Operation Highjump

Operation Highjump was a United States Navy operation that took place in Antarctica from 1946 to 1947. The goal of the operation was to establish the United States’ presence in Antarctica and to carry out scientific research. The operation was led by Admiral Richard E. Byrd and involved over 4,000 personnel, 13 ships, and 23 aircraft.

At the time, Antarctica was a largely unexplored and unknown region of the world. The United States, along with other countries, recognized the importance of studying the continent for scientific and strategic reasons. Operation Highjump was one of the largest and most ambitious expeditions to Antarctica, with the aim of conducting extensive research and establishing a presence on the continent.

The operation was divided into several task forces, each with a specific mission. Task Force 68 was responsible for the main scientific research, while Task Force 39 was tasked with establishing a base on the Antarctic continent. Task Force 29 was responsible for aerial reconnaissance, while Task Force 61 was responsible for the logistical support of the operation.

USS Sennet (SS-408) in Antartica 1947

Despite encountering severe weather conditions, the operation was largely successful. The main scientific research conducted by Task Force 68 included studies of meteorology, geology, oceanography, and biology. The team made important discoveries about the Antarctic continent and its ecosystems, which helped further scientific understanding of the region.

Task Force 39 successfully established a base on the continent, named “Little America IV,” which served as a hub for scientific research and logistical support for the operation. The base included facilities for housing personnel, storing supplies, and conducting scientific experiments.

Task Force 29 carried out aerial reconnaissance missions, mapping the coastline of the continent and surveying the terrain. The team also conducted flights over the interior of the continent, which had never been explored before.

Task Force 61 was responsible for providing logistical support for the operation, including transportation of personnel, supplies, and equipment. The team faced significant challenges due to the harsh weather conditions and the remote location of the operation.

Despite its successes, Operation Highjump has also been the subject of conspiracy theories. Some believe that the operation was actually a cover-up for a military operation to deal with a secret Nazi base in Antarctica or to investigate extraterrestrial activity. However, there is no credible evidence to support these claims.

US Navy Antarctic Expedition Helicopter returns from survey of South Pole waters. The Coast Guard helicopter is shown… – NARA – 196475

In conclusion, Operation Highjump was a significant expedition to Antarctica that aimed to establish the United States presence on the continent and to conduct scientific research. The operation was successful in achieving its objectives and made important discoveries about the region. While conspiracy theories surrounding the operation exist, there is no credible evidence to support them. Operation Highjump remains an important milestone in the exploration and study of Antarctica.

The Tunguska Event

The Tunguska Event is a mysterious and massive explosion that occurred in a remote area of Siberia, Russia, on June 30, 1908. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a meteor or comet that entered the Earth’s atmosphere and exploded before hitting the ground.

The explosion was so powerful that it flattened trees over an area of 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles), and the shock wave was felt as far as 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away. It is estimated that the explosion released energy equivalent to 10-15 megatons of TNT, which is roughly 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Despite extensive scientific research, the exact cause of the Tunguska Event remains a mystery. There are several theories, including the impact of a comet or meteor, a black hole passing through the Earth, and even a UFO crash. However, none of these theories have been proven, and the Tunguska Event remains one of the most intriguing and enigmatic events in modern history.

Have You Heard of The Great Wall of India?

The Mysteries Of Oak Island

Part 1

Part 2

 

The Nimitz Encounters

The lost Zanetti train in the tunnel of Italy

Courtesy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4rlAVgAK0SGk-yTfe48Qpw

 

There are a lot of stories about trains – ghosts and I would like to tell about the most famous one. This is a story about a train with Italian tourists which disappeared in the tunnel of Lombard.

Image Source

Train Disappearing

The story tells that in summer 1911 the train “Zanetti” with three cars left Rome and should go through the mountain tunnel in Lombard but it disappeared with the passengers as soon as it entered into the tunnel. From 106 passengers only 2 managed to rescue. They jumped out of the train at the last moment. After the accident two rescued passengers suffered with psychiatric disorder caused by strong stress but backed to norm later. They told that suddenly the passengers were overtaken with unexplained fear, panic started and the train was covered with milk – white mist gradually becoming more viscous.

The train did not show up. The tunnel was inspected several times. There were no train, passengers and even traces of soot on the walls. During the war the tunnel was bricked up and later destroyed in the result of one of the air – plane attacks.

Image Source

Evidences

In the railway museum they still keep a model with the railway, tunnel and locomotive with 3 cars. It is strange but that accident was not widely discussed in mass media although the disappearance of the whole train with rich Italians should have strong public interest. There were just couple of lines in local newspapers and the world press.

Image Source

Nobody would recollect that accident if not the relative of one of the passenger who was looking through the archives in 1926 and found an interesting record. It was said that in Mexico 104 Italians showed up from nowhere and all them affirmed that they were travelling from Rome. And that record was dated 1845! The Italians were considered as mad and put into a psychiatric hospital. The things and clothes didn’t correspond to that time. And one of the belongings, a tobacco box with the sign “1907” is still kept in Mexico.

Reasons

The reason of the train disappearing is still a puzzle. But the train – ghost was seen in many countries such as Russia, India, Germany, Italy and Romania. The statements of witnesses who saw the train – ghost were all the same: the ancient train with 3 cars without a machinist and with windows shut with curtains.

As for Russia they say that first it was seen in Crimea (the train went by non existent rails and even hit chickens). In 1991 it was seen in Poltava and at the same year one scientist for paranormal activity jumped into that train in front of several witnesses and nowadays he is officially considered missing.

The people who are fond of mystic say that the train disappeared in parallel dimension or it was lost in time. In these versions they show even connections with other mystic accidents.
I plan to tell about that in my next post.

Courtesy: https://steemit.com/story/@aksinya/the-train-ghost-mysterious-disappearing-of-a-train-in-a-tunnel-in-italy

 

Pascualita

Poveglia Island

Poveglia, situated in Venice’s Lagoon, is often described has one of the most haunted spot on earth and according to many, is likely to be the world’s most haunted island!

For such a small island, Poveglia has had a VERY tumultuous history. Its first residents arrived in 421 AD after trying to escape the barbaric invasions of Venice and around the 9th century, the tiny island became densely populated and grew in importance. It later became the turf on which many wars were fought against the barbarians and while most were won, Poveglia’s residents had to be permanently displaced in 1379 by the Venician government so it could fortify and use the island to counter the attacks of the Genoans.

When the bubonic plague hit Venice in 1348, Lazzarettos (quarantine centers) were established on many small islands including Poveglia to try to contain the pandemic. The Black Death revisited Venice in 1462, 1485, 1506, 1575-1577, and 1629-1631. The 1629-1631 outbreak ended up being the deadliest with an estimated 80,000 deaths in just seventeen months. The islands surrounding Venice were becoming dump sites where victims were thrown into grave pits. Those who simply displayed symptoms didn’t have much more luck as they were dragged on Poveglia and forced to wait for their death – some were even burned alive. Aside from Poveglia, two other islands were used for quarantine purposes and dumping sites – Lazzaretto Vecchio and Lazzaretto Nuovo. While those 2 islands were extensively explored and researched by archaeologists, Poveglia is still to this day shrouded in mystery, remaining largely unexplored, seemingly abandoned while the grave pits are still unmarked.

Up until the beginning of the 20th century, Poveglia was used on and off as a quarantine station and in 1922, the existing buildings were converted into a hospital for the mentally ill of Venice. The legend has it that a doctor working at the asylum committed all kinds of atrocities against his patients before going “mad” and falling to his death from the bell tower. It is said that he survived the fall, but was strangled by a ghostly mist.

The GHOST ADVENTURES tv show visited Poveglia in 2009 and during their investigation host Zak Bagan was famously attacked/possessed by a seemingly dark and violent entity. The attack still remains one of the show’s most compelling paranormal moment captured on tape as Zak is seen vigorously fighting off the attack. On the episode, local historian Federico Moro said that HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE died or were buried on the small island over the many centuries. No wonder Poveglia is referred to as the Island Of Death!

THE LEAD MASKS CASE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1966

A pair of strange deaths occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1966. To this day, the deaths of two men found under what can only be described as unique circumstances, have yet to be explained. In fact, it is still unclear whether the deaths were self-induced, worthy of a pair of Darwin awards or murder. The deaths are odd enough, given that two relatively healthy middle aged men just up and died together, but there were also a handful of objects with the men that made the case even more confusing and led to its popular name — The Lead Masks Case.

On August 17, 1966, two electronics repairmen from Campos dos Goytacazes left town saying they were going to buy supplies for work and a car. They allegedly had the money for a vehicle with them. The men — Miguel Jose Viana and Manoel Pereira da Cruz — later stopped at a bar to get a bottle of water. The bartender later said that Miguel appeared to be in a hurry as he was frequently checking his watch. That was the last any one saw of the pair alive.

Three days later, Jorge da Costa Alves found the bodies of the two men on Vintem Hill in Rio de Janeiro. Naturally, he alerted the police, who conducted an investigation. They ascertained the last known whereabouts of the men and discovered the miscellaneous items that represent their last moments alive. Both men were dressed in suits and wearing waterproof coats. They had lead eye masks with no holes, such as one would wear to protect from radiation. There was also an empty water bottle, two towels and a notebook. The notebook confused the case even further. It contained a few notes in Portuguese. Translated, they read: “16:30 be at agreed place, 18:30 swallow capsules, after effect protect metals wait for mask signal.” The money for a car was not found.

None of these items present any answers; they only pose more questions.

The Suits: The suits suggest that the men were meeting someone. However, without knowing their usual attire, it is hard to say.

The Lead Masks: The lead masks suggest that the men were expecting radioactivity. The problem is that no radiation was detected at the site. There is the possibility that Vintem Hill was not the “agreed place” and that the men needed the masks elsewhere.

The Towels and Jackets: The towels indicate that the men were expecting moisture, as do the jackets. There simply is no explanation for this. There were claims that UFOs were seen in the area on the 17th and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy does say that towels are essential for space travel. Unfortunately, the guide was not published until more than ten years later.

The Water Bottle: This one is easy. They were supposed to return the bottle to the bar. They drank the water, it seems, but were unable to return the bottle.

The Notes: Herein lies the biggest mystery. Who were they meeting at the arranged place? Were they meeting a person or hoping for an event? Was Vintem Hill the arranged place? We have no way of knowing. Then, there are the capsules. Most sources say toxicology turned up nothing because the organs were not preserved. Therefore, we do not know if the men took the capsules or what they contained. To be literal, we are not even sure if the notes refer to that day, though at least that seems likely. “Protect the metals” may refer to some metals they were meeting to get rid of. “Wait for mask signal” obviously means they were waiting for someone to tell them to put on their masks.

One explanation is that the men were meeting someone for a clandestine deal involving radioactive material. However, that would not explain the capsule mention, the towels or the jackets. Another explanation is that they were conducting an experiment, but there is no evidence of an experiment leading to their death, such as materials for said experiment. They may have been duped, murdered and dumped on the hill, though there was no evidence of violence or violent injuries. They also may have been waiting for an intergalactic ride.

The curious case of Elisa Lam

On February 21st 2013, a maintenance worker responding to complaints by guests of the Cecil Hotel in East Los Angeles, discovered a decomposing body at the bottom of the hotel’s water tank. For 19 days hotel guests had bathed, brushed their teeth and drank of the water despite its “funny, sweet, disgusting taste.” The body dredged up from the rooftop water tank was identified as Elisa Lam, a 21 year old Canadian tourist on her way to Santa Cruz. Los Angeles robbery/homicide detectives are treating the still unsolved case as a murder.

After combing through hotel surveillance tapes, police uncovered an extremely disturbing video of Elisa taken from the night she died. One’s immediate response is to assume the young woman was either 1) being followed 2) on drugs (possibly bath salts) or 3) both.

The first impression one likely gets from watching the first minute or so of this video is that Elisa is hiding from someone. But this seemingly obvious explanation is complicated, perhaps undermined, by the remainder of the video, in which the woman’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre. Strange gestures, erratic movements, waiting outside the elevator as though summoning something–none of these seem in keeping with the petrified terror one would experience if being stalked or followed.

Why go there? The skeptic asks. Answer…the Cecil Hotel has served as temporary home for no less than two serial killers: the legendary “Nightstalker” Richard Ramirez and Austrian Euro-ghoul Jack Unterweger.

In 1985, Ramirez paid $14 a night to stay on the 14th floor of the Cecil, where he killed 14 people. Six years later, Unterweger murdered several prostitutes while living at the Cecil.

The Cecil Hotel was also the scene of a 1962 suicide, in which 27 year-old Pauline Otten jumped out of her window and landed on a pedestrian, killing both. Two years later, Goldie Osgood, known by some as the Pershing Square Pigeon Lady, was found raped and strangled at the Cecil. It is also widely rumored that Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, patronized the seedy hotel and the bar next door shortly before her notorious disappearance in 1947.