5. Crybaby Bridges of Ohio
Over the years, a strange phenomenon has been recorded in the vicinity of specific rural bridges in the US state of Ohio. On certain days of the year, after the Sun goes down, the sound of a baby’s presence can be heard. Most often, a shattering cry is recorded, but in other cases a baby’s laughter or scattered speech is said to plague the area. These bridges have been given the label Crybaby Bridges. The eerie locations usually hold a violent history, with stories involving a baby or young child being brutally killed. One of the most famous Crybaby Bridges is the Rogues’ Hollow Bridge, which is located near Doylestown, Ohio. In 1840, this area of Ohio experienced a large mining boom when coal was discovered in the deep hollows southeast of the village. The area became known as Rogues’ Hollow because the miners had a strong reputation for wild goings and violence. Rogues’ Hollow was congested with saloons, houses of ill repute, disease, dust and Sunday dog fights.
The Rogues’ Hollow Bridge sits deep inside Rogues’ Hollow on an old climbing road. The bridge is located in a remote area and is approachable from only one direction. Due to bad weather, it can only be reached during certain months of the year. The bridge is adjacent to the old Chidester Mill, which is often included in articles describing haunted locations. Loud voices and celebrations are said to radiate around the Chidester Mill. If you dare venture near the Rogue Hollow Bridge on a dark evening, be sure to keep an open ear for the sound of a crying baby. The noise has been reported to come from all directions, often times floating above your head. People have also reported that as they left the bridge, the intensity and volume of the crying increased. The Screaming Bridge of Maud Hughes Road is another reportedly haunted bridge located in Liberty Township, Ohio. The bridge is reputed to have been the site of many terrible accidents and suicides.
A set of old railroad tracks sits 25 feet below the bridge, and at least 36 people are said to have been killed on or around the Maud Hughes Road Bridge. Many different people have reported seeing and hearing usual things around the structure, including ghostly figures, mists, and lights, as well as black hooded figures and a phantom train. These aspirations seem to have an evil agenda and people often report a sensation of wanting to run while crossing the Maud Hughes Bridge. Others have made claims of screaming in their ear, load moans, shrieks, and the sound of a baby crying. Near the town of Salem, Ohio, citizens have reported strange occurrences around the Egypt Road Bridge. The area surrounding this bridge is closed off to the public. The bridge is located at the end of a dead-end and can only be reached from a single direction. Strange occurrences around the bridge have been reported, including the loud cries of a baby. However, unlike other Crybaby Bridges, on Egypt Road these sounds seem to occur during the day and night.
4. The Candy Man
Dean Corll was a sadistic serial killer that savagely murdered dozens of small boys in the US state of Texas during the early 1970s. He was responsible for the death of a confirmed 27 children. At this time in history, the term serial killer had not yet been coined, and the case was simply known as the Houston Mass Murders. In the early 1960s, the Corll Candy Company was founded by Dean’s mother. The Corll family set up a production facility in their home and turned the garage into a candy store, which was located across the street from Heights Elementary School, in the Houston Heights area of northwest Houston, Texas. Dean became second in command of the candy business and lived in an apartment over the garage. During this time, Dean Corll became known as The Candy Man. He would routinely give out free candy to the local children, in particular teenage boys. The company had a handful of employees and Dean was in charge of hiring the staff, which consisted of teenage children.
He even installed a pool table at the rear of the factory where employees and local youths would go to hang-out and do drugs. At this time, Dean Corll befriended 12-year-old David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley. In 1968, the Corll Candy Company closed and Dean gained work as an electrician. He killed his first known victim in 1970. Most of the children he murdered were abducted from Houston Heights. He would lure his victims into a van with an offer of a party. He used the help of two teenage boys, David Brooks and Elmer Henley, who were given $200 for every successful capture. He would overpower his victims and perform sadistic rituals. Corll would start by putting his prey on a plywood torture board. He sexually assaulted all victims and usually killed them by strangulation or shooting with a .22 caliber pistol. Upon searching his home, police found multiple wooden torture boards with handcuffs, ropes, sex toys, and plastic covering the carpeted floor. He also owned an odd wooden crate with what appeared to be air holes cut into it.
On August 8, 1973, Henley angered Dean Corll when he brought his young girlfriend over to his house with another friend, Tim Kerley. The group drank and did drugs and each fell asleep, but when they awoke Corll had handcuffed them all. Elmer Henley reportedly convinced Corll to let him go, so that he could participate in the murders. When his back was turned, Henley took the gun and shot Dean Corll six times killing him instantly. Henley then began to tell the police about the deadly rampage and specify where the children’s bodies were buried. It was the first time that the Houston police department had investigated Dean Corll or even connected the series of rash murders to one person. In a highly publicized trial, Brooks was found guilty of one murder and sentenced to life in prison. Henley was convicted of six of the murders and sentenced to six 99-year-terms.
During the years of Dean Corll’s murder spree, he is known to have frequently changed addresses in the Houston Heights area. He lived in a trailer park, several apartment buildings and rented rooms at private residences. Specifically, these locations include a metal warehouse in the 500 block of West 22nd Street, a run-down apartment building in the 800 block of Heights Boulevard, a house on North Durham and an apartment on East 7th Street. A collection of old structures in the Houston Heights area have witnessed the worst crimes known to man. Dean Corll buried his victims in one of four separate locations, a rented boatshed in southwest Houston, a beach on the Bolivar Peninsula, in woodland near a cabin on Lake Sam Rayburn (owned by his family) or on a beach in Jefferson County. A small group of people living in Houston believe that the ghost of Dean Corll and his victims haunt the city. Reports have surfaced from his grave stone, which mysteriously reads “PFC US Army.” Why he was still given this honor after death is unknown to me.
3. Corpse Road
In late medieval times, a steady population increase caused an expansion in the construction of churches in Great Britain. This upset the mother churches of the area, who felt that the new organizations were encroaching on their territory and taking away profits and power. For this reason, they instituted a law indicating that all burial rights were the property of the mother church. Officials had corpse roads constructed, which connected outlying locations and their main churches. This was a great hardship on the people and it meant that citizens living on the outskirts of town had to transport their dead family members a long distance in order to be buried. Sometimes the corpse roads traveled up steep mountain cliffs and over large bodies of water and rivers. Many of the pathways contained specifically placed coffin stones, which were used as a resting spot for the travelers. Evidence of the stones is still evident today and a number of the locations are said to hold a dark spirit. In many cases, humble men, women, and old citizens were given this impossible task of transporting their loved ones. This burning animosity and the continual shuffling of human corpses is said to have left a lasting impression on the hundreds of corpse roads in Europe and South America.
Many of the corpse roads have disappeared over the years, but you can still see the remains of some prominent routes, which appear in the form of small woven pathways. For generations, people have reported strange noises and lights on these ancient corpse roads. Legend tells that spirits and ghosts regularly fly along the roads in a direct straight line from one end to the next. This energy guides the people along the trail at night. It directs them around all fences, walls, buildings, and other structures. The Will-o’-the-wisp are said to patrol the corpse roads. Folklore is full of tales describing the Will-o’-the-wisp, which are ghostly lights that resemble a flickering lamp. These mischievous spirits attempt to confuse travelers. They are said to recede and fade away if approached. Ancient people believed that these paths were haunted. They followed a list of specific rules to prevent the dead from wandering the land as lost souls or animated corpses.
The number of reportedly haunted corpse roads is extensive. Phantom lights are regularly witnessed on the Scottish cemetery-island of Mun in Loch Leven. Traditionally, these lights were thought to be omens of impending death. Many eyes have reported a regular phantom funeral procession heading across Dartmoor on its way to Widecombe and the burial ground. People have also witnessed a monk dressed in all white. Places where corpse roads intersect are considered dangerous and are believed to be occupied by special spirit-guardians. A famous corpse road in England runs from Rydal to Ambleside in the Lake District. Along this route, at the foot of Blue Bell Hill, is an old coffin stone. It is a rectangular stone that measures 14.4 feet (4.4 m) long and 9 feet (2.8 m) wide. In 1836, a sack of bones was discovered under the rock and it has since been revealed that the area is one of the Medway tombs. The Corpse Rock is located on private grounds, with local residents staying far away from the area in the mist of night. However, the field is currently being planted as a vineyard, which has caused a buzz in the area, as it may be disturbing sacred ground and releasing the wrath of ancient ghosts.
2. Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff
The Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II was a major conflict between the armed forces of Japan and those of the United States, the British Empire, the Netherlands and France. Two of the largest battles included the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Okinawa. The 82-day-long Battle of Okinawa was one of the deadliest in all of World War II. Japan lost over 100,000 troops, and the Allies suffered more than 50,000 casualties. Simultaneously, more than 100,000 civilians were killed, wounded, or committed suicide, which was approximately one-quarter of the entire population. The one chilling factor that both of these battles have in common is the mass suicide of Japanese civilians, usually accomplished by leaping from the steep cliff faces of the islands. After the Allied forces captured Saipan, the soldiers erected a civilian prisoner encampment. They were told that over 25,000 Japanese people lived on the island, but it was soon evident that thousands were missing.
After searching the island, Allied soldiers made the grisly discovery that Japanese citizens were committing suicide by jumping from Saipan’s Suicide Cliff and Banzai Cliff. It has since been realized that Emperor Hirohito personally found the threat of the defection of Japanese civilians disturbing. During the Battle of Saipan, Hirohito sent out an imperial order encouraging the civilians of Saipan to commit suicide. The order authorized the commander of Saipan to promise civilians who died an equal spiritual status in the afterlife. Over 10,000 Japanese people committed suicide in the last days of the conflict. In Okinawa, this issue is at the center of an ongoing disagreement between the local government and Japan’s national government. In 2007, a mass rally erupted in Okinawa when the Japanese government announced that they were changing the wording in school text books regarding the suicides. Okinawa ultimately won a court battle and the books were restored, using the statement that the citizens “were forced into mass suicides by the Japanese military.” This was partially achieved by evidence that implicated the Japanese military in distributing grenades for the purpose of suicide.
The island of Saipan is said to be haunted by ghosts. Today, the land is officially the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is littered with underground shelters and tunnels that were used during the war. In many cases, mass suicides were performed in the bunkers or massacres took place as US troops dropped explosives into them. This is said to have left a lasting impression on the Saipan underground, with the sound of artillery fire, explosions, and screams routinely spreading over the land. However, the majority of the strange activity has been reported on the cliffs surrounding the limestone covered Mount Tapochau, located at 1,560 ft (480 m). One of the drops has been given the nickname Suicide Cliff, while the other is named Banzai Cliff.
The beauty of Saipan makes it a popular tourist destination and many people have claimed supernatural experiences. At all times of day, but more prevalent at night, human figures can be seen leaning over the cliffs and jumping. Children can be heard crying and sporadic gusts of wind loom over the area. Unlike other ghostly phenomenon, these spirits appear to be determined to jump off the cliff and don’t notice human contact. People have also reported violent visions, often stemming from the scene of dead bodies on the rocks below. If you search the Internet for the ghosts of Saipan, you will find many links to a video that was recorded near Banzai Cliff. It has been claimed that the video shows a ghost jumping from the cliff. Check it out for yourself. If anything, the video gives a good perspective of what this area of Saipan looks like.
1. Edinburgh Vaults
In the late 18th century, the city of Edinburgh was a thriving community. To help drive expansion, officials in this area of Scotland approved the construction of two bridges, the North Bridge and South Bridge. The South Bridge is a nineteen arch viaduct, which holds some unusual architectural feats. Eighteen of the arches were enclosed behind tenement buildings, which were built upon floor layering. In total there are approximately 120 vaults beneath the surface of the South Bridge, ranging in size from 6.5 feet (2 meters) to 131 feet (40 meters) squared. The South Bridge officially opened for business on March 1, 1788. For around 30 years, the Edinburgh vaults were used to house taverns, cobblers and other tradesmen. Specific sections were used for the storage of illicit material, including dead bodies. The bodies were examined by doctors and reportedly used in medical experiments. Unfortunately, construction of the South Bridge was rushed and the surface was never sealed against water damage. For this reason, the vaults began to flood and the area was abandoned.
By the start of the 19th century, slum dwellers had taken over the vaults and the area became a renowned red light district, with countless brothels and pubs operating within the abandoned complex. Living conditions in the chambers were appalling. The rooms were cramped, dark and damp, with no sunlight, poorly circulated air, no running water, and no sanitation. Serious crimes and acts of violence were a major problem. The serial murderers Burke and Hare are thought to have chosen victims from this area. In the middle of the 19th century, the first reports of bizarre visions and ghostly phenomenon were issued. At that time, city officials made the decision to drop tons of rubble into the Edinburgh Vaults, making them inaccessible. The landmarks were not rediscovered until the 1980s, when they were excavated by Norrie Rowan and his son. During the unearthing of the vaults, strange occurrences and loud cries were often reported.
Today, the Edinburgh Vaults house some of the most popular tourist attractions in the area, including many ghost tours. The most popular venues are the Mercat Tours, Marlin’s Wynd, and a tour known as The Caves. Specific corridors of the Edinburgh Vaults are said to house spiritual characters. Mr. Boots is a ghost that has been known to nudge tourists and follow large groups. He can often be heard using foul language and stomping on the hard stone floor. A young spirit named Jack can be seen running about the dark rooms, giggling as he passes by unsuspecting people. One of the most chilling spirits is an ailing pregnant woman that can be heard crying for attention and help. The Edinburgh Vaults are also known to contain odd cold air flows. Scientific studies and overnight sleepovers have been conducted in the vaults with some unexplained findings. In 2009, a BBC TV production team recorded a strange voice that appeared to be that of a Catholic priest reciting the Last Rites. The ghostly voice continued to be heard on the recording for some 20 minutes before abruptly ceasing after what appeared to be the sound of children yelling.
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