Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Horror in the Tunnel

Noel Freeman

The Shanghai tunnels are known to be a famous legend that are built underneath the ground.  The tunnels originated from Portland, Oregon, found in the center of downtown, which is Chinatown in Portland.  These tunnels resulted in illegal activity, but the illegal activities varied.  Some tunnels consisted of alcohol during the prohibition era, some had men working as slaves, and others had prosecution organizations.  Some places even made it to where you can go on tours of the tunnels.  To enter the tunnels, you would have to climb down a ladder, where you would enter a tunnel dug out of dirt or cement, though not all the tunnels looked the same.  Some had bars where prisoners were locked in, and others were just a big open space.  Some of the tourists say the tunnels felt dark, dim, musty, and dusty when they entered them.  Other tourists would say they could hear people screaming from inside the walls.

the bars that the slaves were held behind

how the tunnels looked you first entered them

The practice of the Shanghai tunnels remind me of the movie The Great Gatsby by the main character, Leonardo Dicaprio becoming rich because he owned an illegal club underground, where he sold alcohol.  They both differ by the Shanghai tunnels had slaves working in the tunnels against their will, the movie The Great Gatsby had workers that worked in the main character’s clubs and his house, but the workers were not being held against their will.

In the movie The Great Gatsby there was a similar set up with the illegal clubs and the Shanghai tunnels

Though not all articles on the Shanghai tunnels have the same information.  In the article, “Portland Underground: Shanghai Tunnels” by Valerie Mellema, talks about how men were kidnapped then sold off to captains for $50 a head.  They were then forced to work on ships bound for the Orient with no pay.  In addition, many basements of downtown bars and hotels were linked to the Willamette River waterfront as well as other locations along the West Coast.  The article also mentions that women were kidnapped or drugged then put up for sale.  Many people questioned whether this practice ever happened.  Valerie Mellema wrote this article to try prove the legend on the Shanghai tunnels.  Her purpose for writing this article is to show how shanghaiing takes place and how the practice of them influenced the readers.  Valerie Mellema’s goal was to explain that the Shanghai tunnels weren’t a legend and for people to stop questioning if they were.  Another article entitled, “The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon” from the website haunted places to go, talks about how the Shanghai tunnels got its name from boats that traveled to Shanghai, China consistently.  The website always mentions that paranormal activity happened in these tunnels, along with diseases, injuries, and drugs that killed many people that were held captive in these tunnels.  These tunnels are said to be one of the most haunted places in America.  This article is helpful for knowing where and how the Shanghai tunnels got its name.  The purpose of this article is to share the abnormal things that happen in these tunnels.  These articles differ by the details about of what happened in these articles.  The article, “Portland Underground: Shanghai Tunnels,” discusses more of the history behind the Shanghai tunnels, while the article, “The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon,” discusses the paranormal activity that went on in the tunnels.  The articles compare by them both discussing what the tunnels are. 

Work Cited
Geobeats.  “Haunted Portland- Shanghai Tunnels (America’s Most Wanted).”  Youtube.Youtube, 25 Sep. 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Mellema, Valerie.  “Oregon Legends, Portland Underground: Shanghai Tunnels.”  Legends of America.  Legends of America, March 2008. Web. Oct. 2015.

Mke and Carilyn.  “Porland, Oregon.”  Photograph., n.d.  Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

“The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon.”  Haunted PlacesTo Go. Haunted-places-to-go.  2008. Web. Oct 15.

“Underground Portland.” Photograph. Portland Walking Tours.  Portland Walking Tours, n.d.  Web.  21 Oct. 2015.

Other references
Shanghai Tunnels- website gives more information on Shanghai tunnels.

Haunted Secret Tunnels- this website is for you to sign up for tours, but it gives you a brief understanding of what happens in the tunnels, such as ghost stories and what happened with the slaves that were held prisoner.

Haunted Tunnels- this website gives more haunted tunnels, instead of just the Shanghai tunnels.  These tunnels also encounter paranormal activity while in them.

The “Mysterious” Fiji Mermaid

Trevor Dent
The Art of Juan Cabana.
In today’s society, everyone has their opinions on mermaids and whether they are real or not. I believe mermaids are real. Mermaids have been around for as long as people can remember. Earth is over 70% water and about 95% of the oceans remain unexplored. Men back then have claimed to see mermaids and there have been multiple stories written and also movies about mermaids. They are believed, centuries ago to roam the seas and lure sailors into shipwrecks, and off the coast into rocky shoals. Mermaids are often associated with bad luck and misfortune. By definition, a mermaid is a beautiful woman, with long hair, and the lower body of a fish. Homer’s Odyssey tells the story of an encounter of a siren and how they were tortured by their sweet sounds. Another story is a young boy from Scotland claimed to have killed a mermaid in 1830 by throwing rocks of it. It definitely looked like a mermaid they said, but there hasn’t been real evidence of it. There are many more legends and many historical claims of MERMAID SIGHTINGS  and it leaves people with many questions, but until we see  better and more pictures and videos, mermaids will continue to be a myth.

Most people don’t think of certain mermaids, or a particular type when talking about them, but there once was a hoax about the legendary Fiji Mermaid by the famous known P.T Barnum. The FIJI MERMAID was an object composed of the upper body of a monkey sewed onto the lower body of a fish. This hoax is became a worldwide topic thanks to the legendary showman P.T. Barnum who was famous for these types of things. The Fiji Mermaid came into Barnum’s possession in 1842 via his business counterpart Moses Kimball and was reportedly found on the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. Barnum would go ahead and put the mermaid up for display in his Boston Museum in the summer of 1842.  Barnum would lead people to believe that this was a true thing and would so for a very long time until his museum was burned down by a fire in 1865 and people to this day still question whether that was real or not.  P.T. Barnum even explains himself why he did what he did and his reason behind it in his own autobiography. He says the Fiji Mermaid first came to him from Moses Kimball in 1842 and it was made by fisherman. He never realized its value and at that time, it was a great time to examine the mermaid. Barnum claims that was the easiest part of the experiment. ‘How to modify general incredulity in the existence of mermaids, so far as to awaken curiosity to see and examine the specimen, was now the all-important question.’ (Barnum)

The Peabody Museum's "Feejee Mermaid" (photographed in 1998).

The Fiji Mermaid was actually thought to be made by hand by fisherman in Southeast Asia and sold for a profit to local stores. The first ever mermaid was brought to London by Captain Samuel Barrett. Even though it was handcrafted, this lead people to believe if there was a real thing and if so, why was it made.

Works Cited:
Barnum on the FeJee Mermaid, The Life of P. T. Barnum, Written by Himself, 1855. American Social History Productions, Inc., 1855. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

""The Little Mermaid?"" The Harvard University Gazette. Harvard College, 17 Oct. 1997. Web.

"Legend of the Fiji Mermaid." The World Is a Myserious Place. Awesome Inc. Template. 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

"The Incredible Myth Behind the Feejee Mermaid." Scribol. Scribol. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Links for further research:
The article above gives you a good overview of the Fiji Mermaid, and also tells everyone who was involved in it.

The Dark Queen of the Sea

Maddie Campanella Article:
Queen Mary in Long Beach -- Painting by Chris Butler
The Queen Mary, built in 1936, in Clyde, Scotland, was one of the biggest and strongest ships of this time. Stretching 1,000 feet long and more powerful than the Titanic, the Queen Mary began her first voyage May 27, 1936. Just three years later in 1939, WWII broke out and Queen Mary was turned into a ship for the troops with the name of “The Grey Ghost.” Over the Queen Mary’s time at sea, she encountered one collision, and also participated in the D Day Invasion. Later on in 1946, Queen Mary carried war brides and their children to America and Canada. After the 13 “war bride” voyages, the ship was refurbished and returned to its original purpose as a cruise ship. Finally in 1967, after 1,000 transatlantic crossings, the Queen Mary was retired and sold to the city of Long Beach California for 3.45 million dollars.            
The Queen Mary has been investigated many times for paranormal activity, but has not been proven right or wrong that paranormal activity does exist on the boat. The paranormal investigation team has often compared the boat to the Titanic to show just how amazing and powerful this new ship was in 1936. While the Queen Mary had 1,001 voyages, the Titanic couldn’t last through one when it collided with a glacier. The Queen Mary also has many newspaper articles of many occurrences that happened during the life of the ship. Some that are included are the collision that happened during the war causing the other ship to sink. The paranormal investigators were unable to prove or disprove that the ship was haunted or had factual paranormal activity occurring on the boat. Even though the paranormal investigators were unable to prove the whip was haunted, there has been over 113 reports of paranormal experiences on the ship from common people that visit the now docked floating hotel. The Queen Mary has seen 49 deaths in the time that it cruised the Atlantic.            
It is said that the spirit of a little girl still lingers by the indoor pool looking for her stuffed animal or mother. She died by sliding down a railing on the boat but slipping to a drop that broke her neck. Other stories include that of the chef during the war. It is said that the troops did not like his food so they shut him in the oven and let him cook to death. You can still hear his dreadful screams when you are anywhere near the kitchen. Others believe the soul of a young man still haunts the doors of gate 13. For he was trapped inside the watertight gate that chopped his body in half. The story says that his spirit has been seen walking into the light by gate 13.  
Works Cited:
“RMS Queen Mary Hotel Long Beach CA California by Long Island Paranormal Investigators - Ghost Haunted Demonic Investigation Ghost Hunter New York NY.” RMS Queen Mary Hotel Long Beach CA California by Long Island Paranormal Investigators - Ghost Haunted Demonic Investigation Ghost Hunter New York NY. Long Island Paranormal Investigators, 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.  
“The Queen Mary Haunting.” - Your Ghost Stories., 2006. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.  
Champion, John. “The Queen Mary Is Not Haunted (But I understand Why You Think She Is).” Center for Inquiry- CSI. 1 July 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.  

SDPRS. “RMS Queen Mary Research.” San Diego Paranormal Research Society (SDPRS). San Diego Paranormal Research Society, 2009. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Weiser, Kathy. “The Queen Mary of Long Beach - History and Hauntings.” Legends of America, 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.  

Links for Further Research: 

Marie Laveau the Voodoo Queen

Quaderia Fields

 The Voodoo Queen herself: Marie Laveau, by Dannie Cox
Looking at the history of New Orleans there are many famous people that are still remembered today. It is believed that New Orleans is a place popular for its deliciously famous beignets, gumbo, jazz music and voodoo. Voodoo practices originated in the West Indies country of Haiti during the French colonial period. The slave-owners in the south tried converting all of the slaves into being a Christians but the slaves just wouldn’t let that happen.

In order to keep their faiths and beliefs alive many of the Africans in the catholic parts of New Orleans began practicing voodoo. Throughout different parts of Africa, a great amount of people had the same beliefs on wanting to keep their religious beliefs alive. Marie Laveau, born a free woman in 1794 was the most famous, respected and feared voodoo queen of all time. Before she was considered to be the voodoo queen she was a hair dresser and nurse. How could she have gone from a hairdresser and nurse to someone that was considered THE voodoo queen is a great question. Due to Marie knowing so much about medicine she was able to mix the correct herbs to help those that were sick or those who had problems with their love life. (Chambers)

Typically in the world the term voodoo is affiliated with being evil, but for Marie Laveau many people saw her as doing something good. She not only helped people with their health and hair, but when she began practicing she specialized in romance and finance.  Although Marie Laveau has been long gone people still visit her gravesite in hopes that she’ll grant their wishes. Marie’s remains are located at St. Louis Cemetery #1. 

In the picture above is where Marie Laveau’s remains reside. Many believe if they go to her grave site and draw an x on it and leave her something as a sacrifice she’ll grant their wishes. In a YouTube video, Brett Stanker gives a tour of the different tombstones at St Louis Cemetery #1 and he comes upon Marie’s. While in another YouTube video Charles Chamberlain sets the stories straight about the rumors on Marie Laveau. Not everyone was aware that Marie Laveau wasn’t only one person, but it was also her daughter Marie Laveau II. Marie Laveau had 15 children, but she named one of her daughters after her. Like her mother, Marie II also practiced voodoo. St. Louis Cemetery #1 has become a well-known cemetery not only because of Marie Laveau but for others that are laid to rest here. 


Works Cited

Black, Annetta.”Saint Louis Cemetery No.1”. Atlas Obscura. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.

 Chambers, Wendy Mae. "Voodoo on the Bayou - Marie Laveau." Voodoo on the Bayou - Marie Laveau.          N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Chamberlain, Charles. “Marie Laveau: Legend and Truth “YouTube.  YouTube,  26. Nov.2013. Web. 13.Oct 2015

Stanker, Brett. “A Walk Through the Oldest Cemetery in New Orleans.” YouTube. Youtube, 21 Dec. 2008.  Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

St. Louis Cemetery No.1| Save Our Cemeteries.” Save our cemeteries. N.p., 10 Sept. 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

Crocs In the Sewers

Tabatha Grant-Ravenell

Crocodiles in the sewers the urban legend founded in the streets of New York City.  Crocodiles in the sewers or as authors would call them alligators. They were stink feces caring species. They are known for their capability to close their nostrils to undergo a transition to interact with the strong toxic fumes for their survival. The crocodiles typically live in smaller enclosed areas of the sewers so they can more easily observe their surroundings. The stink sewer crocodiles have the ability to morph their skin into a thick outer shell so their skin can withstand the harsh heat, fumes, odors, and effects of the feces on a
normal skin layer.

The foul odor crocodiles have evolved into far more than the normal creature, and in today’s society are utilized for far large purpose. It all started with Marty Hall from Manunst, Michigan who was both blind and deaf. The national animal society took the crocodiles and trained them to work as service animals allowing disables people, such as Marty, to undergo harsh conditions essentially molding a super human. The crocodiles have almost in a way taught Marty their survival skills, teaching him to use and strength. It is all very questionable to what all of these various authors feel about this hoax. Many people believed that Crocodiles in the sewers were trying to snatch little children through the toilet and take them down to the sewers along with them.
Crocodile searching for a child [newspaper style setup]

From another source people did not understand or knew what the meaning of the crocodiles in the sewers was. Only the head officials knew the cause of everything and how the alligators were reacting when people got involved trying to capture one of them they would open their mouths wide and try bite and attack anyone. They say they don’t have photographs or reliable news search. Although it made people believe the urban legend of the Crocodiles in the sewers. They said that every Monday the city would celebrate the urban legend. They wanted people to talk about the other logical legends they have heard because were starting to think that it was true. They wanted to be known to a premise that wasn’t true. There couldn’t find other urban legends that were located in the New York area but people were more focused on Crocodiles in the sewers.

Work Cited:
Salazar, Cristian. "Alligators in the sewer and more urban legends and hoaxes that fooled NYC." amNewYork (New York, NY) 9 Feb. 2015, Lifestyle.NewsBank.Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

Links for further Research:
"Weird New York."Weird New York.Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
"Crocodiles In The Sewers (New York)." 21 Oct. 2015.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Incubus and Succubus Demons

Austin Graham

 An Incubus, otherwise known as a nightmare, is a male spiritual demon that preys on women during there sleep while dreaming. It’s counter part the Succubus, also known as a nightmare, is the exact opposite of an incubus. The Succubus is a Female spiritual demon that preys on men while they are asleep and sometimes even taking semen to impregnate itself. These are spiritual demons from medieval times that have been causing fear and personal disturbance among humans for centuries. Disturbances like people waking up in the middle of the night and are not able to move.
A common symptom people experience, which is defined as “HYPNAGOGIA” and/or “Sleep Paralysis”, is the result of a transitional state of mind from waking up to falling asleep. This is the feeling you get when you are asleep and you think you have woken up but you can’t move your body. If the victim is attacked and try’s to struggle and move the demon is said to get mad and be more aggressive.
 Many people have reported incidents that this happened to them and described it as a pressure on there chest as if someone is laying on them. These are all dream related incidents that these people have been experiencing but they think they are real. These demons leave the body during sleep paralysis and leaves the person trapped in its thoughts and frightened. Some people will do a lot of research on this experience they had while sleeping and find it out to be these sex demons or find out that they are experiencing symptoms of hypnagogia. These people will also find information online of  biblical resources on these creatures and will discover  prayers on how to get rid of these spiritual demons. These resources come from the bible and written in the text is a prayer that someone would say in order to try and get rid of these spiritual demons. It is said that after an attack happens that the victim can catch such intense feelings to where it starts to cause problems within that person. This person then continues to have these dreams and feelings until he is able to get help to get rid of the spirits.

 Cline, John. “Incubus Attack.” Sussex Publishers, LLC. 8 Sept. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
This article explains what these spiritual demons are and how they function. It gives good details on an explanation of the creatures.

 Fuseli, Henry. Oil on canvas. 30 Oct. 2014. The Incubus and Succubus. Web. 20 Oct.                    2015
 This canvas shows the Incubus/Succubus having sexual intercourse while the victim is asleep.

 “Hypnagogia, Incubus & Succubus Ghost.” Angels and Ghosts. N.p, N.d. Web. 20 Oct.  2015.
 This website describes the hypnagogia effect and what causes it. It also goes into good detail on how the effect works.

Lamb, Robert . ”Monster of the Week: Incubi and Succubi.” Infospace LLC. 25 Feb.  2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
This article describes the explanation of Incubus and Succubus and how it is also known as a nightmare. It also talks about which demon is more sexual and how it attacks its victims.

Three more useful links for you to learn more:
“What is a Succubus?”
This website gives a good explanation on what a Succubus is.
“Incubus and Succubus: Devils that have intercourse with you”
This article shows a prayer that is used in order to try and get the ghost out of your life.

This article is about the succubus demon and what it does to its victims.

The Plastic Ocean

 Mark Graham

Have you ever wonder where our plastics waste end up? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a huge body of water cover in marine debris (trash). Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by massive NORTH PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL GYRE. It is a space of man-made mass proportion and is estimated to be the size of Texas. The Great Garbage Patch is not visible as headlines would have us to believe. In actuality, microscopic debris is spread throughout a large area of the ocean, making it impossible to view it as an object of study. What is known for certain is that the marine debris in the North Pacific Gyre is mostly plastic coming from land. When plastic bottles, cups and bags are dropped in the street, rain washes them into storm sewers, rivers and eventually the ocean. Once plastic is in the ocean, it can float for hundreds of miles before it's caught in a gyre, where it swirls around until sunlight and salt water break it down into small plastic chips. With millions of plastic in the ocean, animals can mistake the pieces of plastic for food. Animals will eat the plastics, resulting in death of poisoning or digestive blockage. Plastic also absorbs pollutants like banned PCBs.Not only can larger plastic objects entrap, entangle and entwine pelagic wildlife, they also act as floating islands and play a role in the colonization potentially poisonous new habitats. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch can easily be mistaken for a landfill site. Whether it be an algae-sifting whale or a fish-eating seal, small pieces of plastic are mistaken for food at all levels of the chain. Algalita researchers have seen Styrofoam cups with bites taken out of them because they have the same texture as food.

Another issue is that so much marine debris is comprised of plastic, much of which takes hundreds of years to breakdown and ends up in the digestive systems of everything from whales to plankton, including much of the seafood we eat. The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces. In the meantime, we can all play a role in reducing the amount of plastic and other debris that end up in our oceans, then on our dinner plate. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental non-profit. According to the group, individuals need to take the responsibility to recycle and never litter, while manufacturers should reduce packaging and design more of it to be fully recyclable. We all must come together to save our oceans.

Work Cited:
Corkum, Kim. “Plastic Ocean”. Blog, Education, Plastic. Image. web. 15 October. 2015

Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Ocean Pollution Awareness. 2012. Youtube. 15 October. 2015. Video. Web.

Jordan, Chris. “Midway Island”. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Image. web. 15 October. 2015 “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Education. 2015. Web.

For other references on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Visit: . This source is an article by Daisy Dumas, discussing the rapid increase of pollution in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The article also highlights the effect of polluted water on sea creatures. This source is an article about the world’s sea surfaces and the countries producing the most garbage. The article also discuss how trash moves from one patch to another. This source is an article about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, being compare to a vast island and the ecological disasters it has begun to create.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Twisted Waters

 Sasha Sloup

The Bermuda Triangle is and has been one of the world’s most mysterious places on Earth. This place lies between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermunda in a trianglular shape. Charles Berlitz came out with best-selling book in 1974 where he introduced the theory of Atlantis being connected to the Bermuda Triangle. After this, many other people started to come up with their own theories of the Bermuda Triangle such as it's a portal for gods, aliens, or to a parrallel universe. In Bloomsbury guide to human thought, the author discusses that people tend to believe in "pseudoscience." Pseudoscience can translate to fake/false science. Many people like Charles Berlitz probably believe in the paranormal or pseudoscience of things just to push the boundaries of their thoughts. Whether pseudoscience can be proven or not, it's typically fun to think of the unknown.

Still, the unknown, like the Bermuda Triangle, can be very dark and scary but there could be some possible answers to it. Many airplanes and ships have gone missing in this area. Recently The Weather Network reported on an El Faro ship that went missing with 33 mariners in the Bermuda Triangle. The ship was in the path of Hurricane Joaquin and people believe that the hurricane might of been the reason why it went missing. Yet, the ship went missing in the Bermuda Triangle and they haven't found anything but one body.

In this video, one of the pilots describe that when he was flying through the Bermuda Triangle his compass was spinning counter clockwise. This could be a cause of the Earth’s magnetic field. In Magnetic Anomalies, McGovern states that “For centuries, sailors have reported the existence of regions where, for no apparent reason, their compasses become inaccurate.” One of these regions is the Bermuda Triangle. It could be that the Earth’s magnetic properties has an impact on this area that causes pilots and sailors to lose control of their airplane or ship. Also in the History video, David Pares, says the planes can act as a passive antenna brining high amounts of energy to the area. No one yet knows what’s the exact cause of this but this is a very good lead to these mysteries.

Works cited:
Alphaios. "Bermuda Triangle." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 June 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. Staff. "Bermuda Triangle." A+E Networks. 2010. Web. 7 October 2015.

 "Pseudoscience." Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought. London: Bloomsbury, 1993. Credo Reference. Web. 12 Oct 2015.

"Magnetic Anomalies." Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Ed. Una McGovern. London: Chambers Harrap, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 12 Oct 2015.

Maria, Cheryl S. "El Faro: Search for missing crew members to be called off." The Weather Network. 2015. Web. 7 October 2015.

Radford, Benjamin. “Bermuda Triangle: Where Facts Dissappear.” Purch. 2012. Web. 21 October 2015. Staff. “Bermuda Triangle.” Online video clip. A+E Networks. 2010. Web. 21 October. 2015.

Enter the Devil’s Gate: Devil’s Gate Dam Pasadena, CA

Samantha Jones

            “Devil’s Gate is named for the appearance of a horned devil face in the narrow canyon of the Arroyo Seco, a natural riverbed flowing from the San Gabriel Mountains into Los Angeles basin” (LAGP). This dam is located beneath Suicide Bridge. It was built around the 1920’s to modify the water flow through the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, CA. This was the first control flood dam in Los Angeles County. There is an urban legend behind this mysterious dam. Since the Devil’s Gate Dam, Cobb Estate, and Suicide Bridge are all connected by points, they named it the Arroyo Triangle. It is believed to be one of the seven portals to Hell.

People claim that the portal was opened by three occultist scientists. Jack Parsons , Aleister Crowley , and L. Ron Hubbard  all believed that this Devil’s Gate had some sort of magical energy that could give them power. The three performed rituals that were believed to go along with their project. They referred to this as their Babylon Working. “Babylon Working is a summoning of an entity known as Babylon that would aid then in the creation of an ‘anti-christ’, a child who would eventually destroy mankind” (Marie). But, a few years later, Parsons, Crowley and Hubbard’s friendship died down and they went their separate ways studying in their own perspectives. Parsons died in 1957 due to an unexplained explosion in his home laboratory.

A few years later, several children went missing around the Devil’s Gate area. Two of the missing childrens’ mysteries were solved by uncovering their bodies buried from a killer who was discovered around the area. The other missing children were never found. People believe that they were dragged into the portal and can not get out. A special paranormal activist group who especially believes this mystery are the Paranormal EXP. They visited Devil’s Gate Dam back in 2011 and got first hand voice recordings of a little boy stating his name as ‘Tommy’.

There are many people who believe in this paranormal portal to Hell and think it is true. It dates all the way back to the Native Americans believing this dam was haunted and forbade anyone to go there. Along with that, there are also a handful of people who do not believe in any of it. Even with all the evidence. I feel those people do not want to admit that they maybe a little believe in the Devil’s Gate because they are just not sure whether to believe or not. I guess it is up to you, do you believe in ghosts or portals to Hell? I feel you should go visit Devil’s Gate Dam for yourself and then answer that question.

Work Cited and Further Research:
Anderson, Donna. “Is Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena a Portal to Hell?” N.p., Aug. 11, 2012. Web. Oct. 12, 2015.

Kreuzer, Nikki, “Devil’s Gate Dam”. Photograph. LABeat. LA Beat. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Los Angeles Ghost Patrol. “Devil’s Gate: A Portal to Hell?” Sayontan Sinha, May 18, 2011. Web. Oct. 6, 2015.

Marie, Kelly. “The Story of Devil’s Gate Dam.” N.p.,Sep. 22, 2012. Web. Oct. 12, 2015.

Paranormal EXP. “Devil’s Gate Dam-Pasadena, CA.” July 8, 2011. Web. Oct. 12, 2015.

S.I.U. The Supernatural Investigation Unit. “Devil’s Gate Dam Pasadena/LA Canada, CA” N.p., Feb. 28, 2014. Web. Oct. 6, 2015.

Cry Baby Bridge

Carolyn Padgett

Urban Legends  have been around for many centuries. Most people think that urban legends can only be scary stories, but truth is, urban legends can be anything from funny to sad or just plain weird (S.E. Schlosser). However, the one thing that they have in common is the fact that they all have a little bit of fiction and mystery in them. Since urban legends have been around for so long, each one has different versions somewhere out in the world. It’s hard to tell which stories are true and which stories are not. It’s up to the audience to figure out which version is the most believable. For instance, Cry Baby Bridge.

Cry Baby Bridge is an urban legend that many believe originated in Ohio (Cry Baby Bridge Tour).  Eventually, the legend spread into many different states, and it became complicated to tell which story was actually true. No one even knows where it started at in Ohio because there are nearly 24 different cry baby bridges in Ohio alone (Cry Baby Bridge Tour).  All of the stories that have been created revolve around a mother and her baby. It really leaves you wondering which story is true and which story is not. Going into further research, all that is on the internet is the many different stories that have been created all across the United States.

In Columbus, Georgia, it is said that a farmer and his wife just had their newborn baby (Roberto). The farmer did not want the baby, so he talked to the doctor and asked him to get rid of it (Roberto). The doctor agreed and told the mother that the baby did not make it (Roberto). Later on that day, he took the baby to a nearby bridge and threw it over into the creek where the baby quickly drowned without the mother ever knowing what happened (Roberto). They say that if you go to this bridge, park dead in the center, sprinkle some baby powder around your car, and get on top of it, you will soon hear the baby’s helpless cries (Roberto). When you get off the top of your car, you will see the baby’s footprints in the baby powder (Roberto).

There is also another story told in Woodbridge, New Jersey about a farmer and his wife (Abbey). When they had their baby, they loved it very much (Abbey). However, after a while, the farmer grew jealous that the wife paid more attention to the baby than to him (Abbey). One night, after a long night of the baby’s cries, he grabbed it out of its crib, took it to the creek, and threw it over the bridge (Abbey). He then went back and killed the mother (Abbey). Rumor has it that if you go to the bridge, you will hear the baby’s miserable cries, and the mother will push your car off of the bridge (Abbey).
There are many more stories on Cry Baby Bridge. Though, no one will really be able to tell the true legend, it will always live throughout the many stories that have been spread from state to state. There may be some truth in all of the creative mix of stories, but where exactly did it all start?

Works Cited:
Abbey. “Cry Baby Bridge Ghost Story”. Angels and Ghosts, Charles, Louis. N.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

“Crybaby Bridge Tour”. Dead Ohio. N.p., N.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. 

Dalemccartney. “Cry Baby Bridge, Egypt Rd.” Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Roberto. “Cry Baby Bridge in Columbus Ga”. SBI!, N.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.

S.E. Schlosser. “Urban Legends”. Americanfolklore. S.E. Schlosser, 13 Dec. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Shane. “Cry Baby Bridge”. Your Ghost Stories. N.p., Mar. 28, 2007. Web. Oct. 8, 2015.

Further Research:
Your Ghost Stories This source is helpful because it helps see what other stories about Cry Baby Bridge are out there. In this case, it’s about Cry Baby Bridge in Mississippi.

About Entertainment This site is helpful because it shows 25 other scary urban legends that the viewers may be interest in.

Love to Know This website is useful for further research on scary urban legends.

Tags: urban legends, scary, crybaby bridge, mystery, mother and baby.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Ze Arigo and the Rusty Knife

Destiny McMickel




Works Citied:




Other Websites for Further Research:

The Secret Number


You may think of 23 as an ordinary number on a number line. What number could have a secret you say it’s just not possible.  The 23rd enigma is interesting concept in many countries it refers to most events and disasters happening around 23. William S. Burroughs was the first person ever to believe the 23rd enigma. With his beliefs he went on and wrote a book titled the 23rd Skidoo, which was the first book on this theory to ever be published. Burroughs knew a captain who sailed for 23 years without an accident happening. One day they conversed about the captain’s spotless record of never having an accident for 23 years.  On the very next day there was a horrific accident which ended up killing the captain and everybody aboard.  No one really knows why this number is unlucky and thought to be very dangerous. There have been many questions related to the number and its secrets and origins of where it comes from. Where did it originate from,  and What are some of the events to occur?  “Unexplained Mysteries” is an article explaining events associated with 23.  Numerous  events such as Hitler joining a secret society in 1923, Adam and Eve having 23 daughters,  and 2/3=.666, which is the number of the devil, are examples of the 23rd Enigma.

Based upon this mysterious theory the movie 23 was created . Jim Carrey plays a man who finds a novel called The Number 23 where he becomes obsessed with the number and it’s patterns . Everything begins to spin out of control for him after strange events began to occur. The movie demonstrates all numbers have a pattern and but only some people are willing to figure out this pattern. When he finds the pattern it puts his life in danger and he becomes a person no one knows. He becomes addicted to this number and won’t let it go. Consuming his life until he goes completely insane. The movie trailer for The Number 23  gives an example of what actually happens in the movie and some of the events that’s to his character and his family.
 23 can also be considered a lucky number because sometimes people have good luck and achieve items they have never had before due to this number. The 23 Enigma Goddess Accord explains how someone won the lottery, and 23 was one number that was associated in the line -up. They won 2 million dollars just because of that, one number. According to this article, 23 isn’t all bad and it can actually help you.

There is a lot the number 23 is associated with sometimes it can be good sometimes it can be bad. It is definitely a number that is mysterious but has great meaning behind it.

Works Cited
Embryo, Alien. “The 23 Enigma Sightings, Reports, and Experiences.” Unexplained Mysteries (2006) Unexplained Mysteries Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

Hertz, Todd. “The Number 23.” Christianity Today (2007). Christianity Today Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

Stetten, Melissa “Illuminati Lotto, the 23 Enigma and the Goddess of Discord. History of things to come (2012) Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Cameronknowlton “Official The Number 23 New Movie Trailers” Youtube  Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Enigma “blogspot” “:23 Enigma Picture” Blogspot Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Lucky Number 7

Courtney Poda    

Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven “eight” nine! The lucky number seven appears in our lives as early as childhood. The lucky number could also reappear later on in life in activities such as gambling. There are countless reasons why a number could be “lucky.” The number reoccurs throughout many different religions and cultures. Ranging from Greek mythology and Native American ways of life to Christian beliefs, the magic number keeps popping up. There are worldwide known items that are grouped in sevens. For example, the seven seas, seven continents, seven colors in the rainbow, SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD , seven days in the week, etc. Everyone knows about all of these groups. Each of these is significant because they impact how we go about everyday life. For one reason or another, collectively as people, the number seven is well liked. In one article I found on the number on Psychology Today the author gives seven reasons why people like the number. Among those reasons are: seven is lucky, it’s a good playoff number, meaning that is five is too little but nine is too much, seven is a good medium, it’s magical, occurs throughout nature, etc. Also, seven has a more appealing sound compared to the other numbers. The example used in the Psychology Today article was “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” It rolls off the tongue much easier than a one syllable number. Different cultures, including some Native American tribes such as the Cherokees, acknowledge seven as an important number as well. For example, seven is a reoccurring theme in different myths and stories that are passed down. It also symbolizes the embodiment of being sacred and pure. Seven is very much associated with religion as well. God created the universe in seven days, there are seven deadly sins, etc. The number seven represents absolute perfection. It is also a great number when it comes to marketing. Because the marketers know people like the number seven, companies and premieres are scheduled for the seventh of a given month to make the event sound more appealing. For many reasons, seven is thought of as a number representing luck and perfection. The magic number is versatile with what it can symbolize in many different areas of life. Whether it’s Christianity or Native American tribes or day to day life, lucky number seven is a big part of everyone’s life whether we consciously know it or not.

Works Cited
Folding Cards. 2013. Psychic Library. Web. 20 Oct 2015.

Bimini Road/ Bimini Wall (Atlantis)

Janea Boyd

The Mystery of the Bimini Road

    The picture above shows a picture of Bimini Road/ Bimini Wall (Atlantis). This picture shows an underwater rock formation found near North Bimini Island in the Bahamas. It has a very unusual arrangement of stones, therefore some believe it to be part of the lost city of Atlantis (first spoken by Plato). As said in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, published by Susie Dent, Bimini is a rock pattern that was discovered off the coast of the Bahamas in 1968 that led to the discovery of a road built on the site of the lost island. The lost island of Atlantis was discovered was first mentioned by Greek Philosopher Plato according to Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained.
    In the source from LexisNexis it says that many believe Bimini is a formation of underwater stones that could lead to the Lost City of Atlantis. Tim McDonald reports about 400m off Paradise Point, where the thin leaves of Australian pines wave in the south-easterly trade winds, lies an ancient, underwater arrangement of stones that has baffled natives, mystics and scientists for generations.  Decades of both weird and real science have only served to intensify the mystery.  They call it the Bimini Road and some say it leads to the lost continent of Atlantis. Others say it's simply a bunch of rocks. Scientist who believe rock formations and artifacts, both in the Bahamas and in other parts of the world, point to civilizations more ancient than presently believed are wary of using the actual word, “Atlantis”.

    A source from the Sunday News, says how Bimini is a “gem”. It is called the “gem” because of the old-fashioned Bahamas of yesteryear and the eccentric quirkiness of places like Key West. Bimini is known to be very colorful with a scandalous past. Even though Bimini has its perks, it is a very beautiful island 50 miles near the coast of Miami.

Works cited:
“Bimini.” Brewer’s Dictionary of Phase and Fable. Ed. Dent, Susie. London: Chambers Harrap, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 8 Oct 2015.
“Atlantis.” Chambers Dictianary of the Unexplained. Ed. McGovern, Una. London: Chambers Harrap, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 8 Oct 2015

“Road to Atlantis” LexisNexis. Ed. McDoanld, Tim. 2001. Courier Mail. Web. 27. Jan, 2001.

“BIMINI ROCKS COULD HOLD KEY TO LOST ATLANTIS” The Toronto Star. Ed. McDonald, Tim. 2000. LexisNexis. Web. 21. Oct. 2000.

“An undiscovered gem; Bimini provides a taste of the old Bahamas Around town Big game If you go…” Sunday News. Ed. Heverly, Lorry. 2008. LexisNexis. Web. 24 March 2008.

"The Mystery of the Bimini Road." Strange Unexplained Mysteries RSS. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.

“Bimini Road/Bimini Wall.” Google. Ed. Web.

Karimberdi.”Bimini Road.” 31 Aug. 2014. Web.

Pemberton, Wade. The Road. 1998. ""UW Photos." Wadespage. Wade's Underwater Photo Galleries, n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.

Additional Sources
"Bimini Road/The Lost City of Atlantis." The Official Site of The Bahamas. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
"The Truth Behind: Atlantis." National Geographic Channel. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Five tags: Atlantis, Bimini, Mystery, Bimini Wall, Island

Slender Man

Ryan Wells

    Since 2009, Slender Man has been out in the public across the world, and is a topic of discussion.  In that year, his existence started on a Photoshop contest blog, Something Awful (NY Times). It contained a picture of a well-dressed man, in black suit and tie, hovering over a young child.  And it is said that he closely follows children. Whenever out in the woods at night, people keep their eyes open for this horrifying creature.  But according to his legend, that is the last thing you would want to do.  This is because he would put you in a trance like state, and lure you in the woods to your death (Creepy Pasta).

His existence has been popular since the thread, but even more so since June of 2014, when he was associated with a stabbing of 13 year old girl.  Two other pre teens, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, felt that they were obligated to kill her for “Slender Man”.  Even though they stabbed the girl 19 times, she ended up surviving and even making it to the court appearance. But, why do this for Slender Man?  In the interrogation tapes, they are even saying that they saw “Slender” while exiting the woods.  What gave them the reason to believe that they were doing right, by committing such an awful crime?  Maybe, it is the effect that people have on everything in society.  Making everything bigger than it actually is to start with.

Even though he is said to have been born on 2009, his appearance ties him in with other legends, of different countries.  For example, “The Dark Man” in Scotland or the “Tall Man” in Germany (Creepy Pasta).  Egyptian Hieroglyphics also have presentations of what are thought to be him. Different markings of all kinds of cultures have something that is comparatively similar.
After all of these “attacks”, they have even made video games based off of his appearance.  In these action-packed games, you walk around looking for papers, with a flashlight.  Eventually, if you come up face to face with Slender Man, and don’t get all of the papers, you meet your demise.  So it is safe to say, society makes everything bigger.

Works Cited:

Dewey, Caitlyn. “The complete, terrifying history of ‘Slender Man,’ the Internet meme that compelled two 12-year-olds to stab their friend.” Washington Post, 3 June 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.

Manjoo, Farhood. “ ‘Slender Man’ story and the New Urban Legends.” NY Times, 9 July 2014. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.

“The Slender  Man.” Creepy Pasta. Web. 12 Oct. 2015

Links for Further Research:

“Slender Man.” Slender Man. Web. 12 Oct. 2015
This link goes to the game in which slender man is in.  The downloadable site.

“Who is Slender Man?” YouTube. YouTube, 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
This link is a more concrete look at Slender Man, in an ABC 20/20 setting.

Goldstein, Jack. 10 Amazing Slender Man Stories. Andrews UK Limited, 2013.Google Book Search. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.
This link has 10 stories of Slender Man.  Also, biblical views as a whole.

The Myth, The Legend, The Taktsang Monastery: The Origins of Paro Taktsang

De’On Turner

Picture of Paro Taktsang taken by Bob Witlox

Six miles from the city of Paro on the edge of a 10,000 foot cliff, lies the legendary Taktsang monastery. Surrounding the monastery are hundreds of rocky slopes but this isn’t the only way to travel there. There are many paths to the monastery including cave and wild forest trails. While traveling there, one can find a temple which is called Lakhang. This place also serves as a resting place for travelers  when the journey gets tough. Besides the “resting temple,” there are several other mini temples and shops along the way to the monastery. These shops sell religious items such as bells, prayer wheels, incense, and more. Another interesting thing about the trip is that there are several waterfalls that can be seen. The most popular is one that falls from 197 feet into a sacred pool. Many travelers rest there to view the water and take pictures near the pool.

A waterfall at the foot of the Taktsang Monastery taken by Bob Witlox

The legend and history of this monastery is quite strange and requires an open mindset to fully interpret it. Some believe that a man named Guru Rinpoche, a Buddhist monk, flew to Paro Taktsang from Tibet on the back of a tigress. Some also go into more detail by saying that one of Guru’s students, Yeshe Tsogyal, took the form of a tigress and flew Guru to Paro Taktsang. Both stories are interesting and require some imagination.

Apparently Guru was so powerful that he had a reincarnation of himself whose name was Tenzin Rabgye. He actually constructed the monastery and it is said that his friends could see him inside and outside the structure at the same time. He also could feed a multitude of people from little amounts of food inside of bowls that never went empty.  It was Guru himself who founded the Nyingmapa School of Buddhism. Because of this, he is considered the saint of Bhutan. When he died in Nepal, some believe his body was magically transported to the monastery.  This shows an example of the beliefs that these people have and the importance of these people they worship and model after. This all ties in to having extreme faith in what you believe. Some of these accounts may sound odd to you but to someone else, it could be the very thing they base their life off of. The Taktsang monastery isn't just a "tiger's nest" hanging on a cliff, it is a foundation holding up a string of beliefs all throughout the region.

Works cited:
"Paro Taktsang." ThousandWonders. 2015. Web. 15 October 2015.

Witlox, Bob. Waterfall at the Foot of Taktsang Monastery. 2007. Photograph. Panoramio, 3 July
2007. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

Witlox, Bob. Tiger’s Nest. 2007. Photograph. Panoramio, 3 July 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

The Stull Cemetery

 Okwunne Ogbogu

the mysteriously remains of the destroyed church

People who have visited Stull Cemetery often walk away forever changed. Not that it is apparently noticeable or an immediate note of something occurring, Stull causes something to effect peoples lives. Call it a curse or a black mark on their lives something paranormal is often thought to happen in the months following their visit. We all know a average sane persons life changes daily, but, many who have dared to set foot on the un-holy plot of land known as Stull Cemetery feel that something happened the day they did that has changed their lives for the worse. Some call it the devil's curse, some tales say the flames of hell actually has lifted up through the earth and burnt or marked their souls for damnation.

Kathy M., a paranormal investigator from Tennessee, said after traveling there to see what it was all about has destroyed her life. Upon returning home from the investigation with fellow team members everything went wrong. From the group disbanding, divorces, and even a sudden tragic illness and a death or two. Not one to believe in such things Kathy and her group out of fear started charting and documenting everything that had happen since their visit to Stull cemetery in late October of 2008.

"The long list of current and past tragedy's read like a laundry list of the Devil's dirty work", says Kathy. It's infamous nicknames are The Seven Lost Gates of Hell, The Cemetery of The Damned, Satan's Burial Ground, The Devil's playground and most infamous The Seventh Gate to Hell. Stull cemetery is often said to be where Satan the Devil himself appears. Located in Stull an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Kansas, and United States. The old haunted cemetery as many have claimed located in Stull has gained an decent amount of recognition due to various urban legends referring to the Devil, and as being a supposed gateway to Hell. Local police have discouraged curiosity seekers from entering the cemetery, especially on Halloween, and some people have been arrested for trespassing there. The cemetery is also the site of the final confrontation of the Apocalypse in season five of the television series Supernatural.


burnt out church, old tree, and rusty graves

If people were asked where one of the gates to hell might be located, very few would say Kansas, but according to locals, it just may be. The place is called Stull Cemetery in Stull, Kansas. The small town of Stull was settled in 1862. At first sight, the cemetery appears very normal. Picture of the burnt-out church Roughly 100 graves etc., there is more lingering right under the surface. In 1995, Time Magazine asked Pope John Paul 2nd why he ordered his plane to fly around Kansas, and his response..."I don't want to fly over unholy ground..." Some of the hype may come from the fact that Stull Cemetery is located in the Topeka zip code prefix of "666", or perhaps even that the road leading up to the cemetery, was literally named Devil's Lane up until 1905. In 1974, the University of Kansas college newspaper did a report on Stull Cemetery, which sites the legend being over 100 years. The elders of the small town believe that Stull Cemetery is one of the alleged 7 gateways to hell, allowing Satan to allegedly manifest on earth through a supernatural portal. This legend comes from a handful of local rumors, one being that Satan's unholy son is buried within the walls of Stull, and that on the Spring Equinox, and on midnight of Halloween, the Prince of Darkness comes to earth to visit the tomb of his son. Picture of the burnt church the exact location of the gateway to hell is unknown, but most of the controversy centers on the burnt out church in the cemetery.

Stull Cemetery, the church was built in 1867, and was swept over by the mysterious fire in the early 1900's. Some say that the religious community destroyed the church in an attempt to seal the gateway to hell. Although the church has no roof, it is said that no rain will ever fall within the church. Another secret to the Stull mystery revolves around the pine tree that was mentioned above. It is reported that witches were hung from this tree during the Spring Equinox Sabbat years ago, and that a town man was reported missing for some time, only to be found later hanging from this very tree. Modern covens did indeed visit this cemetery to pay homage to those witches that died there, up until 1998, when the caretakers had the tree cut down and removed. Halloween night of 1999, media from Lawrence Journal World and Sunflower Cable Station Channel 6 News were at the cemetery by permission of the Sheriff. At 11:30pm, only 30 minutes before the alleged gate to hell would be cast open, an unknown representative of the cemetery caretakers appeared, and requested the Sheriff to remove the reporters. The media left peacefully, mere moments before the stroke of midnight.

Works cited:
Gintowt, Richard. "Hell Hath No Fury." Lawrence Journal World, 26 Oct. 2004. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Marin, Patricia. "Haunted Stull Cemetery Continues to Fascinate Paranormal Researchers." Examiner, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Schafer, Adam. "Real Stories of Real Haunted." Haunted Houses & Haunted Places., 1999. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.


Waugh, Lisa. " "Changing The Paranormal Landscape ~ One Page At A Time!"" STULL CEMETERY Haunted Cemeteries Real Ghost In America ... Hauntedamericatours, 2004. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Links to further research:

Haunted Stull Cemetery continues to fascinate paranormal researchers
A ghost-hunting examiner explaining the importance of the Stull Cemetery

Haunted Kansas
Some additional information about Stull Cemetery

Hell Hath No Fury
An article that goes deeper to find the truth of the Stull Cemetery