Haunted Locations part 2
The long-overdue second part of my Haunted Locations articles, this covers some of the better-known locations around the world. Once again, the words are written from memory.
The Chase Coffins
On the island of Barbados stands this deserted tomb. Built in the early 18th century by the wealthy plantation owners the Waldrons, the first known occupant was Mrs Thomasina Goddard, who was interred there in 1807. Shortly afterwards the tomb was sold to the Chase family, who used it to inter their daughters Mary in 1808, and Dorcas in 1812. The tomb was sealed with concrete each time. A month after Dorcas, Colonel Chase died and the tomb was opened to admit his coffin. What the slaves who opened the tomb saw shocked and dismayed them. The two coffins of the Chase daughters lay in disarray, as if flung across the tomb. They were righted, the Colonel's coffin was added, and the tomb was sealed once more.
A relative of the Chase family, Samuel Ames, died in 1816 and plans were made to inter him in the tomb. Once again, the coffins inside had been moved. Only the lonely wooden coffin of the original occupant, Mrs Goddard, lay peacefully in the corner. The tomb was opened again in 1819 to admit another relative, and the same sight met the family. the floor of the tomb was sand, yet there were no footprints or anything else which could give a clue as to how the coffins had been moved. In 1820 the tomb was emptied after reports of banging and wailing noises heard from within, and the coffins were buried elsewhere. No satisfactory explanantion has been given as to how the heavy stone coffins were moved, or indeed how anyone could get into a sealed tomb and do so without leaving a trace.
Picture taken from http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/9175/history2.htm
The Faces in the Floor
In 1971, in a small Spanish town called Belmez, a woman called Maria Gomez Pereira was in her kitchen. She suddenly noticed something appear on her kitchen floor - a human face with distinct features. This naturally disturbed Maria so she had the floor ripped up and replaced, only to have another face appear in exactly the same spot. The floor was ripped up again, and the ground beneath the kitchen was dug up to reveal the remains of several human bodies buried 9 feet down. It was already known that the land on which Senora Pereira's house stood used to be a cemetary, and it appeared that the inhabitants were restless.
Another face appeared on the new floor two weeks later, prompting the floor to be replaced yet again. Two weeks afterwards, another, more feminine, face appeared, surrounded by several smaller ones. Over the course of several months, many faces would appear and disappear, all with distinct expressions which seemed to grow sorrowful if the faces were scrubbed at. EVP recordings came up with wailing, crying and whispering coming from the farmhouse.
Picture taken from http://www.cleveleys.co.uk/paranormal/belmez.htm
The Plague Island
This small island off the coast of Venice hides a dark past. The island of Poveglia (pronounced po-vay-lear) was used to quarantine sufferers of The Black Plague, and the disease-riddled bodies were burnt in Plague Pits. It's estimated that around 40,000 corpses were disposed of in this way. In 1922 a psychiatyric hospital was built on Poveglia, and the patients reported seeing ghosts flitting in and around the building. The hospital was also the domain of a mad doctor who used to perform experiments on the patients, and subject them to varying degrees of torture. Eventually, the doctor killed himself by jumping off the steeple, after he claimed to have seen the ghosts for himself.
Now, Poveglia is off-limits to the public, although plans are being made to open it up once more. Eerie cries emanating from the island have been heard by passing boatmen, and the cound of the bell is still heard...despite the bell being removed in 1913. Poveglia was featured on the TV show "Scariest Places on Earth" and has also been investigated by a select few psychic teams.
Picture taken from http://www.daltramontoallalba.it/luoghi/isolapoveglia.htm
Eastern State Penitentiary
Opened in 1829 as part of the Pennsylvania System, the Penitentiary was the site of many torturous acts which forced incarcarated inmates to lose their minds. The system was used by Quakers and was supposed to keep incorrigibles in complete solitude, which, in theory, would force them to look inside themselves and find God. In reality, the unfortunates placed under this system would end up going insane.
The prisoners at Eastern State were locked in cells comprising of an bunk, a toilet, a table and a Bible. They were let out of their cells for just one hour per day, during which time their heads were covered so as to avoid seeing any other prisoners. Any communication between inmates was strictly forbidden. If a prisoner was caught trying to seek human companionship, however slight, they woudl be subjected to brutal penalties. The mildest of these was a technique called 'The Water Bath'; an inmate was dunked into a bath of ice-cokld water then hung from a wall overnight. during winter, a layer of ice would often form on the inmate's skin.
This, and other more inhumane punishments, led to the prison being closed in 1971. Since then, eerie sounds and paranormal activity have been reported by visitors to the site. A locksmith, hired to open a 140 year old lock, was overcome by a powerful force that rendered him unable to move. There have been reports of faces apopearing on cell walls, of apparitions swirling around cells, and sounds of giggling, whispering and crying coming from inside.
Picture taken from http://crime.about.com/od/prison/ig/Eastern-State-Penitentiary/
Ghost Ship
Once a World War 2 transport ship, the Queen Mary is now a converted hotel resting on the coast of Long Beach, CA. Moored here permanently since 1967, the Queen Mary has been the location of many reputed hauntings and has sparked media interest. There have been reports of people dressed in wartime bathing costumes being seen around the pool, and wet footprints leading away from it - despite there having been no water in the pool for some time.
Other spirits have been seen in other parts of the ship; a White Lady is seen drifting up and down the promenade deck, and the ghost of a crewman called John has been seen, heard and felt in the engine room. After talking to his ghost, one guest in this area felt something brush past her face. When she saw her reflection later, a grease smear was on her cheek in the exact same place.
Picture taken from http://www.ghostvillage.com/resources/2007/gc_06272007.shtml
The Ghosts of Monte Cristo
This picturesque homestead in New South Wales is Australia's most haunted house. The first occupants were the Crawleys in 1884, and after William Crawley died in 1910 his wife became a recluse, only leaving the house twice in the ensuing years. She eventually passed on due to heart failure in 1933. Since her death, there have been numerous reports of her ghost being seen in her former room, and the whole house is permeated with her presence. Her spirit has been known to tell guests off and many tourists have been scared away by the sight of her. Footprints have been heard distinctly on carpeted floors, and lights have been turned on when nobody has been in the house. Several people have said that something unseen has prevented the from going up certain flights of stairs, particularly when children have been around. The ghosts of children have been seen in the grounds, only to disappear when approached.
The current owners of Monte Cristo, Reg and Olive Ryan, report that they have tried unsuccessfully to have pet cats since moving in. One cat their children befriended had kittens, most of which died within 4 months of unexplained causes. The surviving kitten was found by Olive in her kitchen with its eyes gouged out and it's stomach sliced open. the house stood empty at the time. Perhaps Mrs Crawley didn't like cats...
Picture taken from http://www.montecristo.com.au/
Gef, the Talking Mongoose
The Isle of Man is a small, yet beautiful island off the British coast. It's steeped in local folklore and ghost stories, mostly occurring at the north-west corner of the island. One of the most famous legends of this land is that of Gef, widely thought of as the Talking Mongoose. The story of Gef began in 1931, when the Irving family began to hear strange noises coming from the attic of their farmhouse. Over a short period of time these noises seemed to be turning into a voice, one which could mimic the members of the family. Eventually, the voice introduced itself as Gef, a mongoose born in Delhi in the year 1852. Quite what an 80 year old mongoose was doing in their attic, the Irvings never found out, but over the years Gef became a good companion to them. Nobody ever saw him, except the daughter Voirrey, but his voice was heard quite regularly talking, telling jokes and even singing along with the family. Gef would also indulge in a little espionage, spying on the other inhabitants of the area and reporting back to the Irvings. Gef also proved to be quite mischevious, and the family would regularly find objects moved around or even thrown across the room.
News of Gef got around, and attracted many visitors. The British investigator Harry Price - known for his investigations at Borley Rectory - came to the island to try and find evidence of Gef, but all he found were hairs which could have belonged to the family dog, and footprints which could have been made by a cat. The family left the area in 1937 and the locals believed that Gef left with them, although the new owner of the house claimed to have shot a mongoose-type creature wandering his grounds...
While the story of Gef isn't a ghost story as such, I included it as it's a tale that has baffled experts for many years; Was Gef really just a mongoose who somehow acquired the ability to talk? Could he have been a Familiar which took on the shape of a mongoose, a common creature on the Isle of Man? Could the voice really just have come from one of the family instead? Pwerhaps he was something else altogether...we shall never know.
http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/category/photos/isle-of-man/
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