Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky






Is the Longest cave system in the world. New discoveries and connections add several miles to the already known 390 miles each year. 
    The story of human beings in relation to Mammoth cave spans six thousand years. Several sets of Native American remains have been recovered from the cave, or other near by caves in the region, in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Most mummies found represent examples of intentional burial, with ample evidence of pre-columbian funerary practice.
        One of the most interesting of these spirits is a lady by the name of Melissa”. A letter was discovered that indicated that she lived near the cave for quite some time. This occurred in the mid 1800’s. As it is told, Melissa fell in love with a man. He was named Mr. Beverleigh and acted as her tutor. Unfortunately, the tutor did not seem to feel the same way that she did, but fell in love with her neighbor and friend. It is believed that she intentionally led this individual on a tour of the cave, and then left him behind. Because he was not familiar with the passageways, he died. Today, many claim that Melissa still visits the cave as a spirit and that the man is still trying to find his way out, despite the fact that both are now deceased. 
    Another story comes from Charlie Hanion, a former cave guide who became a nature writer. He and a friend were leading a "Lantern Tour" of the cave (a historic tour designed to give the visitor an idea of how early tourists saw the cave) and as his friend was talking to the assembled group, a girl of about 14 years-old turned to Hanion and asked who the man standing near the rocks was. Hanion looked about 40 feet away and saw a man in old-fashioned, formal attire. He was dressed in a fashion that tourists from decades past would have dressed to tour the cave. The man quickly vanished!
    Floyd Collins is another spirit that seems to frequent the caves as a spirit. This man was an avid explorer in life, and it is said that as he ventured into the magnificent cave, rocks fell on him and left him trapped. While he was found by friends, it was difficult for them to conclude a method to remove him from the area. As time progressed, the cave fell a bit more. The new cave in eventually killed Floyd Collins. Today, it is said that his spirit still resides within the passageways of the cave.
    An exception to purposeful burial was discovered when in 1935 the remains of an adult male were discovered under a large boulder. The boulder had shifted and settled onto the victim, a pre-Columbian miner, who had disturbed the rubble supporting it. The remains of the ancient victim were named "Lost John" and exhibited to the public into the 1970s, when they were interred in a secret location in Mammoth Cave for reasons of preservation as well as emerging political sensitivities with respect to the public display of Native American remains.
    Besides the remains that have been discovered in the portion of the cave accessible through the Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave, the remains of cane torches used by Native Americans, as well as other artifacts such as drawings, gourd fragments, and woven grass moccasin slippers are found in the Salts Cave section of the system in Flint Ridge.
    Legend has it that the first European to discover Mammoth Cave was either John Houchin or his brother Francis Houchin, in 1797. While hunting, Houchin pursued a wounded bear to the cave's large entrance opening near the Green River. Some Houchin Family tales have John Decatur "Johnny Dick" Houchin as the discoverer of the cave, but this is highly unlikely because Johnny Dick was only 10 years old in 1797 and was unlikely to be out hunting bears at such a tender age. His father John is the more likely candidate from that branch of the family tree, but the most probable candidate for discoverer of Mammoth Cave is Francis "Frank" Houchin whose land was much closer to the cave entrance than his brother John's. There is also the argument that their brother Charles Houchin, who was known as a great hunter and trapper, was the man who shot that bear and chased it into the cave.  According to family records passed down through the Houchin, and later Henderson families, John Houchin was bear hunting and the bear turned and began to chase him. He found the cave entrance when he ran into the cave for protection from the charging bear.
    In July 1812, the cave was purchased from Simon and other owners by Charles Wilkins and an investor from Philadelphia named Hyman Gratz. Soon the cave was being mined for calcium nitrate on an industrial scale.
A half-interest in the cave changed hands for ten thousand dollars (a huge sum at the time). After the war when prices fell, the workings were abandoned and it became a minor tourist attraction centering on a Native American mummy discovered nearby.


                      HAUNTED MAMMOTH CAVE
Eerie stories tell of unexplained sounds, strange lights, bizarre noises, disembodied footsteps and of course, apparitions and spirits. However skeptics maintain there are explanations for these things. A person so imagination can play tricks on them in the dark and footsteps and voices can seem ghostly when there are echoes from other parts of the cave. They also state that stories of encounters with ghosts in Mammoth Cave are told by tourists and visitors who have no previous experience with caves and with the natural phenomena that accompanies them. But there are others who would say that this isn’t true. While many of the stories are indeed accounts told by visitors to the cave, others are not so easy to explain away. Many of the tales are experiences shared by park rangers, cave explorers, spelunkers and even geologists who are fully aware of what strange things a cave can do.
    Believers in the resident ghosts can cite a number of reasons why the cave might be haunted. The long history of the place includes accidents from the days of the saltpeter operations, Native Americans who wandered into the cave and never found their way out, stranded travelers, missing cave explorers, tragic tuberculosis victims and even those who loved the place so much that they have never left --or so the stories go.
    Another tale from Crystal Cave is attributed to a former employee named George Wood, who filed it as a report back in 1976. He wrote that he and another employee, Bill Cobb, had spent a day in June checking springs for a study on groundwater flow in central Kentucky. They didn't make it to the last spring until after dark and it was located near the old and abandoned Collins house on Flint Ridge. Cobb went to the spring while Wood waited near the truck. After a few moments, he heard the sound of a man crying out in the darkness. At first, he thought it was his friend calling for help, but the voice seemed too high-pitched. It was also so faint that he had to listen carefully to hear what it was saying. The voice cried: "Help me! Help me! Help me, I'm trapped! Johnny, help me!" It called out over and over again.
As he stood there on the edge of the dark road, he felt a cold chill run down his back. He vividly recalled hearing and reading about Floyd Collins and how he was trapped in Sand Cave --- which was located just a short distance from where he was standing! A few minutes later, Cobb returned and Wood asked him if he had been calling for him. The other man had heard nothing while at the spring, but after hearing Wood's account, admitted that he was spooked. In fact, they both were and didn't waste any time in getting back in the truck and driving off.


   

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Haunted U.K









Denham Church, Suffolk, England:
Denham Church is located in the village of Denham St. Mary in Suffolk, England. Denham hall stands right next to the church, and these two structures have been shrouded in mystery for countless years regarding the existence of paranormal entities. There are at least eleven known ghosts that haunt the hall, which include: a monk who walks the footpath, a lady walking on the nearby bridge, and another lady who walks outside of the church gate. There is also a misty figure that seems to be floating from the large hill that slopes down from the church. Two red eyes have also been seen staring at people from that same hill. Two apparitions of females have been seen on the grounds.
One walks up the path of an old cottage, and the other is seen walking around the gardens at daylight wearing Victorian clothes. New reports are of the ghost of an old farmer that have now been released. This farmer is seen by the old farm building and is believed to have been killed around the year of 1920 in a gruesome accident. The legend is that this unlucky farmer had his head cut off under the wheels of a horse drawn carriage. The ghost is said to be still headless, and certainly appears to be looking for his missing head. Within the hall, there have been a number of paranormal events.
Small colored lights have been seen moving around, a bloodstain appears and disappears in a certain spot on the floor from time to time, and footsteps and whispering voices can be heard. Along the road from the church, people have reported hearing the sound of a chain being dragged across. This chain sound apparently always stops at the same spot that was once a major crossroads. When the chain stops, a clear ball can be seen hovering above this spot for about five minutes before it disappears.
Many years ago, a 16 year-old girl lived in the village and was always checked out by the local men because she was so beautiful. The wives of these men were jealous and unhappy that this was happening, so they assumed that this girl must be a witch for trying to take the men away from them. This poor girl was then found guilty of practicing witchcraft, and was locked in the church for a week or two before the people of the town decided on what the best course of action would be to take. She was chained, dragged down the road, and thrown into the well where she drowned. They then took her body and buried it across the road. Her body was dug up years later, upon which she was still in chains. She was given a full Christian burial following this, but it seems as though her ghost remains with her chains, duplicating the event that shattered her once beautiful existence.







The Tower of London, London, England:
One of the spookiest buildings is the Tower of London. Grim, grey and awe-inspiring, the Tower has dominated the London landscape and the pages of history, since its construction by William the Conqueror in 1078 and today it is, perhaps, the most haunted building in England.
One such spirit said to haunt the tower is that of Henry VI whose reign ended here with his murder in the hour before midnight its said that the Duke of Gloucester (later the infamous Richard III). Stabbed him as he prayed. Now every year on the anniversary of his murder his spirit rises and walks the halls of the tower and then slowly fades away.
  There's also the spirit called "The White Lady" who once stood at a window waving to a group of children in the building opposite. It may well be her 'cheap perfume" that impregnantes the air around the entrance to St. John's Chapel.
    In the gallery where Henry VIII's impressive and exaggerating suit of armour is exhibited, several guards have spoken of a terrible crushing sensation that suddenly descends upon them as they enter but lifts the moment they stagger, shaking from the room. A guard patrolling through here one stormy night got the sudden and unnerving sensation that somone had thrown a heavy cloak over him. As he struggled to free himself, the garment was seized from behind and pulled tight around his throat by his phantom attacker. Managing to break free from its sinister grasp, he rushed back to the guardroom where the marks upon his neck bore vivid testimony to his brush with the unseen assailant. 
  A memorial on Tower Green remembers all those unfortunate souls who have been executed here over the centuries. Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are both said to return to the vicinity, whilst the ghost of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury returns here in a dramatic and alarming fashion. At the age of seventy-two she became an unwitting and undeserving target for Henry VIII's petty vengeance. Her son, Cardinal Pole had vilified the kings claim as head of the church in England. When told by the executioner to kneel, the spirited old lady refused. “So should traitors do and I am none” she sneered. The executioner raised his axe, took a swing at her and then chased the screaming Countess around the scaffold where he, literally, hacked her to death. The shameful spectacle has been repeated several times on the anniversary of her death, as her screaming phantom continues to be chased throughout eternity by a ghostly executioner.          
The Bloody Tower, the very name of which conjures up all manner of gruesome images, is home to the most poignant shades that drift through this dreadful fortress. When Edward IV died suddenly in April 1483, his twelve year old son was destined to succeed him as Edward V. However, before his coronation could take place, both he and his younger brother, Richard, had been declared illegitimate by Parliament and it was their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester who ascended the throne as Richard III. The boys, meanwhile, had been sent to the Tower of London, ostensibly in preparation for Edward’s Coronation, and were often seen playing happily around the grounds. But then, around June 1483, they mysteriously vanished, and were never seen alive again. It was always assumed, that they had been murdered on Richard’s instructions and their bodies buried, somewhere within the grounds of The Tower. When two skeletons were uncovered beneath a staircase of the White Tower in 1674, they were presumed to be the remains of the two little princes and afforded Royal burial in Westminster Abbey. The whimpering wraiths of the two children, dressed in white nightgowns, and clutching each other in terror have frequently been seen in the dimly lit rooms of their imprisonment. Witnesses are moved to pity and long to reach out and console the pathetic spectres. But, should they do so, the trembling revenants back slowly against the wall and fade into the fabric.











Ordsall Hall, Salford, England:

Ordsall Hall is located in Salford, England, and is known as one of many homes to England’s “White Ladies.” A white female apparition has been seen frequently, seemingly floating among the grounds. The inside of the hall is believed to be even more haunted, which includes phenomena such as electrical equipment malfunctions, the sound of knocks, footsteps, and doors opening and closing. Ghostly apparitions have also been reported within the walls of the hall. The oldest part of the building dates all the way back to 1177 C.E. We know this because the name Ordeshala paid a feudal tax in the public records of that year.
    The hall is probably most famous for being the home of the Radclyffe family. Margaret Radclyffe is generally the center of the spiritual activity that takes place on the property of Ordsall Hall. Alexander was the name of Margaret’s twin brother, and in 1599 he went off to fight in Ireland. He died in battle, never returning home. This would lead to the death of Margaret, who seemingly died of a broken heart. Legend has it that Margaret will continue to haunt Ordsall Hall, waiting for her brother to return home.







Muncaster Castle, England:
 Is a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, about a mile south of the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria, England.
    Muncaster Castle has acquired a reputation for being one of the most haunted houses in Britain. However, this has only been the case since the 1990s (Even though the castle has been reportedly haunted for centuries), partly due to the investigations of Jason Braithwaite of Birmingham University into whether the alleged hauntings are down to environmental factors such as magnetic disturbances, and partly due to the drastic rebranding of the Muncaster Castle estates to appeal to tourists for more than merely its acclaimed gardens at the turn into the 21st Century. This was in order to ensure that it remained in Pennington hands (the financial situation was acute enough at one stage for them to admit in a BBC documentary called Castle Ghosts of the British Isles, that the estate was in danger of being sold as they could not afford much needed repairs to the roof). 
Prior to the 21st Century, most ghost books that bothered to list Muncaster mentioned only two ghosts, that of Henry VI (who was sheltered at Muncaster after his defeat at the battle of Hexham) and the head carrying ghost of an apprentice carpenter who was decapitated whilst sleeping in the old stable block by jester Thomas Skelton (Tom The Fool) at the orders of Sir Ferdinand Pennington because of his love affair with his daughter Helwise.
    However, visitors to the castle have long been informed by guides that as well as the above, the ghost of Skelton and the vengeful ghost in white of Mary Bragg - a foul-mouthed local girl who was murdered by being hanged from the Main Gate by drunken youths in the 19th Century after they'd kidnapped her for a joke: those responsible were never brought to justice. There were even tales that a lion shot by the last Lord Muncaster in Kenya, and whose skull is kept in the castle, was sometimes heard prowling (& gently growling) around at nightfall.
  Guests may book a tour of the castle and an all-night vigil in a haunted bedroom known as the Tapestry Room, where guest reports of paranormal phenomena include: hearing footsteps, seeing the door open of its own accord, hearing a crying child (allegedly Margaret Susan Pennington, who died of screaming fits in the 19th Century) and/or a singing woman, having their digital cameras turn off and on inexplicably, feeling themselves patted, experiencing changes of room temperature, chest pains, and even being inexplicably tossed out of the bed.










The Marsden Grotto, Tyne and Wear, England:
Is a pub that was partly dug into the cliff face and fronted with a more conventional building opening onto the beach.
It is commonly known as the Grotto.
  There have long been tales of hauntings at the Grotto, mainly relating to a smuggler named John the Jibber who was reputedly murdered by his fellow criminals after selling information to HM Customs. It is said that he was hung in a barrel in a cave close to the present lift shaft and left to starve. Until the pub was sold by Vaux, it was said that the landlord would leave out a special tankard of ale each night after closing and, in the morning, it would be empty. Local DJ and TV presenter, Alan Robson drank from the tankard during one of his live Metro Radio shows, allegedly sparking off a series of supernatural phenomena that eventually forced the then landlord to quit. This included flying ashtrays smashing against the wall and flooding in the cellar after all the beer taps were inexplicably turned on. Unfortunately the original tankard was lost during refurbishment. A replacement is on display, but is no longer filled up each night for the ghost. The pub was also the venue for a uktv investigation in 2001, where paranormal researchers claimed to have identified at least seven different spirits.










Malahide Castle, Ireland:
Malahide Castle which is the oldest in habited castle in Ireland has not one ghost to frighten its guests but FIVE.


The first ghost is that of Sir Walter Hussey, who on his wedding day was killed in battle during the 15th century by a spear wound to the side of his body.
Sir Walter can bee seen wandering and groaning throughout the castle pointing at the deadly wound. It is believed that he haunts the castle venting his resentment towards his young bride, who upon his death married his rival.
Lady Maud Plunkett who had been married three times is the second ghost to haunt Malahide Castle. Her last marriage was to a Lord Chief Justice. By this stage of her life she had become a notorious virago, and she can bee seen chasing her husband through the corridors of the Castle.
The Chief Justice himself is the third of our ghosts to haunt Malahide Castle. He who simply appears to provide his spouse with an opportunity of taking a little exercise. I will leave what type of exercise to your imagination….
Our fourth ghost and probably the most interesting is that of Miles Corbett. During Cromwell’s reign, the castle and property were handed to Miles. During his occupation of the castle, Miles committed many atrocities but the worst was the desecration of the chapel of the old abbey near the castle.
For his crimes he was hanged, drawn and quartered and when his ghost first appears it seems to be a perfectly whole soldier in armor. But! If you are brave enough to be still around when you meet him you will find that he falls into four pieces before your very eyes.

The fifth and final ghost is that of a 16th century court jester called “Puck”. Puck had the misfortune of falling in love with a relation of Lady Elenora Fitzgerald, who under orders from Henry VIII was being detained at the castle due to her rebellious nature.


Poor Puck was found close to the castle during a snowy December night and for his troubles was stabbed through the heart. With his dying breath he swore and oath that he would haunt the castle until a reigning lord chose a bride from the common people. Pucks latest reported sighting was in 1976 when the castles contents were sold off in May of that year.
His dwarf like specter can be seen in many photographs taken at the castle but the most vivid is on were his wrinkled old face is seen peering out of the ivy on the walls of malahide castle.








South Bridge Underground Vaults, Edinburgh, Scotland:
 Are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was completed in 1788. For around 30 years, the vaults were used to house taverns, cobblers and other tradesmen, and as storage space for illicit material, reportedly including the bodies of people killed by serial killers Burke and Hare for medical experiments.
As the conditions in the vaults deteriorated, mainly because of damp and poor air quality, the businesses left and the very poorest of Edinburgh's citizens moved in, though by around 1820, even they are believed to have left too. That people had lived there was only discovered in 1985 during an excavation, when middens were found containing toys, medicine bottles, plates, and other signs of human habitation.
As the industrial revolution took hold of Britain, the Cowgate area had developed into Edinburgh's slum. Slum dwellers took over the vaults and they became a renowned red light district with countless brothels and pubs operating within the abandoned complex. The vaults also served as additional slum housing for the city’s poor. Living conditions were appalling. The rooms were cramped, dark and damp. There was no sunlight, poorly circulated air, no running water, and no sanitation. Many rooms housed families of more than ten people. Crimes, including robbery and murder, soon plagued the Vaults. Burke and Hare, the infamous serial killers who sold corpses to medical schools, are rumoured to have hunted for victims in the Edinburgh Vaults.
Paranormal reports
The frequent reports of paranormal activity and ghost sightings resulted in the UK paranormal entertainment show, Most Haunted, to investigate the vaults in both a 24 hour investigation and for a Most Haunted Live show on Halloween 2006. The television show Ghost Adventures investigated the vaults and claimed to have numerous encounters with spirits there.
In 2001, Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire invited subjects to spend time in the Edinburgh Vaults. His study concluded that people who believed in ghosts reported more supernatural experiences than disbelievers, that participants consistently reported unusual sensations in areas they were told were haunted, and that there was an increased report of incidents in Vault rooms with a decidedly more sinister visual appearance or stronger cold air flow. Professor Wiseman’s study suggests that visitors may help create the haunted experience they expect to find in the Vaults.
However in 2009 a BBC TV production team filming a one-off TV special featuring Joe Swash recorded unexplained voices in the vaults during an overnight sleepover by Swash. One voice appeared to be that of a Catholic priest reciting the Last Rites. Swash was the only person in the vaults and did not hear the voices himself at the time of recording, despite the sounds being audible on his own microphone. The voices continued to be heard on the recording for some 20 minutes before abruptly ceasing after what appears to be the sound of children yelling. BBC sound engineers initially thought the sounds may be explained by voices drifting into the tunnels from nightclubs nearby but this was found to be incorrect and no other logical explantion could be found. The recordings were broadcast as part of the finished program Joe Swash Believes in Ghosts on BBC Three in January 2010.
 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Haunted Places Around the World










The Alkimos shipwreck, Australia:
The Alkimos was a greek owned merchant ship which was wrecked on the coast of Perth Western Australia in 1963. The wreck is a popular diving venue, and is also reputed to be haunted, making it of interest to ghost hunters.
   The ship was built during world war II by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards in Baltimore as part of the United States' Liberty ship program and was originally scheduled to be named George M. Shriver. It was launched on October 11, 1943. However, on October 20, the vessel was re-assigned to the Norwegian Shipping & Trade Mission, was re-christened Viggo Hansteen. And saw war service for about 18 months, primarily in the Mediterranean and was crewed by mariners of various nationalities. It served as a troopship and transported cargo, in convoys that were sometimes attacked by German aircraft and U-boats.
    A murder-suicide took place on board Viggo Hansteen in August 1944, while the ship was at Naples (some sources say Piombino); Canadian radio operator Maude Steane is reported to have been shot by another crew member, who then killed himself.
    After the war it was sold to a Greek shipping company and renamed Alkimos, after a word meaning "strong" and a Greek god, Álkimos.
    As Alkimos, the ship plied the world's oceans for some two decades. In March 1963, the vessel was on a voyage from Jakarta to Bunbury when it struck a reef off the Western Australian coast. It was salvaged and towed to Fremantle, the port city for Perth, where it underwent repairs for two months. After settlement of a dispute concerning payment for the repairs, the Alkimos left Fremantle under tow by an ocean-going tug from Hong Kong.
     Only a few hours out of port, the tow line gave way and the Alkimos was driven onto the shore. Although the ship remained intact, it could not be floated off at that time, and so it was filled with water to secure it in place and left in the charge of an on-board caretaker. Another tug returned in January 1964 and the ship was refloated, but the planned journey to Manila had hardly begun when the tug was seized at sea by authorities and the Alkimos was left anchored. In May 1964, the vessel broke anchor and was driven onto the Eglinton Rocks near present-day Yanchep. On this occasion it was more severely damaged, and all thought of salvaging it intact was abandoned.
    It was later sold by the owners for scrap. However, in 1969, salvage workers were driven off the wreck by a fire. One of the salvage workers also reported hearing ghostly noises. After that time, the partly dismantled remains of the ship sat in several metres of water, visible to visitors, but gradually disintegrating.
       
                                                           Ghost stories
    A variety of events and allegations throughout the vessel's history have given rise to it being regarded as being 'jinxed', cursed or haunted, both during its working life and since it was wrecked. This aspect is the main focus of present-day interest in the ship.
    Allegations that, during it's hasty construction a defining characteristic of Liberty Ships welders were sealed between hulls and their ghosts have haunted the vessel ever since.
    Apparitions of a small dog in the engine room during the ship's service.
    A woman, working on board as a caretaker, suffering a serious fall, resulting in the birth of a premature stillborn baby.
    Phenomena reported by salvage workers occupying the wreck, including: footsteps heard on ladders and following workers around the vessel at night.
    Cooking smells and noises emanating from the galley.
  Tools were reported to be moved by unseen hands.
    An apparition of a human figure in rubber boots and oilskins (nicknamed "Harry"), has been sighted on the wreck by various people including local cray fishermen.
    The skull of Herbert Voight, a prominent long distance swimmer, being found near the wreck after he vanished in 1969, while attempting to swim between Cottesole Beach and Rottnest Island.
    The ship being bought and sold at least eight times while stranded, along with suggestions that purchasers suffered bad luck (such as bankruptcy and life threatening illness.)
    Bad luck is also said to have plagued other people associated with the wreck:
  A US Navy submariner by the name of Ted Snider was killed in a plane crash after assessing the wreck.
    Jack Wong Sue was hospitalised, in intensive care, with an unidentified respiratory disease after researching the ship.
  Numerous other stories of near drownings, engine failures and accidents near the wreck are reported.
    Horses riding along the beach are claimed to refuse to pass the wreck.






Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, Australia:
Originally known as Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum is a decommissioned psychiatric hospital located in Beechworth, a town of Victoria, Australia. Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum was the four such Hospital to be built in Victoria, being one of the three largest. Mayday Hills Hospital closed in 1995 after 128 years of operation.
   
                                  Admission process
People could be admitted to the asylum as a lunatic patient by a number of means:
    At the request of a friend, relative or acquaintance, with medical certificates written by two medical practitioners. This method was amended by The Mental Health Act 1959 which stated a person could be admitted upon the recommendation of a medical practitioner who had examined the person. As soon as possible after admission the superintendent of the hospital was required to examine the patient and either approve the recommended admission or discharge the patient.
    Any (lunatic) person found wandering at large or not under proper care and control could be brought before two justices who could order the person's removal to an asylum. The police were usually responsible for bringing the person before the two justices.
    Any prisoner of the Crown thought to be a lunatic could be removed from a gaol to an asylum by order of the Chief Secretary.
    Voluntary Boarders were those who requested that they be admitted for a mutually agreed period of time (from 1915 onwards).
    To be admitted, only two signatures were required. To be discharged, eight signatures were required, thus it was a lot harder to get out than to get in.
                                           Ghosts
    One of the ghosts most often seen at Beechworth is that of Matron Sharpe her apparition has been seen in several different parts of the hospital. Matron Sharpe's ghost has been seen in the former dormitory area, which is now part of Latrobe University's computer rooms. Witnesses have seen her walking down the granite staircase and into one of the classrooms. Matron Sharpe was apparently very compassionate toward the patients, which is uncharacteristic of the era.
    One patient whose ghost is thought to haunt Beechworth is Tommy Kennedy. Tommy was well liked at the hospital and was given a job as a kitchen hand. Tommy actually died in the kitchen which is now part of the Bijou theatre, it is here that people have said they have felt the sensation of someone tugging at their clothes or poking their ribs.
The Reaction Hall was an area where patients could sing, play music or perform in plays, on Sundays the hall doubled as the chapel. In 1939 the hall became a cinema, where inmates could come in to watch movies. There are two common sightings in the hall, one is of a young girl, who approaches women and desperately tries to communicate with them. The other ghost has been seen in a window that was once part of the Bell Tower; the apparition of an elderly man facing away from the window is often seen.
    The Grevillia wing was the section of the hospital all patients feared, it has been closed for 13 years, and now in a derelict state. As medication wasn't introduced until the 1950s, restraints such as straightjackets and even shackles were commonly used as well as electro-shock treatment. Electro shock treatment was widely used in the hospitals early days and there are stories of mass treatments in which almost the entire patient population was shocked in one session. When the shocks were administered the patient's bodies either splayed out backwards with force or contracted inward into a fetal position, which ever position ligaments would snap, bones were often broken and teeth shattered.
There are two common sightings in Grevillia, one is thought to be that of an unknown male doctor, his apparition has been seen wandering the corridors at night. The other is Matron Sharpe whose ghost was often seen in this area by the nurses who worked at Mayday Hills. They would report seeing the Matron sitting with patients who were due to have electro-shock treatment. Those who say they've witnessed this say the room was icy cold, but her presence was comforting, and seemed to bring a sense of reassurance to the patients.
    Workmen at the hospital have reported hearing the sound of children laughing and playing; when they investigate the sound they are unable to trace there source. Several years ago on a ghost tour a parent noticed their 10 year old son talking to himself when asked who he was talking to the boy said he was talking to a boy called James who lived there.
    A patient, a woman who was a big chain smoker was thrown out of a window to her death by another patient who wanted her cigarettes. Because the woman was Jewish her body was not allowed to be moved until a Rabbi had seen it, so her body was left lying out the front of the hospital dead for 2 days whilst the Rabbi made the trip up from Melbourne. Her ghost has been seen on the spot where she fell, by several witnesses over the last decade. The photo on the right was taken of the window from which she was thrown, an orb is clearly visable in the photo.
    The gardens of Beechworth have long been subdivided into allotments; those who live nearby have seen the ghost of a man, wearing a green woolen jacket. The ghost is thought to be of a gardener named Arthur who worked the gardens for many years earning ten shillings a week. He wore his green jacket in winter and summer and no one could persuade him to remove it. After Arthur died, it was discovered why Arthur had been secretly storing his wages in the seam of his jacket. When the nurses opened it, they found 140 pounds, over four years of his wages, hidden inside.
    There's one final and grizzly tale of a patient who disappeared, despite efforts by staff to locate him. Several weeks later his location was discovered when the resident dog Max, was found chewing a leg near the gate house at the grounds entry. A second search found the body up in a tree; the body had decomposed so badly that his leg had come off. The ghost of the patient has been seen near the entrance to the Asylum, the sightings have often been in the early hours of the morning.







Monte Cristo Homestead, Junee Australia:
Is a historic Australian property located in the town of Junee, New South Wales. Constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885, it is a double-story late-Victorian manor standing on a hill overlooking the town.
    The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948. The house then stood empty under the care of several caretakers until 1963 when it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its current condition. It operates as a museum, antique store and tourist attraction.
    Monte Cristo is claimed to be Australia's most haunted house, with reports of ghostly figures, strange lights, invisible forcefields, phantom sounds and animal mutilations. These are attributed to several tragic incidents in the property's past including the murder of a caretaker in 1961 and the imprisonment of a mentally impaired man for many years in the dairy. During the Crawleys' occupation a young child is said to have been fatally dropped down the stairs, a maid to have fallen from the balcony, and a stable boy to have been burnt to death.







Princess Theatre, Melbourne Australia:
It was first erected in 1854 by actor-manager George Coppin, who would create Melbourne's theatre land. He already owned the Olympic (known as the 'Iron Pot') on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, installed gas lights in November 1855 into Astley's, and then he would go on to take over the Theatre Royal in Bourke Street.
    The Princess Theatre is the second building on the present site - the first being Astley's Amphitheatre which opened in 1854 containing a central ring for equestrian entertainment and a stage at one end for dramatic performances. It was named in honour of the Astley Royal Amphitheatre, also known as Astley's Amphitheatre, near Westminster Bridge, London.
In 1857, the amphitheatre was renovated and the facade extended, then re-opening as the Princess Theatre and Opera House.
    By 1885, the partnership of J. C. Williamson, George Musgrove and Arthur Garner, had been formed and they became known as 'The Triumvirate', the business becoming known as J. C. Williamson's. The Triumvirate resolved to build a new theatre.
    Completed in 1886 to the design of architect William Pitt; George Gordon to design the interior; and Cockram and Comely as the builders; re-development of the Theatre took place at a cost of £50,000. The design is in the exuberant Second Empire style, and the theatre forms part of the Victorian streetscape of Spring Street.
When completed, it featured the world's first sliding or retractable roof and ceiling. It also featured state-of-the-art electrical stage lighting.
    The theatre re-opened, again, on 18 December 1886, with a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. The marble staircase and foyer was hailed as equal to that of the Paris Opera, the Frankfurt Stadt and the Grand in Bordeaux.
On 26 December 1922, new owners Ben Fuller and Hugh J. Ward renovated and reopened the theatre, with a performance of The O'Brien Girl.
    In 1987, David Marriner purchased the Princess Theatre; he renovated and had the 1922 origins documented, then 9 December 1989, the theatre re-opened with the musical Les Misérables, followed by The Phantom of the Opera, establishing a new record for the longest running show ever staged in Victoria.
                               Ghost sightings
The theatre has experienced several reported ghost sightings.
    On the evening of 3 March 1888, the baritone Frederick Baker, known under the stage name "Frederick Federici", was performing the role of Mephistopheles in Gounod's opera Faust. This production ended with Mephistopheles sinking dramatically through a trapdoor returning to the fires of hell with his prize, the unfortunate Dr Faustus. The audience was spellbound. As the audience held its collective breath as Federici was lowered down through the stage into this basement, he had a heart attack and died immediately. They laid him on the floor, lifeless, in his crimson vestments. He never came back onstage, never took the bows. When the company was gathered together to be told that Federici had died, they asked, "When?". Being told of what had happened at the end of the opera, they said, "He's just been onstage and taken the bows with us." Since then, many people who have never heard of the Federici story have claimed to see a ghostly figure in evening dress at the theatre. For many years, the third-row seat in the dress circle was kept vacant in his honour.
    When a documentary was made nearly 80 years later, by Kennedy Miller in the early 1970s, a photograph of the film set revealed an ashen-faced, partly transparent observer. No-one on the set saw the figure on that day; only the photograph revealed 'the ghost'.






Dragsholm Castle, Zealand Denmark:
Is a historic building in Hørve, Denmark‎.    Dragsholm Slot is one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark.
    For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”. From the original palace over the medieval castle to the current baroque style, Dragsholm Castle has had an influence on and been influenced by changing times and the surrounding community. Today, Dragsholm Castle has restaurant and hotel facilities.
    The original Dragsholm Castle was built around 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde. During the middle ages, the building was modified from the original palace to a fortified castle. During the Count's Feud (1534–36) (Grevens Fejde) it was so strong that it was the only castle on Zealand to withstand the armies of Count Christoffer.
    In connection with the Reformation, Dragsholm was passed on to the Crown. As Crownland during the period from 1536 to 1664, Dragsholm Castle was used as a prison for noble and ecclesiastical prisoners. In the large tower at the northeast corner of the medieval castle, prison cells were made and equipped with toilets and windows depending on the prisoner’s crimes, behaviour and the seriousness of his insults towards his Majesty, the King.
    Some of the most well-known prisoners at Dragsholm Castle include the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde, the former owner of the castle, Joachim Rønnow; the 4th Earl of Bothwell, third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots; and the seemingly raving mad squire, Ejler Brockenhuus.
    During the wars against Charles X Gustav of Sweden, an attempt was made to blow up Dragsholm Castle, and the place was a ruin until the King as part payment of his outstanding debts gave the castle to the grocer Heinrich Müller, and he started the restoration.
    In 1694, Dragsholm Castle was sold to the nobleman Frederik Christian Adeler and finally rebuilt as the baroque castle we see today. Several owners from that family have made a lasting imprint on the development, including G. F. O. Zytphen Adeler, who took the initiative to drain the Lammefjord. The family line became extinct in 1932, and Dragsholm Castle passed over to the Central Land Board which sold the place to J.F. Bøttger, but only with the land belonging to the main estate.
   
                                                               Hauntings
    Numerous witnesses and psychics have claimed that there are three ghosts who are residents at the castle: a grey lady, a white lady and the Earl of Bothwell. The Earl is said to ride through the courtyard with a full horse and carriage. However the story of the White Lady is quite tragic. She was a noble lady who fell in love with a peasant. The family felt this was a disgrace, so they walled her in alive. The only reason we know of this is because they tore down the wall she was imprisoned in, and unearthed her skeleton.






Bhangarh, Rajasthan India:
 Is a ruined town in the Alwar district of the state of Rajasthan, India, famous for its historical ruins. Bhangarh is at the edge of the Sariska Tiger Reserve.
Bhangarh is a place between Jaipur and Delhi in Rajasthan state of India known for its ruins. Bhangarh is also a pre-historic site.
    The most remarkable of its buildings are the temples of Gopinath, Shiva (Someshwar), Mangla Devi, Lavina Devi and Keshava Rai. Other buildings include shops along the main road, several havelis, a mosque, and a palace. The palace was protected by two inner fortifications across the valley. The town is separated from the plain by ramparts with five gates.
    The town was established in 1573 (VS 1631) during the rule of Bhagwant Das as the residence of his second son Madho Singh, the younger brother of Emperor Akbar’s general, Man Singh I. Madho Singh participated in many campaigns with his father and brother. The next ruler of Bhangarh was his son Chhatr Singh, after whose death in 1630 Bhangarh slowly declined. When the Mughal Empire became weaker after the death of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh II attached Bhangarh to his state by force in 1720. After this Bhangarh diminished in population, and since the famine of 1783 (VS 1840) the town has remained uninhabited.
    It is very interesting to note that entry to Bhangarh is legally prohibited between sunset and sunrise. A signboard posted by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), which is a Government of India organization, specifies the instructions. While the board is written in Hindi, the instructions on it roughly translate into: "Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited. Legal action would be taken against anybody who does not follow these instructions". The board further adds to the mystery of the town, known in popular culture as "the ghost town".


Legends
Legend states that the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, who sanctioned the establishment of the town with one condition, saying, "The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!" When a descendant raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath's forbidden retreat, he cursed the town as prophesied. Balu Nath is said to lie buried there to this day in a small samādhi.
    Another myth is that of the Princess of Bhangarh Ratnavati, said to be the jewel of Rajasthan, who on her eighteenth birthday began to get offers of marriage from other regions. In the area lived a tantrik, a magician well versed in the occult, named Singhia, who was in love with the princess but knew that the match was impossible. When one day Singhia saw the princess' maid in the market, he used his black magic on the oil she was purchasing so that upon touching it the princess would surrender herself and run to him. The princess, however, seeing the tantric enchanting the oil, foiled his plan by pouring it on the ground. As the oil struck the ground it turned into a boulder, which crushed Singhia. Dying, the magician cursed the palace with the death of all who dwelt in it. The next year there was a battle between Bhangarh and Ajabgarh in which Princess Ratnavati perished.







Amiidaji, Japan:
Is in Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait.
   The Legendary Haunting Of Amiidaji
   
The Temple of Amida, located in the Shimonoseki Strait, is a very important place for the Japanese, and it is also a very important place for anyone interested in one of the most legendary haunting locations in all of Japan. Built over 1,000 years ago in 998 AD, it is a world heritage site and a favorite of Japanese ghost hunters.

According to legend, the blind man, Hoshi Hoichi, was visited every night by a ghost of a dead samurai. Each night, Hoshi was made to play the Biwa but when the priest of the temple he painted the heart sutra over all of Hoshi’s body, except for his ears. When the samurai returned, he only saw Hoshi’s ears, so he took the ears of Hoshi.

To this day, individuals talk of hearing people walking, and seeing ghostly spirits moving throughout the temple. Whether these are the ghosts of the samurai or of Hoshi, no one knows. What is known is that this temple is a very sacred, but very haunted place for the people of Japan.

Like any Japanese ghost story, it has its fair share of intrigue and speculation of whether or not it is true.








USS Zaca, Monaco:
    Was a wooden-hulled, schooner-rigged yacht with an auxiliary engine. She was designed by Garland Rotch and completed in 1930 at Sausalito, California by Nunes Brothers.
    Due to the need for local patrol and rescue craft in the busy waters in the San Francisco area during World War II, the schooner was acquired by the Navy from Templeton Crocker on 12 June 1942. Placed in service on 19 June 1942 and assigned to the Western Sea Frontier, Zaca, classified a miscellaneous auxiliary and designated IX-73 operated as a plane-guard ship, standing ready to rescue the crews of any planes downed nearby.
    Eventually relieved by the frigates (PF's) of Escort Squadron 41, Zaca was placed out of service at Treasure Island, California on 6 October 1944; and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1944.
    Turned over to the War Shipping Administration on 21 May 1945, Zaca was acquired in 1946 by Errol Flynn, an actor famed for his "swashbuckling" roles in numerous movies. Zaca is featured prominently in the 1947 Orson Welles film The Lady from Shanghai. Flynn owned the yacht until his death in 1959.
    As of 2008, Zaca is privately owned and berthed in Monaco.

                                           Legends
    According to Richard Winer, the Zaca is supposed to be haunted. Witnesses have reported seeing the visage of Errol Flynn's frustrated ghost pacing on board. Others have described the sounds of voices and laughter as if a wild party was happening on board.







Koh-i-Chiltan, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan:  
Is a peak located in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. Lwarrh Saar is the highest peak of Chiltan range at 3,194 metres (10,479 ft), it is the third highest peak of Quetta after Zarghoon Ghar and Koh-i-Takatu and fifth highest peak of Balochistan. 
                              Chiltan Mount
Chiltan Mount is the summit of a steep, rocky mountain called Chiltan or Chehel-Tan (Persian/Balochi: 'Forty Bodies'). The mountain is said to be haunted. (Source: A Ride to India Across Persia and Balochistan by Harry de Windt (1856-1933).
    A local story about Chiltan Mount. A frugal couple, married for many years, were unblessed with offspring. They therefore sought the advice of a holy man, who rebuked the wife, saying that he had not the power to grant her what Heaven had denied. The priest's son, however (also a mullah), felt convinced he could satisfy her wishes, and cast forty pebbles into her lap, at the same time praying that she might bear children. In process of time she was delivered of forty babies rather more than she wished or knew how to provide for. The poor husband at his wits' end ascended to the summit of Chehel-Tan with thirty-nine and left them there trusting to the mercy of the Deity to provide for them while the fortieth baby was brought up under the paternal roof.
   One day however touched by remorse the wife unknown to her husband explored the mountain with the object of collecting the bones of her children and burying them. To her surprise, they were all living and gambolling among the trees and rocks. Wild with joy she ran back to her dwelling brought out the fortieth babe and placing it on the summit of the mountain left it there for a night to allure back its brothers but on returning in the morning she found that the latter had carried it off and it was never seen again. It is by the spirits of these forty babies that Chehel-Tan is said to be haunted.