Mysteries of the Devil’s Gate Dam

Author: Leigh Anne Bloomer

In 1920, a new dam was built in Pasadena, California. The dam was built to control the Arroyo Seco, a seasonal river that often led to serious floods around the area. The Arroyo Seco is a very powerful river when the season is right, but when it’s not, the area seems to be very dried out. During the dry season, as people view the dam and the surrounding area, they start to notice a mysteriously shaped rock formation. Next to the gate that leads to the dam itself, there is what appears to be a devil’s face with horns coming out of the canyon. This is the reason the dam is named the Devil’s Gate Dam. 

Soon after the dam was completed, there started to be a lot of talk about the reasons why the dam was given such a profound name. Many people believed various situations that could have led to the naming of the dam, but one sticks out from all the rest. 

“The rock formation in the shape of a devil’s face located next the dam’s gate.”

In the days of the Native Americans, the area surrounding the dam was considered an evil or haunted place, and was banned from any visitors. The reason as to why the Native Americans believed that there was something going on around the dam is still unclear. Around the 1940s, though, many people came up with a conclusion to the madness of the dam’s mysterious vibe; Devil’s Gate Dam was one of seven portals to Hell on Earth.

 There is one main reason why the dam was considered to be a portal to Hell. That biggest reason being the rituals that occurred at the gate in the 1940s. Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard are two very different, yet alike in thought, men that performed spiritual rituals in the presence of evil.

The men believed that the dam was hiding a magical power that no one else could explain. Parsons and Hubbard continued to perform these rituals and as time went on, their needs began to grow. The two men decided to perform a special ritual that would change their lives completely. This ritual was intended to create a moonchild, a sort of anti-Christ that would overthrow modern society and demolish all religion. No one knows for sure if the ritual ever really turned out to have created such a thing. Soon after the rituals were performed, Parsons died from an experiment he was conducting in his home. The talk of the rituals came to a close after this incident.

It wasn’t long until the mysterious incidents started occurring. In 1956, two young children went missing in the area of the dam. Police were sent out to look for the kids, countless search parties roamed the area for days, and even helicopters were used to find and rescue the children. No hope was found. One year later, a six year old boy was hiking with his family along the paths around the dam. As the family was walking together, the little boy decided he wanted to get ahead of the rest and sprinted in front of them. As he rounded a corner, he was never seen again. Again, search parties were sent out, police were contacted, and even the helicopters, but there was still no luck in finding the little boy. Shortly after, another missing child case appeared, seeming to be just as unusual as the last. A six year old boy was attending camp at a local YMCA. As the little boy was hiking with his group, he told his leader that he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go back. Since the camp site was less than three hundred yards away, the group leader told the boy to walk back as she watched him. This was the last time anyone saw that little boy.

Coming back to present day, only one of these stories has been figured out. The very first incident with the two kids riding their bicycles turned out to have been a kidnapping. A man confessed to burying the bodies and ended up committing suicide in prison many years later. Other than that, all the missing children have never been accounted for. Many people believe that these incidents were all because of the previous activity performed there. The real reason though, which would contain proof, is still a mystery.  

Works Cited:

Antabanez, Wheeler. “Strange Disappearances at the Cursed Devil’s Gate Reservoir.” Weird U.S. Web. 13 October 2013.

Kimbrough, David. “Oak Grove Drive over the Arroyo Seco – Devil’s Gate Dam.” Historic and Notable Bridges of the U.S. Bridge Hunter. Web. 15 October 2013.

Marie, Kelly. “The Story of Devil’s Gate Dam.” The Quest to Find the Land of Normal Define Normal. Web. 9 October 2013.

Media, Magi. “Devil’s Gate.” Photograph. Student Reader. 11 May 2006. Web. 17 October 2013.

Mystery, Man. “Haunted Places: Devil’s Gate Dam.” Religion and Philosophy HubPages. Web. 9 October 2013.

Patrol, LA Ghost. “Devil’s Gate: A Portal to Hell?” Los Angeles Ghost Patrol laghostpatrol. Web. 7 October 2013.

Links for Further Research:

Patrol, LA Ghost. “Haunted Devil’s Gate Dam.” Youtube. 18 May 2011. Web. 17 October 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1V-BA8s9wU

This link takes you to a video that shows the overview of the Devil’s Gate Dam.

Investigation, Supernatural. “Devil’s Gate Dam Pasadena, CA S.I.U.” Youtube. 22 January 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PoguMmNPqk

The above link shows a visitor’s reactions from visiting the dam.

“Pasadena’s Suicide Bridge.” Weird California. 9 November 2005. Web. 17 October 2013.

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=57

This link takes you to a website informing you of the opinions and information about the dam and the bridge it is located by.

The Legend of The Bermuda Triangle

Author: Darren Johnson

Three points of land, Bermuda Island, Puerto Rico, and Miami, Florida make up the apex’s of The Bermuda Triangle. This triangle is located right off the coast of America in the Atlantic Ocean. The Bermuda Triangle is not like any other part of the ocean though. It is known for its mysterious disappearances and thousands of crewmen who have disappeared without a trace. For people who have heard about the Bermuda Triangle have probably heard about the more recent stories that have gone on in the triangle. The triangles mystery dates way back to the start of the New World. Thomas Jeffrey writes that even the eldest navigators nicknamed the island of Bermuda, “The Isles of the Devils.” He also says that Columbus and his crew watched a meteor fall into the sea. (Jeffrey 20)

More recent stories mostly kick of with the tall tale of Flight 19. December 5th, 1945 seven bomber planes left Ft. Lauderdale to never return or be heard from again. The pilots were not amateurs in their field, they were all professionals, so for them to just crash in the water and not know how to go about seeking help or receiving a nearby signal was not a difficult task. The final recorded signal from Flight 19 was a conversation between the pilot and of of the crew. The theory is that the crew started experiencing compass malfunctions and lost their directional path. A search plane was launched to try and find the team but there was no luck. The fourteen airmen had completely just vanished and there was no trace of death or crash landing.

Depiction of Flight 19 Bombers flying over Sargasso Sea

Flight 19 is not the only aircraft or ship that has played the disappearing act. We have lost U.S. naval ships and there have been witnesses who claimed to have experienced compass malfunction or engine failure in the triangle. The most peculiar thing people try to solve is what actually makes the crewmen disappear without a trace. There have been different types of theories such as underwater volcanoes that swallow ships, an unknown gravitational force that shuts down all electronic gauges, a time vortex that sends planes and ships back in time, and even an underwater civilization known as Atlantis. The imagination process when thinking of these theories is endless and until the world comes up with a logical explanation of what happened to Flight 19 and all the other one thousand crewmen who have disappeared in what happens in The Bermuda Triangle will remain a mystery.

Works Cited

"Bermuda Trianlge." The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation inMarineEnvironments. Oxford: CABI, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 10 October 2013.

Jeffery, Thomas, Adi-Kent. The Bermuda Triangle. New York: Warner Paperback, 1975.            Print.

anynobody. “Flight 19 Avengers”. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Feb. 2008. Web. 19 Oct. 2013

Links for Further Research:

            The Bermuda Triangle

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bermudatri.html

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/episodes/the-bermuda-triangle/

These two links give more background information and videos on the Bermuda Triangle.

            Flight 19

http://fly.historicwings.com/2012/12/the-disappearance-of-flight-19/

            This link gives more information on the disappearance of Flight 19.

San Antonio “Haunted” Railroad Crossings

Author: Kanesha Brantley

Ghost lingering near the haunted railroad tracks of San Antonio

Back in the 1940s, in San Antonio, a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and toward the intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, the legend has said any car that stops near the tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. They have said that the hands pushing the cars over the tracks are the spirits of children that died in the accident (Ghost Tracks). This myth is to help prevent another fatal accident. As the story progresses through the years, people all around the world will come to Texas just to experience the spirits push their vehicles over the tracks. In order for you to experience the spirits you will have to put your car in neutral when near the tracks and then you’ll feel the ghost children push your car uphill. Some have even covered their rear end with baby powder or flour, to see if any tiny handprints will appear. Many have reported that several handprints have appeared on their car. Others have heard the voices and laughter of the children while at the site. 

The allege fingerprints from the San Antonio ghost children
from Atimeforlove

However, there are no records of any such accident having ever occurred in the newspaper articles in Texas. In fact the San Antonio road is on a slight incline which could explain the cars moving by themselves (Ghost Tracks). In December 1938, in Salt Lake City, Utah, a similar accident to the San Antonio tracks happened. It involved twenty-six children, ages 12 to 18. They lost their lives when the school bus stalled on the tracks and was hit by a freight train (Mikkelson, San Antonio Ghost Children).

Fact or Fake Paranormal of the San Antonio tracks

Work Cited

“Ghost Tracks.” Scaryforkids.com. Scary Website, 2013. Web. 16 October 2013.

Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. “San Antonio Ghost Children.” Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages, 1995-2013. Web. 18 October 2013.

Links for Further Research:

San Antonio Ghost Children

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/handprint.asp.

This gives a small summary about how people would put powder on the rear end of their car to see if they spot any fingerprints from the children pushing them over the tracks.

San Antonio haunted railroad tracks

www.examiner.com/article/san-antonio-s-haunted-railroad-tracks

Speaks on the legend of the school bus incident and states facts about how the car actually moves over the tracks.

The Grey Lady of Willard Library

Author: Tyler Stilp

Willard Library founded in the 1870s Evansville, Indiana

In the small dreary town of Evansville, Indiana, lies the oldest public library in the state. Since the early 1870s Willard Library has been offering books and a library atmosphere to locals. Little did they know that their library also offered something beyond checking out books.

It was just a regular early morning at The Willard Library in 1937 , when a custodian made his way downstairs to turn the furnace on. I wonder if this custodian knew that his life along with the Libraries was about to change forever in just a few seconds? As he approached the furnace he noticed a veiled woman glowing in a grey dress. That morning, the custodian spotted, The Grey Lady, a spirit that was haunting the library.  

There are many insights and thoughts from many people of who the ghost is. Many believe that the ghost is, Louise Carpenter, who was the daughter of the libraries founder.  Louise was not the biggest fan of the library, she was often found feeling jealous of the library due to all of the attention and, money her father spent on the library. On occasions the ghost will appear when there is work being done on the Library or someone is changing it from one-way to another.

The ghost makes her appearance very often; she is a nice ghost and protects the library. It was a normal Thursday afternoon when two staff members where working in the children’s area, cleaning and fixing the floor when the ghost made here appearance. There was no one in the library at this time, when they noticed a large section of books were rearranged. It was said that every fourth book had been pulled out and positioned in a weird angle.             The two staff members were very confused and not to mention creeped out!

The Grey Lady is often spotted in the children’s library, and by the behavior of the ghost in the children’s area some people believe the ghost lost a child and she is waiting for the child to come back. One day there was a group of children running around and being quite loud when it suddenly all came to a stop. A three-year-old boy that was playing came running back to his mom saying a ghost like lady was shaking her hand at him in the hallway.  Needless to say, the group of loud children playing and their parents soon went home.

            Other sighting and ghostly things do occur at the library daily. Water faucets will be turned on cull blast when nobody is around. With no one standing near the bookshelves, books will be thrown off the shelf. During the hours when the library is closed and vacant, the motion detectors will be set off.

So now you may ask, “Why is she called the Grey Lady?” There is no proof or agreement to who the ghost is, so she is left being called, The Grey Lady.

            In spite of all the people interested in the ghost the library, has set up a ghost cam. The ghost cam gives a 24- hour view of the library and a review of the times the ghost has been spotted.  Go watch it and check it out, you never know you may have the chance to see TheGrey lady herself.

The Grey Lady has become quite famous and brought even more fame to the library. Ghost Hunters from Discovery Channel, along with students eager to see the ghost have come in to witness the ghost with their own eyes. Also, the library host ghost tours all year long of the library. The library originally started doing tours during the month of October, but notice how popular they were.

            So, if you ever find yourself visiting the small dreay town of Evansville, Indiana. Be sure to stop by the Willard library to check out some books, and just maybe a ghost. Just be sure to keep your kids quiet!

Works Cited

Martin, John. “Lady In Grey Skeptics Will See For Themselves.”newsbank.com. Americas

News, 25 October 2000. Web. 15 October 2013.

Michel’s, James.” We’ll Join Ghost Hunters Checking Out Library.”newsbank.com. Americas

News, 8 September 2000. Web. 15 October 2013.

Coulisse, Adam.” Paranormal activities \ Ghost hunters haunt Willard Library in search for Grey Lady, other specters.”Newsbank.com.24 October 2011.Web. 15 October 2013.

“Whos Looking?” Ghost. Willard Library. Web. 15 October 2013.

“Willard Library.” Welcome To Willard Library.2013Web. 19 Oct 2013.

Links for Further Research

Ghost Camera

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.ezproxy.usca.edu:2048/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=13A15C813B6E4390&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=1

Gives a small summary of the ghost cam.

Haunting Tour

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.ezproxy.usca.edu:2048/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=11CAFB671F5A88F8&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=1

This site talks about the ghost, her sightings and who she may be.

Willard Library

http://willard.lib.us

This is the libraries website, here you can learn about the library along with the ghost and the ghost tours. 

The Winchester Mystery House

Author Kaitlynn Burkett

This extravagant Victorian house built in San Jose, California by Sarah Winchester in still a mystery to millions of people. It is know as The Winchester Mystery House. The house is known as the “house built by spirits”. It is explained on the website to be marvelous, baffling, and eerily eccentric, The Winchester Mystery House . In this mystery house, there are many different architectural differences than a normal house of mansion. It includes many mile long twisting hallways with secret passages in the walls. Mrs. Winchester built a house like this to protect herself from “bad spirits.” Her house was constantly changing day by day and being added on to. This house is estimated to have about 500 to 600 rooms through remodeling constantly, now left is about 160 remaining. Her furnishes included gold and sliver plated chandeliers, and Tiffany art glass that valued up to $1,500 each. Over thirty-three years, a man built and repaired the Winchester Mystery House parquet floors. They are made of mahogany, rosewood, teak, maple, oak and white ash. Sarah actually died in this room with the parquet floors. Supposedly her favorite room. The mansion also consists of the finest cabinets, forty-seven fireplaces, seventeen chimneys, and a grand ballroom that cost over $9,000. 

Mrs. Sarah Winchester was born around 1840. Her parents were Leonard Pardee and Sarah Burns. She was from New Haven, Connecticut. In 1862, she married William Wirt Winchester. His parents were Oliver Fisher Winchester. Soon after they were married, they moved to New England. In 1866, an awful tragedy occurred when they daughter Annie died of a rare disease. Both in very deep depression after loosing their infant. Fifteen years later, Mrs. Sarah was all alone. Her husband died from tuberculosis. From some sources, it is explained that spirits haunted her family, as Sarah believed. As instructed by the spirits, she packed up her things and headed west to start building this mansion. She had no intentions of this before, but to go see her niece who lived in Menlo Park, California. But of course she had 777 shares of stocker in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and 2,000 more shares from her mother in law passing to build this house. Well back in the 1800’s with no income tax, she had $1,ooo a day. After living in this house and building it for the spirits, she passed away in 1922 because of heart failure.
As of today, this mansion is somewhat smaller because of remodeling. It now contains 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens.   

Works Cited:

Cunningham, Bill. “Inside the Winchester Mystery House.” ABC News. ABC News. 27 October 2008.
Web. 10 October 2013.

Edmonds, Molly. “Why does the Winchester Mystery House have stairs leading nowhere?” How Stuff Works. How Stuff Works. n.d. Web. 10 October 2013. 

“Shaking Chandelier Spooks Staff at Winchester Mystery House.” CBS Local News. N.p. 25 July 2013. Web. 10 October 2013.

Taylor, Troy. “The Winchester Mystery House.” Prairie Ghosts.” Haunted Places. 2013. Web. 10 October 2013.

The Winchester Mystery House, eds. Winchester Mystery House. N.p. 2013. Web. 9 October. 2013.

Grant, Kay. "Winchester Mystery House." Travel Lady Magazine. March 2005. (March 26, 2008) 


For Further Research:
http://travellady.com/Issues/March05/1300WinchesterMysteryHouse.htm. This article explains the architecture of the house and the reason it was built.

NBC Bay Area Staff. “Winchester Mystery House Observes Friday the 13^th.” (September, 13, 2013)

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Winchester-Mystery-House-Observing-Friday-the-13th-223652621.html. This article explains what NBC observed on Friday the 13^th with the spirits in the Mystery House.

Strangetastic.com. "Mystery House Commentary." (March 26, 2008)

. This article is commentary on the house.

The Suicide Forest

Author: Shawny B

On the outside, Japan seems like a very happy country with loving people, but on the inside, the deep inside of Japan, that's not the case. In the dense forest of Mount Fuji lies the suicide forest. Often known as the sea of trees. Aokigahara is considered the most haunted location in all of Japan. The sucide forest is the second most popular place for sucide, right behind The Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransico, California. 

Don't look for me.

The suicide forest, located in Aokigahara, Japan is a very lonely place to die. Because of how dense the forest is, it is very easy to disappear in the vegetation, making it the perfect place to die. Also because of the density, no sounds can be heard other than the actual sounds of the forest. Every year, authorities find and remove over 100 bodies, but others are still undiscovered for years because the forest is to dense to be patrolled frequently. Hundreds of volunteers along with authorities seek to find the bodies of the suicide victims. So many people kill themselves, the authorities have no other place to store the remains. Rumor has it that the cause for this place to be the ultimate place to die, is based on a Sixties novel of a woman killing herself in the actual forest. They actually made a television show out of it! I'm pretty sure that will spark an idea. After the launch of the novel, people started to take their own lives at the rate of fifty to one hundred deaths a year. Each year the suicide ratings go up. The number of bankruptcies and unemployment have a lot to do with those rising ratings. In March, which is the end of the fiscal year, more people come to the forest because of the bad economy. 

The rate of suicide is so high here, the police have put up signs on the way to the forest saying, "Please Reconsider" and "Please consult the police before you decide to die!" nailed to the trees. The bodies that are taking from the woods are taking to a room and put on a bed where someone sleeps beside it… creepy right? Well, it's true! It was said that if the corpse was left alone, it will scream though out the night.

The Japanese government has raised the suicide awareness in school and work places. They have gone as far as to post security cameras to the entrances of the forest.

Mount Fuji is a beautiful place to visit, from a far that is. If you go into the actual forest, prepare to hear weird sounds, and be visited by ghosts and demons. 

Works Cited:

Lyle Brennan,"The suicide forest of Japan: Mount Fuji beauty spot where up to 100 bodies are found very year,"Mail Online, Glam Entertainment, 2012, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2127414/The-suicide-forest-Japan-Mystery-Mount-Fuji-beauty-spot-100-bodies-year.html

Zack Davisson,"The Suicide Woods of Woods of Mt. Fuji,"Japanzine,2006,http://www.japanzine.jp/article/jz/957/the-suicide-woods-of-mt-fuji

Peter Hadfield,"Japan Struggles with soaring death toll in Suicide Forest," The Telegraph, 2000,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/1373287/Japan-struggles-with-soaring-death-toll-in-Suicide-Forest.html

Kyung Lah,"Desperate Japanese head to 'suicide forest'," CNN, 2009, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/suicide.forrest.japan/

Vice News,"Aokigahara Suicide Forest," Vice, 2011, http://www.vice.com/vice-news/aokigahara-suicide-forest-v3

Websites for further research

 The Japan Times http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2011/06/26/general/inside-japans-suicide-forest/#.UmHGKBYTv6c This website delivers a personal experience that the author observed going into the forest.

Intruders tangle 'suicide forest' with tape http://web.archive.org/web/20080506060315/http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200805020328.html This website gives additional information bout the actual density f the forest.

Japan's harvest of death http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japans-harvest-of-death-635356.html This website gives information about how much deaths are recorded, and how much people die a year.

The Jersey Devil

Author: Branden Ansley

   
This is one of the greatest paranormal sightings that has been reported in the North. It all started around 1735 in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey . A lady named Mrs. Leeds was about to have her thirtieth child. Before she had the child she said," let this one be the Devil," or something along those lines. Her wish came true when her child came out and turned in to a devil like creature. The creature has a horse like head, horns, hooves for feet, and wings on its back. When the devil was born it killed its' mother and most of the people that was in the house only a few got away alive.

 A lot of people have supposedly saw this creature, something like two thousand cases have been reported. A lot of people think that this is a made up story or a folktale. On the other hand people say how can this be fake if there has been so many people that has witnessed the creature. For the people that doesn't believe that the Jersey Devil is real there is plenty of theories to back them up. One theory is that the Jersey Devil is a descendent of a dragon that has stayed around for years. Another theory is that the creature is a pterodactyl, which is a animal that is from the pre-historical time period that has managed to survive for all these years. Possibly the most reasonable theory is that the creature is mistaken for the Hammerhead Bat. It is a classified mega bat and it has the same characteristics as the supposable Jersey Devil.

           
In 1909 there was an increase in reported cases about the Jersey Devil. This year was actually the most reported cases in history. There was around forty cases reported that year that were documented. Most of these sightings happened in New Jersey, however some happened in Pennsylvania. Why is this the year that the Jersey Devil was seen the most? I have not found this answer for sure but there are a lot of reasons to believe and a lot of theories out there to look at.

           
Going back and looking at the Hammerhead Bat theory, it is the best theory in my opinion. I think this because this bat closely matches the description of the creature. The bad has a big head, wings, small legs, and is pretty tall. I believe that this is where the legend of the Jersey Devil was created, and over the years people has added to the story and has "ran" with the story to make it seem true and real. Other than the big legend of the Jersey Devil the only thing we really have gotten out of this story is the hockey team in New Jersey named the Devils. 

Works Cited:

"The Official Website for The State of New Jersey." The Official Website for The State of New Jersey. New Jersey Office of Information Technology. n.d. web. 17 October 2013.

Leuter, Laura K. "The Official Researchers of The Jersey Devil." The Devil Hunters. 2004-2008. web. 17 October 2013.

Dunning, Brian. "The Jersey Devil." Skeptoid. 1 November 2011. web. 17 October 2013.

Additional Sources:

http://www.jerseyhistory.org/legend_jerseydevil.html

This is a historical site that tells you about New Jersey.

http://www.strangemag.com/jerseydevil1.html

This give information about the Jersey Devil and the Pine Barrens.

http://www.newanimal.org/jersey-devil.html

This site talks about cryptozoology and the Jersey Devil.  

The Taj Mahal

Author: Alysia English

The Taj Mahal is a marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.There is a lot of stories and history behind the architect of the Taj Mahal. “The Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument that stands at the heart of India has a story that has been melting the hearts of millions of listeners since the time it has been visible.” The Taj Mahal is what it is today, because of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Their love story was inspiration for the building of The Taj Mahal.“The Taj Mahal immortalizes one man's love for his wife and the splendor of an era.” According to National Geographic, the taj mahal is considered one of the most beautiful buildings ever created http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/taj-mahal/, which I agree to, 110 percent. Not only is the building itself beautiful, the story and history that go along with it as well. 

This video tells of the history behind The Taj Mahal. And how the love that Shah Jahan had for his wife helped create one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It was said to take 22 years and 22,000 people to build this wonderful building. 

Works Cited:

"Treasures of the World | Taj Mahal - PBS." 10 Oct. 2013  

            http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/main_tajfrm.html>

 "Welcome To Official WebSite of Taj Mahal-U.P.Tourism." 2010. 10 Oct. 2013  

            <http://tajmahal.gov.in/>

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

Author: Briana Parks 

Marie Bernard Soubirous 

Marie Soubirous was born on January 7^th 1844. She was the first born child in her poverty-stricken family. Because her family’s living condition was poor, it caused her to live with bad health. At the age of ten, she began to suffer from cholera and asthma.  On February 11^th 1858, Marie and two other young girls went to collect firewood near a grotto where she seen light in the shape of a small woman. The visions were believed to be Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. There are eighteen apparitions of Virgin Mary to Bernadette. Amazing, during the ninth apparition, Virgin Mary said to Bernadette, “Drink from the fountain and bathe in it.” When Bernadette began to dig in the soil beneath her feet, it began to moisten and water rose from the ground. The day after, the small pool of water had become a stream.  These apparitions had attracted large crowds and many people began to follow Bernadette as if she were a disciple.

Our Lady of Lourdes

Marie Bernard Soubirous died on April 16, 1879. She was buried as a saint on the convent grounds in Nevers, France. After thirty years, on September 22, 1909, her body was dug up from her grave. When St. Bernadette’s coffin was opened, there was no presence of an odor, and her body looked the same as it was at the time of her death.  Once again, her body was exhumed on April 3, 1919. It was looked the same as it did when they dug it up ten years earlier. Her body was declared venerable. Her body was covered in wax and her body was moved into a coffin made of glass and gold. Her body can be viewed today in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette in Nevers, France.

Works Cited:

Armitage, J. Mark. “Bernadette of Lourdes: Her Life, Death And Visions—By Therese Taylor.” Reviews In Religion & Theology 17.4(2010): 625-627. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. 

Martin, James. “Of Many Things.” America 203.1(2010):2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

“Pope At Lourdes: Mary Leads To Christ.” America 199.9(2008):7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.

For Further Research:

If you are interested in further learning about Saint Bernadette, the link listed, CATHOLIC ONLINE  is a very helpful website. Search St. Bernadette Soubirous. This site list the apparitions of Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette.

THE BODY OF SAINT BERNADETTE OF LOURDES,  This site gives the reader information about the body of Marie Soubirous after her death.

ST. BERNADETTE OF LOURDES, This site gives information about the life and importance of Marie Soubirous. 

The Seven Gates of Hell

Author: Courtney Simmons

In the outskirts of Pennsylvania, in an area called, Hellam Township, there was a strange event that occurred years ago, which is how this area earned its name, The Seven Gates of Hell. The story behind this tragedy begins with a mental institution or an insane asylum that was said to be both either haunted or burned down. According to an online article called, “The Downtowning Gates of Hell,” from Weird U.S., states that if you were to pass through these seven gates then you would go straight to hell, but nobody has ever made it past the fifth gate (Wheeler). The article also states that the gates were located in the woods off a scene of a tragic asylum fire, and also how the gates today look like fallen trees in the woods. In another online article called, “Seven Gates of Hell,” from Hellam Township, it explains how there are rumors about the wooded off area called Troute Run Road in the northwestern part of the township (Gov Office). It explains the rumor of how the insane asylum caught on fire, and the inmates were either burned, killed, or lived on to murder (Office). The article then switches views and explains how as the rumors all seemed true, no asylum had ever existed in that area, and a local doctor had only one gate which was to keep out trespassers (Office). In an Article called, “Seven Gates of Hell, York, Pennsylvania, from, Unexplained-Mysteries, is based on different people’s point of views from others who have actually been to the area. According to one of the recorders, the doctors were crazy and the asylum was a place of pain and torment (Winchester). The article explains how the doctors and patients that were not killed during the asylum fire, were gunned down by the Sherriff and the cops (Winchester). 

Works Cited:

“Weird Pennsylvania.” Weird U.S., n.d. Web 19 October 2013.

Radon, Musee. “The Gates of Hell.” The Directorate of Fine Arts, 1800. Web 19 October 2013.

http://www.weirdus.com/states/pennsylvania/local_legends/seven_gates_of_hell/

http://www.hellamtownship.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B815447CA-49FB-4346-84E6-75D01939B2DF%7D

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=246618

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=246618

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=246618