London’s Phantom Bus

In 1934, witnesses one night saw just after midnight a car mysteriously swerve off a London street and hit a wall head-on. The car broke into flames and the driver was killed.

At a later inquest, witnesses expressed puzzlement as to why this car did this. They stated the driver appeared to be trying to avoid hitting something but they did not know what.

Other witnesses came forward with an odd explanation. They also saw the car swerve off the road just past the intersection but they saw the reason why.

They claimed to see a red double-decker bus with the number “7” on its side careening straight for the car at which point the car then swerved into the building. They said as this bus continued down the street it just mysteriously vanished.

Besides the odd fact this bus just vanished, the fact witnesses saw it at this hour was strange for London buses do not run this late. It was also pointed out that no buses in the city in 1934 were labeled with just the number 7.

After this first sighting, others came forward to state they saw this bus at the same intersection for the next 56 years.

This red double-decker was seen causing road accidents around 1:15 a.m. in the morning. It was always seen traveling in the middle of the street heading toward the intersection at a break neck speed.

Witnesses reported seeing the number 7 on its side as well as the word “General,” the name of a bus line that stopped running in 1933 the year before the first accident.

The witnesses all reported seeing cars desperately trying to avoid being hit by this mysterious bus. They reported the drivers often just barely missed hitting the sides of buildings or lampposts as they swerved out of the way. Several drivers sustained minor injuries in these accidents.

Most of these reports included the fact these witnesses saw the buses' interior lights shining brightly on both levels but there were no passengers on this bus. Even more strange drivers in the cars that had to avoid hitting this bus mentioned that as this out of control bus passed it then just disappeared.

The last report of this phantom bus was given in 1990. In this same year the decision was made to straighten the deadly curve that led up to this intersection. Since then there have been no more unusual sightings reported.

Sloss Furnaces: A Living Hell

For years, Birmingham, Alabama, police have received calls from concerned citizens that they witnessed unexplained activity at Sloss Furnaces Historical Landmark.

Sloss Furnaces opened in 1882 and operated for 89 years, producing high-quality pig iron. The steel that came from these furnaces was then used to built railroads, skyscrapers, and bridges during America’s industrial revolution.

Milton iron flowing from a Sloss Furnace.

The human cost to produce this steel was high. The work conditions at Sloss were unbearable and dangerous. The workers were never given breaks or holidays.

“During the stifling summer months temperatures throughout the plant would reach more than 120 degrees. Lack of sleep, the heat and low visibility made working the furnace literally a “living hell” and only the poorest workers—immigrants—desperate for employment, would work it.”

One foreman that worked at Sloss made these horrendous conditions even worse. James “Slag” Wormwood ran the graveyard shift.

Slag to impress his bosses drove his men hard. He often demanded they take unnecessary and dangerous risks. The reason for this was to speed up production.

Under Wormwood’s management, 47 men lost their lives. This was ten times the fatality rate than any other shift. On top of this, countless men were injured in accidents, which left them unable to work.

In one accident alone in 1888, one explosion left six men burned and blind.

Big Alice

In October of 1906, Slag Wormwood fell from the top of the highest furnace—known as Big Alice—into a giant pool of smelting ore. His body dissolved within seconds. 

According to one legend, this wasn’t an accident. Workers may have assisted his fall.

Ever since there have been sightings of Slag’s spirit at Sloss Furnaces. His ghost is seen as an evil tormentor.

Past employees of the plant have shared numerous stories. Most involve them being shoved from behind by unseen hands. A typical report is they heard a voice scream, “get back to work.”

The Sloss Furnaces former night watchman, Samuel Blumenthal, tells one story that happened to him in 1971. This was the night before the plant shut down production.

He states he found himself. “face to face” with the “most frightening thing he had ever seen.” He described this figure as “evil.” He stated it was “half-man/half-demon.”

This figure tried to push him up the stairs he was standing on. When Blumenthal refused, it proceeded to beat him with its fists.

Later, when a doctor examined him, he found Blumenthal was covered in “intense burns.”

This haunting continues today, as evidenced by all the reports the police receive from concerned citizens.

The haunted tunnel at Sloss.

Slag Wormwood’s ghost is not the only entity seen at Sloss, other spirits are believed to be those who lost their lives at the plant. They are most often seen and heard near where they died.

Sloss Furnaces have been preserved for public use. The site has a museum and hosts a nationally recognized metal arts program. Tours are given of what remains of the plant. At Halloween, a haunted attraction called Sloss Fright Furnace is held.

The Iconic Brooklyn Bridge

This magnificent bridge still rises over the East River in New York City because its designer, Augustus Roebling, had the foresight to make it 6-times stronger * than was considered necessary 146 years ago.

Work began on the bridge in January of 1870. It wasn’t completed until 13 years later in May of 1883.

The bridge’s two distinct towers reflect the neo-Gothic style. At the time it was the largest suspension bridge in the world.

John Augustus Roebling

Before construction began Roebling’s foot was crushed while he surveyed the site. His toes had to be amputated, which resulted in an infection that took his life.

His 32-year old son, Washington Roebling took over. He, like his father, was injured on the site. 
The underwater work on the two towers was accomplished by floating two caissons—two giant boxes where compressed air was pumped in.

Emily and Washington Roebling

Many workers became ill with “the bends” while working in these two boxes. Washington Roebling was one of these victims. Shortly after construction began, he experienced a paralyzing injury from decompression sickness.

Workers inside a caisson air-lock box during construction.

After this, he was confined to an apartment that had a view of the site. His wife Emily, who had studied Mathematics became an expert when it came to the “strength of materials.”

From New York side
during construction.

She for the next 11 years conveyed her husband’s wishes to the engineers on-site and supervised and exerted a daily influence over the work.

In all, 27 workers lost their lives during this construction.

During construction of the bridge.

The opening ceremonies for the bridge were held on May 24, 1883. Thousands of people attended to celebrate what was then called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge.

This bridge provided a land passage between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Before its completion, the only way for commuters to get between these two boroughs were overcrowded and unreliable ferries.

Six days after the opening ceremonies, a rumor spread the bridge was about to collapse. This caused a stampede where 12 people were trampled to death.

The bridge was viewed with a suspicious eye after this. It wasn’t until almost a year later on May 17, 1884, when P. T. Barnum inadvertently squelched the belief that the bridge was unstable.

To announce the arrival of his famous circus, he paraded his most popular attraction Jumbo, along with 21 other elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge.

This bridge today is a treasured landmark. Renovations began on it in 2010, which took four years, and cost $508 million. The bridge's classical architecture today is highlighted at night with floodlights.

* Inferior wire or cable was shipped, necessitating 250 additional cables being used—so the bridge is actually 4 times stronger—but this worked, for many suspension bridges of the time collapsed—not having been designed to withstand or “give” to wind forces.

Another interesting fact about the Brooklyn Bridge is that it is haunted. Some of the activity that has been reported is downright creepy.

Many people escaped
Manhattan by walking
across the Brooklyn Bridge
on 9/11.

Hundreds of thousands of people have walked across this bridge in its history. Many have reported unusual sights and sounds.

A common occurrence is people calling the police to report “jumpers.” They all heard the sounds of screams and splashing water below them. Thinking it must be a suicide attempt, they called the authorities.

But when the police arrived, no one was in the water. Some believe what these witnesses actually heard are the sounds of the people being trampled after the stampede.

But this does not explain the sounds of splashing water. They might be instead connected to the many suicides that have taken place at the bridge.

Another common sight, at night, is dark figures or shadow people walking in front of people as they cross the bridge. These figures are sometimes seen floating mid-air, and then they disappear around corners or just vanish in front of witnesses.

By far, the most compelling sight is of a man who has no head. This figure has been seen countless times and is said to wander the bridge.

New York Times article
about accident.

There is documented evidence to back up these reports. Two of the 27 men who lost their lives during construction were riggers that had the misfortune to be standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

One of the heavy cables snapped and whipped out where it killed both men. One of the two had his head sliced right off.

Depiction of the accident.

The Cursed and Haunted U-Boat of World War l

One of the most effective weapons the Germans had in their arsenal in World War l was the U-boat or submarine. 

These fast moving boats were used to demolish enemy supply ships. 

In 1916 the “Great War” was literally bogged down in a blood bath of trenches in France and Belgium. Hundreds of thousands of young men in both the Allied forces and Germany were being killed as they inched their way across the Western Front. 

In 1916 two years into the war the Germans were in a rush to finish construction on twenty-four new U-boats, which they hoped would help them turn the tide. 

One of these new submarines, U-Boat 65 became notorious within the Kaiser’s navy, for not thwarting the enemy, but for numerous mysterious tragedies. Many seamen connected to this vessel came to believe that she was not only cursed but haunted as well.

Even before construction upon U-Boat 65 was completed in 1916 tragedy struck. As the hull was being laid a giant girder held by chains suddenly broke plunging into the shell. One worker was crushed under its massive weight. 

For over an hour he experienced agonizing pain as his co-workers tried to remove him, but once the huge weight was lifted off, he died. An inquiry established that there was nothing wrong with the chains that had hoisted the girder—no explanation was found to explain why it snapped free.

Less than two months later, a second tragedy occurred. Three engineers who were in the U-Boat’s engine room testing the submarines’ dry-cell batteries were overcome by deadly fumes. 

Before their bodies could be dragged up to the fresh air, they all died. Again, no explanation was found as to why these batteries leaked. 

Misfortune continued to befall the U-boat. 

During its first launch out of port, a fierce storm hit the English Channel. The captain ordered her to surface to test her stability in rough seas. One sailor was washed overboard during this maneuver and right after this, as the boat dived a ballast tank sprang a leak flooding the dry-cell batteries with seawater, again the engine room was filled with poisonous gas. 

Twelve hours later, it was considered a miracle that the ship made it back to port for repairs without even more fatalities.

Several days later, as the boat prepared to launch again, a warhead on one torpedo that was being placed on board exploded killing the second officer and severely wounding several others. Once again an inquiry was held, but no explanation for the explosion was ever found. 

It was at this point the crew decided that their ship must be cursed. 

The U-boat’s crew went ashore to attend the second officer’s funeral, and then the captain gave them all leave in hopes that things would settle down. 

But when the ship left port, a week later, a panicked seaman approached the captain to inform him that he had seen the ghost of the dead second officer. 

The captain ignored this report feeling the seaman was probably hung over from shore leave. Days later the captain was taken aback when a second crew member reported seeing the apparition of the second officer as well. 

He listened as this man described how he had seen the dead officer casually come up the gangplank. He went on to explain how this ghost had walked aboard, strolled along, and then looked out over the sea. This man broke into sobs as he described the dead officer had suddenly just vanished. 

These two reports spread like wildfire among the crew, which were now firmly convinced the U-boat they served on was both cursed and haunted.

This apparition next appeared in the boat’s engine room observing the instrument panel. By this time the entire German naval armada had heard about these ghostly sightings. 

The captain did his best to dispel this talk noting his 34-man crew’s morale was badly shaken. But by January of 1918, even the captain had given up trying to dismiss the sightings—for he too had seen the apparition. 

The U-boat was making its way through extremely rough seas in the Channel when the captain ordered the vessel surface.

A crewmember opened one hatch to observe the stormy horizon. He was shocked to see an officer standing on the port side of the deck, which lurched violently with each wave toss. 

At first he wondered why a crewmember would be so foolish to be standing there. But when he realized that all the hatches were still battened down, except for the one he had climbed through, he was very alarmed for no one had passed him.

He then spotted the officers features and realized it was the ghost of the dead second officer. Summoning the courage to move he shouted to his shipmates that the spirit was indeed on board. The crew below went into a panic. 

The captain realizing he must gain control, quickly headed up the ladder only to see the dead second officer's features twisted in agony. Seconds later, the ghost vanished into the raging waves hitting the boat.

U-boat crews were some of the most courageous men during the war. It was a given that they only had a 50-50 chance of returning from their assigned missions. So when the U-boat 65 crew became too terrified to return to their vessel, an inquiry was held out of respect for these men. 

The Kaiser’s navy couldn’t officially declare a ship haunted but they re-assigned these men to other submarines and destroyers. The Germans then took a most unusual step—they called in a civilian enemy—a Belgium Lutheran pastor to do an “exorcism” of the craft.

After this, a no-nonsense captain was assigned to the “cleansed” ship with a new crew. He immediately let it be known that no talk of ghosts would be tolerated. 

Things were calm for a while then in May of 1918, the ghost made several more appearances. U-boat 65 had orders to patrol the supply lanes off the Spanish coast and in the English Channel. 

During this mission, a petty officer swore he saw the dead second officer walk through a solid iron bulkhead into the engine room. Another crewmember whose assignment was to man the torpedoes was driven mad by the appearance of the second officer’s apparition several nights in a row. 

This crew member was so terrorized that when the vessel surfaced to recharge its batteries, he leaped to his death off the deck.

The curse that plagued U-Boat 65 came full circle just four months before the Armistice was signed that ended World War l. 

In July of 1918, an American submarine spotted U-Boat 65 sitting on the surface like a sitting duck. Not believing their luck they prepared to fire a torpedo but to their amazement before they could the U-boat inexplicably exploded. 

To this day the reason for this explosion is not known but many people at the time were not surprised.

Canada’s Blue Light Tunnel

For over a hundred years the Blue Light Tunnel in Ontario, Canada has been haunted by ghosts. 

This tunnel was constructed in the mid 1870s as a part of the 3^rd Welland Canal. It was first named the Merritton Tunnel because it was near Merritton, which is now is a part of St. Catharines. 

It was also at one point called The Great Western Railway Tunnel because it provided passage for the Great Western Railway under the 3^rd Canal. This tunnel was in use until the First World War when a swing bridge replaced it.

The tunnel is haunted because of a series of accidents that happened near it and a graveyard that is covered in water close by.  

In the early 20^th century two trains collided head on one hundred yards from the tunnel entrance. The accident happened on a sharp curve where the two engineers could not see each other. These two men escaped this accident with only broken limbs but both their fireman died as a result of this wreck. 

It is said the ghostly spirits of these two still linger in the tunnel. Sightings of wispy fog and mists near the tunnel entrance are cited as proof of this claim.

The first fireman who worked on the express train was discovered at the scene of the accident dead. His body was found crashed between the boiler and the tentler. 

When the rescuers tried to recover his body his limbs broke away from the rest of his body because his mid section was wedged so tightly. 

The second fireman who worked on the mogul train was smashed into the boiler of the train, and received burns over 90 percent of his body; he was taken to St. Catharines Hospital where he died five hours after the accident.

Another source of the ghostly activity in the tunnel is attributed to a series of accidents that happened nearby as the Welland canal was being constructed. 

One freak accident that occurred at Lock 6 in August 6, 1928 took the lives of eight men, just two years later on this same date eight more men were killed in another accident. It was believed that the ghosts of the tunnel cursed the area and this is why these two accidents happened.

The belief in this curse and haunting was reinforced by the fact that over 107 lives were lost during the time the canal was being constructed. 

In the preceding years the pump house that brings water to locks 4, 5, 6, and 7 and is close to the Blue Light Tunnel experienced its own disasters. 

Some of these accidents were not even recorded in the local paper because it was feared if they were reported it would become known The Welland Ship Canal was indeed haunted by ghosts.

Yet another source of the Blue Light Tunnel hauntings comes from a pond near the tunnel. 

In the early 1800s a churchyard and cemetery was established in the Thorold township. By the early 20^th century this area had fallen into ruins. 

In the 1920s with the construction of the 4^th Welland Canal it was decided that the area where the St. Peter cemetery was located would be used for a “canal pondage.” In other words they intended to flood the area with water.

Of the 913 graves that were in the area when this decision was made only 250 were claimed by relatives, the rest it was decided would just be left in place. So 663 graves remain under the pondage area near the Blue Light Tunnel. Many of these lost souls are said to still haunt the tunnel today.

Many believe because of so much tragedy the Blue Light Tunnel has acted as a magnet for all who died in the area around it. 

Because of the documented activity in the tunnel many are even afraid to enter it. Footsteps, whispered conversations, and old-fashioned music have been recorded in the tunnel. 

In recent years an area near the tunnel was used as a teen party spot. In 2011 the Blue Light Tunnel was closed to the public. In the past a cinder block wall that was constructed at the entrance to keep people out was vandalized. 

Officials state they want to keep people out of this very old tunnel because it is located under a stream therefore it is unsafe—if a wall were to collapse water could rush in. 

Some feel this is not the only reason the Blue Light Tunnel is off limits.

The Archduke’s Cursed Car

It has been said over the years that the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie at the hands of a Serbian nationalist secret society known as the “Black Hand” started World War l. 

This is not entirely true the reason being that the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef and most of the Austrian people, admitting it was a tragedy, were not exactly saddened by this event. The Archduke was not popular so actually no one cared. What really started World War l were events that occurred after the assassination.

Austria-Hungry had been looking for an excuse to engage in a war with Serbia in order to weaken or destroy them so they could take back territory in the Balkans that they had lost during the Balkan Wars. 

They needed Germany’s support in order to do this and with the assassination they were able to secure a promise from Germany that they would aid them with a war against Serbia and possibly Russia in the off chance they entered the war because of a treaty they held with Serbia. 

The Austro-Hungarians didn’t think this would occur, in fact they thought it would be a small war that would end quickly. Unfortunately, Russia did enter the war. World War l escalated into one of the bloodiest wars in human history. By the end, 15 million people had died.

So what does all this have to do with a cursed car? 

A Graf and Stift was the most luxurious automobile in the early 1900s. One of their most prestigious customers was the Austro-Hungarian court. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand went on that fateful state visit to Bosnia with his wife he took his new red Graf & Stift limousine. 

While driving through the crowded streets of Sarajevo, a Black Hand gunman approached the open touring car firing the shots that killed the two passengers.

The archduke’s car is called “the automobile that started World War I,” but as I discussed above it wasn’t the assassination—so this is a misnomer. 

The deaths of the archduke and his wife were just the beginning of a series of tragedies connected to this automobile. Some say that Ferdinand and Sophie left a ghostly imprint on the car. Regardless of whether this is true or not the car is truly cursed.

This is the archduke's Graf & Shift with a double phaeton body.
It is powered by a 4 cylinder engine with 32 HP.

The first owner after the Archdukes’ death was a General Potiorek. He developed mental problems and later died in an insane asylum. 

An army captain, the next owner; died in an accident after hitting and killing two peasants on the road. 

The governor of Yugoslavia bought the car, he had four accidents in four months while driving the car; the last resulted in the amputation of his right arm. 

The governor sold the car to a doctor, who lost his life when the car overturned and crushed him.

With each successive owner the tragedies continued. They were either injured or killed in accidents while in possession of the car. 

In all, thirteen people associated with the car died—it was then taken out of service. 

Today this supposedly haunted Graf & Stift automobile is displayed at the War History Museum in Vienna—the bullet holes from the assassination are still visible.