information about the Belvedere, click here.

Watch the video: Countdown To Tulsarama

Related Stories:

2/15/2007 - Car Show Entries Sought

4/17/2007 - Unearthing Tulsaâ€™s History

06/01/2007 - Tulsa's Population Holds The Key To A Piece Of Tulsa History

6/7/2007 - The Story Behind A Famous Photograph

6/9/2007 Crews Practice Lifting The Buried Belvedere