Nosing around the Cellar, Treasures, Horrors and Intrigue

You know how it goes with old houses, I was wondering why the lower level's closet had cardboard on the floor over the wood, started tearing it away and low and behold found a very strange enclose (sort of) space that runs completely under the big built in cupboards down there. Maybe a secret hiding spot and definitely a cold air conduit in the winter- reason for the cardboard! So, my helper guy and I headed down to the cellar to see exactly where this space was and while down there did some exploring. I'd been down before a few times, usually run right back out pretty quickly. There's some rather disturbing stuff down there, like tree limbs on stacked rocks holding up the house, the old wiring, the old plumbing, the old gas lines, the list goes on. But way back in one of the rooms I saw an old sink top leaning against the wall. We dragged it out and my goodness, it's pink marble and in perfect condition. It was covered with decades of dust and dirt and I was just hoping it was stone and not broken. I was in total shock when I took the scrub brush to it! Unfortunately it won't fit in either bathroom, but we'll come up with something for it.
Pictures in order- great idea for insulating pipes-will have to find the date on those papers, thing that looks like a giant cannon ball or bomb is an old boiler I guess, I think every house along here has one of these tunnels out under the sidewalk- no one knows what they are, the 10' long hidden compartment, the fabulous find- a pink marble sink!