There is No Easy Way to Freedom Anywhere
There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.
Nelson Mandela
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Pittsfield's Ghost Train
Several witnesses saw this train in 1958 while they worked or ate at a diner located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
This famous sighting is still shared in books and magazine articles today despite the fact this strange train was witnessed over 50 years ago.
John Quirk's Bridge Diner at the corner of North and Eagle Streets sat next to a railroad track that was infrequently used so during one lunch hour in February he and his customers were stunned to see a fast moving steam engine bullet right past the diner.
Most of the trains that passed the diner moved much slower.
Despite its speed Quirk and several others were able to describe this old fashioned train in detail—right down to the glowing coals in the tinder that powered the locomotive.
Quirk told a train official afterwards that besides a baggage car this train pulled six coaches and was headed east toward Boston. These officials were flabbergasted for the tracks that ran past his diner were not in use that day and steam engines had not been used in years.
A month later in early March during breakfast two employees, Steven Strauss and Tim Koutsonecolis and several patrons of the diner at 6:30 a.m. witnessed the mysterious locomotive once more. Like the first time it rocketed passed the diner.
Witness reports were similar to the first encounter. The train was an old-fashioned steam engine pulling seven cars and passed under the North Street Bridge.
This time, the railroad officials had so many curious inquiries they conducted an investigation. They determined no one was authorized to used the old track on those two days and there was not an old steam engine like the one described by the witnesses within a hundred miles.
This ghost train was never seen again and the investigators were unable to determine a reasonable explanation—at the same time they found it hard to discount the many reliable witness accounts.
Some believe this ghost train is connected to a train accident that happened in August of 1893. An express passenger train headed from Chicago to Boston crashed when a bridge collapsed near Chester—30 miles east of Pittsfield. Fifteen passengers were killed in this wreck.
In another attempt to explain these witness reports, Joseph Citro in his book Passing Strange states that the two sightings of this steam engine were possibly just a glimpse of the past that had some how broken through a space-time barrier for a brief, unforgettable moment.
Clapham Wood Mystery
Clapham Wood Mystery is represented by a large collection of strange occurrences which take place in the Clapham Wood, West Sussex, England. It is said that people have encountered numerous strange apparitions in the woods; that they disappeared in there; that many of their pets went missing there, and so on. Since the 1960s the area has experienced a rash of UFO sighting, reports of people, experiencing nausea or the sensation of being pushed by unseen forces, or of witnessing patches of strange grey mist developing suddenly on pathways through the woods. Some people have also reported a strong sense of being followed. Studies with a gieger counter have revealed slightly elevated levels of background radiation in the area, which is surprising since the area is situated on chalk which is normally low in radiation. Early photographs of the wood appear to show a large crater or depression somewhere in the wood, though now the area is highly wooded and difficult to search.
Clapham Wood, unfortunately, is directly linked to four human deaths:
In June 1972 police officer Peter Goldsmith vanished and his body was discovered 6 months later.
In August 1975 Leon Foster's body was discovered after a three weeks search.
Clapham vicar Reverend Harry Neil Snelling vanished in 1978. Three years later his body was found in the wood.
Finally, in September 1981 the homeless schizophrenic Jillian Matthews vanished and her body was found 6 weeks later in Clapham Wood.
Centralia, PA The Mouth Of Hell
Practically from the time we are born, we develop a picture in our minds of the American dream. In general, to achieve that dream, we find the ideal job, get married, buy a home, and start a family. We live our lives from day to day with the hope of building a bright future.
Now imagine that everything that you have worked so hard to accomplish went literally up in smoke. as tragic as this may sound, in 1962 the town of Centralia, located in Columbia County Pennsylvania, had that nightmare become a reality, but on a much larger scale. An abandoned strip mine was accidentally set on fire, igniting a nearby vein of anthracite coal. From water and fly ash, to backfilling and drilling, every idea tempted to put out the fire would have the same results. It would flair up again in a different location making it impossible to control.
Our government showed little concern in extinguishing the flames until 1981, when a 12 year old boy had a sink hole swallow him right out from under his feet, while playing in his own back yard. Fortunately for him, he was not alone at the time and was rescued by a visiting cousin.
In 1983, a research study done by engineers, showed that the only way to put out the fire for good is to excavate and dig up the entire vein. At a cost of 600 million dollars, the federal government chose to relocate the villagers at a much lower cost. Many people felt that this was merely a ploy to acquire mineral rights for the coal. They decided to take their chances in court and fight the decision, but to no avail. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania claimed eminent domain, condemning house after house, stating that it was due to toxic gases, sink holes and the eminent danger that exists. Not only did the residents have the government to deal with, but the post office revoked their zip code as well.
47 years and 40 million dollars later, there are only 9 buildings left with 8 people remaining, in a town that was once the home of over 2000 people. It is hard to say whether or not the many attempts to put out the fire would have been more successful, had the government gotten involved sooner, but if you ask any of the former residents. they would surely have appreciated it if somebody would have at least tried.
Anthracite is one of the most pure types of coal in existence. Because of this, it burns very hot making it the perfect source for the steel industry. The study also revealed that because of that reason, the fire could spread to 3700 acres and could stay ignited for 250 years or more.
Appropriately nicknamed the mouth of hell, Centralia virtually is no more. Route 61 is now detoured through the neighboring town of Ashland. What is to become of the towns and villages that surround Centralia? Will they too suffer the same fate? Will Route 61 once again be rerouted through another town because Ashland is in the path of destruction? Is it not worth millions to dig up a vein of coal that has a value of billions to save these communities? Maybe the fears of the residents were right, maybe it is about obtaining mineral rights after all. Only time will tell.
Phantom Plane Crashes
Phantom Plane Crashes are a relatively recent phenomenon, but there have been several cases reported. The scenario usually goes something like this: Witnesses see a plane going down, often in flames. They hear the crash and feel the ground shake as the plane impacts. Sometimes smoke and flames are seen, and witnesses can smell spilled fuel. Upon investigation, however, no sign of a crash is evident.
Not only is no wreckage ever found, but no record of a missing or delayed flight is cataloged. So what are these people experiencing?
Here are several of these mysterious reports from around the country.
People in Westbrook, Connecticut were amazed Wednesday morning, January 15, 1997 when they heard that a single-engine plane dive toward the waters of Long Island Sound… and then vanish. According to the newspaper The Day, "The Coast Guard, state Department of Environmental Protection, two rescue helicopters, fire departments from Westbrook, Old Saybrook, Madison, and Clinton, and some marine patrols and private boats searched 100 square miles after a man reported he had seen a plane dive into the water.
"Daniel Bowes of Meetinghouse Lane was having a cup of coffee at about 7:30 a.m. at West Beach on Salt Island Road when he saw a plane flying low over the water, according to Ralph Buck, a captain of the Westbrook Fire Department. He told authorities it looked as if the plane took a nose dive, though he didn't see a splash, Buck said.
No airport in the area reported any planes missing, according to state police Lt. Cliff M'Sadoques."
At 4 p.m., the Coast Guard called off the search. No trace of any aircraft was found.
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Three women in the Ovando, Montana, area, about 50 miles northeast of Missoula, reported seeing an airplane trailing smoke, and falling from it were objects looking like parachutes. A ranchwoman told officers she saw a "board-like object" fall from the plane. Sheriff Ed Barrow and a deputy, despite falling temperatures and four feet of snow, made a ground search, joined by a ski-equipped plane which flew over the designated area, but nothing was found.
Two days later, there was a new hope when a boy living near Ovando reported an explosion he had seen on a hillside near his home. He described it as a "big explosion" with red and yellow flames. The time and general location given by the boy agrees with the stories told by the three women, officers said. Malmstrom AFB officials at Great Falls and Civilian Aeronautics Administration authorities all agreed that no planes, military, commercial, or private were missing.
On Feb. 18, Carl Schirmer, coordinator of the Montana search and rescue team announced, "There is nothing warranting any further search. The Sheriff went up where the disturbance was reported to be seen and could not find a thing."
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"Butler County, Ohio, deputies discontinued a search yesterday afternoon for a plane, which reportedly had crashed in Reily Township near Imhoff and Indian Creek Roads late Wednesday night," said this newspaper report. "Deputies said an amateur radio operator heard what he thought was a distress call from a plane believed to be flying from Oxford to Cincinnati about 11 p.m.
"About 1:45 a.m. yesterday, George Mosley, 1203 Azel Avenue, Hamilton, his son and two other boys became separated in the same area while coon hunting. During the separation the boys said they saw a white flash in the sky at treetop level, then heard screaming and a crash. Airports in Hamilton and Butler County had no record of any small craft filing a flight plan during those hours. Deputies used a plane and walked the area in search of a downed plane Wednesday night until fog set in on the Reily area. The search was continued yesterday morning and discontinued after nothing was found."
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Nov. 18, 1955. The first reports told of extensive search parties combing the mountainous region of Dark Hollow, Pennsylvania, looking for a plane believed crashed. The search began after Dale Murphy, civil defense coordinator of Cumberland County, said he received reports from ten GOC members of either hearing or seeing a plane, "probably in trouble," flying about 1,000 feet.
One spotter said she saw it go out of sight behind a hill, then heard something like an explosion. However, checks with various air control agencies failed to turn up any reports of either a plane missing or in trouble.
Air-sea rescue planes were dispatched by Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts to aid ground crews in the search. The planes were requested after two flares were reported over a deep ravine in Dark Hollow. But the aerial search by the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol along with nearly 300 firemen, police, civil defense workers, and volunteers found no trace of a crashed plane. But the persistence of flares renewed the searchers efforts.
On the 20th, yellow flares were reported at 1:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. At 9:30 that night Murphy ordered sirens blown on all fire equipment in the region. Fifteen minutes later, another flare arched into the sky. Finally, on the 22nd Nov., the search was halted, and the "ghost plane" became a legend.
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On November 29, 1996, the day after Thanksgiving, a Miami Township, Ohio, resident was unloading groceries from his car. As he walked into his house, something disruptive happened. "The ground shook, and my house vibrated," commented the gentleman during an interview from his living room three weeks afterward. "It sounded like two concrete slabs crashing together. I could feel the shock of it. My windows and shades even rattled for about thirty seconds. I'd say that the sound shook the house between seven-thirty and eight," the witness added. "About a half-hour or so later, the Franklin Police Department showed up checking around for an airplane crash."
Later that same night, a visit to the Franklin Police Department to inquire about the Franklin search with Lieutenant Massey revealed some conflicting information. "I believe your witness is mistaken," Massey said. "Our search and rescue operation didn't begin until 9:07 p.m., which was in response to the county-wide advisement of a possible plane down in the area."
The search and rescue mission was enormous, and was conducted by several police agencies from the Warren and Montgomery County areas. The search began at 8:49 p.m. when the Miami Township police headquarters received a telephone call from the FAA Flight Service Station located at the Dayton International Airport. Apparently, Rescue Coordination Services advised the Miami Township department of the detection of an ELT beacon (Emergency Locator Transmission), which had originated from an area two miles west of Dayton General Airport. Strangely, the ELT signal was not received locally, as would be expected, but rather was detected by orbiting satellite.
Once the rescue operation was enacted, the search crews raced into an area west — and then later south — of the Wright Brothers/South Dayton General Airport. The reasoning behind the initial change in the search locations is that the ELT signal was evidently changing position, appearing first approximately 15 miles to the northwest of the Wright-Brothers Airport, and then was strangely tracked to a distance of over two miles west of the airport.
At 9:17 p.m., Springboro and Miamisburg units on foot began to detect the profuse smell of hot burning rubber. Strangely, a third location on State Route 741 is also where a second area resident complained of an explosive sound heard, also between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. No physical evidence is known to have been recovered that would indicate there was an aircraft emergency resulting in a crash, as no known debris has been found.
The entire state of affairs regarding the mystery ELT signal, loud booming and crashing sounds heard by independent witnesses from two locations, the visual observation of an object with one red light, the uncertain chain of events at Post 83, the radar track announced to the police agencies by the Dayton International Airport, the smell of burning rubber, the subsequent denial of certain reporting procedures by the DIA which were later found to have occurred, the lack of log entries maintained by DIA operators, the subsequent inquiries as to how the calls were handled by C.A.P., and the involvement of Langley in announcing this to Flight Services are various issues that remain unresolved in this tangled, complicated drama.
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Where Spirits Come to Life
Stone Pile Gap
Dahlonega, Georgia
Stonepile Gap is a pile of stones that mark a grave of a Cherokee woman named Trahlyta who was told to drink from a nearby spring and either the Mountain Medicine Man or the Witch of Cedar Mountain would make her more beautiful with every drink. Rumors of her beautiful looks led Cherokee warrior Wahsega to ask her to marry him but she declined his offer. He then kidnapped her and held her prisoner until she wasted away. As she was dying, she asked to be buried in the mountain where strangers could pass by and drop a stone on her grave. She would then grant them the wish of being happy and beautiful.
Twice men have attempted to move the grave during road construction. Both times at least one person died in an accident while moving the pile. The stone grave remains today in the same place it has always been.
The Ghost of Abraham Lincoln
Considered to be one of America's most beloved presidents, Abraham Lincoln was truly missed after his assassination in 1865. Some say he never left the White House and that he may have decided to permanently call it home. He is said to haunt the White House and has been seen on numerous occasions by visitors and occupants. It's also said you can hear his footsteps near his bedroom and often at night he will knock on the door. Those who have heard the knocks include President Truman and his daughter Margaret who both have heard them while sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom. Many witnesses have claimed to see the former president sitting on the edge of his bed, or laying in bed. Eleanor Roosevelt's secretary Mary Eben said she saw Mr. Lincoln sitting at the edge of the bed putting his boots on which sent her screaming down the halls.
President Theodore Roosevelt has claimed to see the former president in the White House. And Maureen Reagan, the daughter of Ronald Reagan spotted the president once too. In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was staying in the Lincoln bedroom when she heard footsteps and a knock at the door. She got out of bed to answer only to see President Lincoln standing there in his iconic top hat, which caused her to faint on the spot.
The most famous encounter with the spirit of former President Lincoln was witnessed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during his stay at the White House. He was taking a bath late at night with a cigar and a glass of scotch to relax from a day of politics. He got out of the tub, and walked into his adjoining bedroom naked. He was startled when he saw President Lincoln leaning on the mantle above the fireplace. Churchill tapped the ash off of his cigar and said "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage." Lincoln smiled and disappeared before Churchill's eyes, leaving him embarrassed and rushing for his clothes. The ghost of Lincoln still haunts the White House, but he is a spirit that is welcome to stay.
The Doll That Aged
Objects age, they crack, they peel, they get dusty, they degrade. This being known, there are still many who believe that the way this doll has aged is something more, something infinitely creepy, something paranormal.
The family in question has never been named due to wanting anonymity but the story is simple enough. They were an average couple who had children and one Holiday they bought their young daughter a regular, run of the mill doll.
The doll was loved by the young girl but as with most toys and children's possession. The doll was later largely forgotten as the daughter out grew it. Eventually the children moved out of home and the parents rather than throw the toys and memories away decided to store them in the attic. Although the doll had been well played with it was still in rather good condition when it was placed in a box and forgotten about.
About eleven years later the family were having a clean out of the attic when they stumbled across a rather odd looking doll. The doll was wrinkled, aged, like that of a very aged person. The arms were stiff and mummified, wrinkles running along their length. It was when they recognized the clothing and other items in the box that their blood ran cold. It was their daughters doll, once baby faced, it had now aged.
Incredibly it had aged in much the same way a human does. The wrinkles were all in the right areas but it was the eyes that were most haunting. Looking in them they could almost detect a presence, a wisdom, a spirit.
They family got rid of the doll and the new owners soon parted ways with it to a new owner. It is not known where the doll is today or even what it looks like.
There is a bit of debate as to how the doll aged. Doll collectors say that the plastic or organic material had degraded, a kind of rot. However many counter those claims with the fact that doll rot generally leaves a doll cracked, brittle but not wrinkled like this.
Those who take the paranormal stance in regards to this curiosity believe it possibly has an attachment, maybe some entity has taken up residence from the doll, possibly way back when the daughter would still play with it.
Horrifying "Old Hag" Ghost Caught on Camera at Fort Worth Museum
Taken at Texas' Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Hailed as one of the creepiest ghost pictures of all time it was snapped by Redditor KRAMERisKRUNK during a visit to the children's section of the museum with his niece.
He claims that he didn't notice anything unusual at the time, it was only when his niece saw the photo later and asked what the thing in the background was that he realised he had captured far more than a group of children having fun.
Come on, we think he would have noticed a terrifying old lady, hunched over wearing a shawl standing in a child size grocery cart.
A museum employee has since come forward claiming that security guards at the museum have had strange experiences before, such as things being moved, particularly during their Titanic exhibit.
Source: https://myhauntedsalem.tumblr.com/post/170936968327/there-is-no-easy-walk-to-freedom-anywhere-and
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