COVER PHOTO BY CAROL DUNN

Archaeologist Laura de Boer and Debra McNabb of the Museum of Industry look at the iron, fish belly rail found during the archaeological dig held at the museum site earlier this month. The rail is being stored in distilled water until it can be placed in a chemical bath to draw out chlorides that were absorbed while it was underground. Otherwise, the rail would flake apart, basically it “explodes in slow motion” said de Boer.