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.  Meetin.org.  Meetin.org, 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- http://www.uniquely-portland-oregon.com/shanghai-tunnels.htmlThis website gives more information on Shanghai tunnels.

Haunted Secret Tunnels- http://www.shanghaitunnels.info/ 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- https://roadtrippers.com/stories/north-americas-most-sinister-haunted-tunnels?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5 this website gives more haunted tunnels, instead of just the Shanghai tunnels.  These tunnels also encounter paranormal activity while in them.

The Shanghai Tunnels

Author: Ridge Phelps

Along the Willamette River in Portland Oregon, in the recesses of Chinatown lie the Shanghai Tunnels.  Built around 1850 and thriving till 1941 the Shanghai tunnels stands as a modern marvel to both the genius engineering and sinister plot that it would befall. Originally built for the fast travel of purchased goods from the docks the tunnels allowed for hotel and brothel owner to avoid not only customs, taxes but also traffic that crowed the streets of Portland at the time. Built by the Chinese gangs or tongs the tunnels also served as a gambling den and escape route via trap doors and alleyway exits. Years pass and the tunnels go unchecked due to “special police” who of course have been paid to keep their noses out of tong business.

Known as the north end underworld these tunnels would remain unchecked until the 1980’s. When police officers finally brought in sledge hammers and began cracking down walls in pursuit of illegal activity. In 1913 the city council created the secret passages ordinance.  Introduced by Mayor Albee and passed unanimously the ordinance made it illegal for anyone to own or maintain trap doors or other contrivances (Oregonian). 

During the 1850’s to 1920’s an illegal practice was also performed within the Shanghai Tunnels. Shanghaiing is nautical term which is defined as: to enroll or obtain (a sailor) for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use of liquor and drugs (Webster). The reason this was called shanghaiing and not Impressment (the same thing really) is due to the fact that these men were not being recruited for the Royal Navy of Great Brittan for the purpose of manning warships.  They were taken for the purpose of being free slaves on clipper ships. The men taken hostage or shanghaied were white men who were generally hobos or the low lives of Portland.  Seen for years by the public of Portland as a public service Crimps (men who worked in boarding houses, pubs, bars, brothels and other inns or hotels used drugs or whatever means necessary to get “bodies” on ships) or “boarding masters” as they liked to be called would often wait inside local inns and areas where sailors from foreign or native ships would come to “unwind”. Waiting for hours until the sailor was good and drunk off booze known as gutrot (the lowest grade of alcohol a man could purchase roughly about 2 pennies at the time: remember to account for inflated rates for sailors, as the boarding houses and inns knew sailors would pay the high prices just  for one drink.).  

Works Cited

“SECRET PASSAGES BARRED.”  Oregon News. Historic Oregonian Newspapers. N.D. Web. 14 Oct 2013

Dankers, Clarice. “Shanghaied in Portland.” Story mentor. Word Press. 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2013.

Blalock, Barney-Athanasius. “The Portland Waterfront History Blog.” Portland Waterfront. Blogger. 21 Feb 2013. Web. 6 Oct 2013.

Finn J.D John. “the Mysterious Portland Shanghaiing Scene:” Wicked-Portland. The History Press. 7 Aug 2012. Web. 7 Oct 2013.

“The History of Clipper Ships.” Think Quest. Oracle Think Quest. N.D. Web. 13 Oct 2013.

Blalock, Barney-Athanasius. “The Shanghai Dock in Black and White.” Portland Waterfront. Blogger. 15 mar 2013. Web. 18 Oct 2013

Links for further research

Portland Waterfront

http://portlandwaterfront.blogspot.com/2013/03/shanghai-dock-in-black-and-white.html

Goes more in depth about the secrets of the Shanghai Tunnels

Shanghai Tunnels

http://www.uniquely-portland-oregon.com/shanghai-tunnels.html

The dark secrets of Portland’s past

Haunted Portland

http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/shanghai-tunnels.html

History of hauntings for the Shanghai Tunnels 

Shanghai Tunnels

Author: Bryn Whitley

                      The Shanghai Tunnels are a notorious place, located deep underneath the streets of Portland, Oregon. Many of the businesses that are in Portland are connected by the tunnels and have openings to the tunnels in the basements of the buildings. There tunnels are a mysteriously haunting place. It is said in, The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon, the art of shanghaiing occurred in these tunnels dating all the way back to the 1850’s and ended somewhere around the 1940’s. This article also states that Shanghaiing was the act of stealing men that would wander around in the tunnels at night, or would enjoy a few or more drinks at that bars that are above the tunnels, many of these men would be taken and sold to ship owners. The owners of these ships would pick out “able-bodied men” and use them on their ships as slaves (The Portland Underground FAQ).

 

 According to, The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon, unfortunately, not all of the people stolen in the tunnels were male, some of them were females, sold as prostitutes to work on the ships one of which is a woman named Nina is said to haunt the tunnels underneath “Old Town Pizza.” It is said by locals that Nina was a prostitute who was drugged one night and thrown down the shaft to the tunnels. This fall was fatal, and now it is said her ghost haunts the tunnels and the scent of perfume still lingers in the air (The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon). In fact, there is a carving that says “Nina” into the brick in one of the passageways said to have been there since the tunnels were first used for shanghaiing (Haunt in Shanghai Tunnels Portland). According to, The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon, she is not the only ghost that is said to haunt these tunnels,

“Many individuals who walk the tunnels in Portland have stated that they have heard moans, talking, screaming, and even the sound of crying. While it is believed that many of these sounds may be a result of the energy expelled in the area, and may be residual based hauntings, there are many who firmly believe that these are the sounds of truly intelligent hauntings. The opinion is carried that these intelligent hauntings realize that they have been trapped in the tunnels and because most do not know how they got into the tunnels to start with, they have a difficult time finding their way out.”

This is possible with the belief in ghosts, and the supernatural. I believe that many people might experience more supernatural occurrences with the belief in ghosts. Is it possible that ghosts exist, or are people simply seeing something that they chalk up to the belief in ghosts? In the article, Poll: Majority Belief in Ghosts, when asked if people believe in ghosts 48% of people said yes, while 45% said no, this shows that more people believe in the supernatural. This could, perhaps, explain why people take tours of these tunnels.

A collection of boots found in the tunnels taken from the Ghost Adventures visit. 

Today, tours are given in the tunnels by a number of tour groups. This leaves me to question the beliefs of many people; perhaps they take tours because they like to be scared, they are a skeptic, or a true believer. As you walk through the tunnels I can imagine what it was like back in the 1900’s, filled with a musty smells, with hints of alcohol and perfume. You could possible hear the moans of the soon to be sailors, and the prostitutes. Many people believe that if you walked through these tunnels during this time period you would not see any of this, in fact, many believe shanghaiing did not exist at all (Mellema). This is left to be decided by the individual, but I believe once experiencing the eeriness of these tunnels one cannot help but form an opinion. 

Works Cited:

Alfano, Sean. "Poll: Majority Believe In Ghosts." CBSNews. CBS

Interactive, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500160_162-994766.html>

"Ghost Adventures: Shanghai Tunnels Pictures." Travel Channel. Travel Channel, n.d. Web. 19

Oct. 2012. <http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/ghost-adventures/photos/ghost-adventures-shanghai-tunnels-pictures>.

"Haunt in Shanghai Tunnels Portland, Or 97201 Portland,

OREGON Multnomah Haunt." Haunt in Shanghai Tunnels Portland, Or 97201 Portland, OREGON Multnomah Haunt. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.strangeusa.com/Viewlocation.aspx?id=8136>

The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon." The Haunted

Shanghai Tunnels In Portland, Oregon. Haunted Places to Go, 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/shanghai-tunnels.html>

Mellema, Valerie. "Portland Underground: The Shanghai Tunnels."   

Portland Underground: The Shanghai Tunnels. Legends of America, 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/or-shanghai.html>

"The Portland Underground FAQ." The Secrets of the Tunnels. N.p., n.d. Web. 16

Oct. 2012. <http://shanghaitunnels.info/>

"Shanghai Tunnels." Spooky Places. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.

<http://spookyplaces.us/place/shanghai-tunnels-portland-oregon/>.

Links for Further Research:

Portland Walking Tours

http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com/tours/underground_portland.php

                This site gives more information on booking tours through the Shanghai Tunnels.

Oregon. Com

http://web.oregon.com/trips/pdx_shanghai.cfm

                This article gives extra information on the Shanghai Tunnels and extra pictures.

News Channel 8 Shanghai Tunnels reveal Portland's sinister history

http://www.kgw.com/news/Sha-138610174.html

                This article gives a brief history of the Shanghai Tunnels and what occurred here.