Monday, March 21, 2011

The Overtoun Bridge - The Dog Suicide Bridge

Built in 1895 by Lord Overtoun, near the village of Milton in West Dunbartonshire lies the Overtoun Bridge; an arch bridge which has become famous for the bizzarely large number of dogs who have leapt over the side to their death.
The famous location near the Overtoun is the Overtaun mansion which is nearly spreaded across 2000acres. The mansion was built by James White. The mansion was further expanded during its construction by the owner, forming the western and eastern side of the estate. The western side is more famous known as western drive. But the two sides are separated by a water fall and to connect this sides, the famous Overtoun bridge was constructed.
The Victorian bridge stands 50 feet over the Overtoun Burn which flows below. The dog jumping phenomenon started sometime in the 1950s continuing to be a common occurence for the following five decades, with each account having certain similar details.

Strange things have been noticed that dogs actually climbing the parapet wall before making the jump. Even stranger are the reports of dogs surviving their brush with death, only to return to the bridge for a second attempt. Some more interesting facts about the bridge is it has never claimed the life of humans but engulfed more than 600 dogs till now, averaging one dog per month.

What makes this tragic mystery even more mysterious is that many of the dogs that jump from Overton Bridge jump from the same side and from almost the same spot: between the final two parapets on the right-hand side of the bridge.

But why is this happening? What would compel otherwise contented canines to leap from the stone structure?

Some believe that the bridge is haunted. In 1994, a man threw his baby son off the bridge claiming that it was the anti-Christ. Later, the man attempted suicide there as well. Was Overton Bridge responsible for this tragic event?
Another theory comes from Celtic beliefs that Overton Bridge is a "thin place" where the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead meet and sometimes cross over. Some believe that dogs are more sensitive to the paranormal and perhaps they are getting spooked by spirits. In fact, one psychic toured the bridge and, although she admitted that she felt nothing malevolent - only peace, her dog pulled on its leash to the right side of the bridge.
However, the explanation which seems to be the most logical involves the presence of minks on the banks of the burn. The mink’s powerful anal glands leave marks wherever they go and the strong musty smell they produce apparently interest dogs. So it is suggested that the height of the bridge’s granite walls significantly impairs the dogs’ sense of sight and hearing, so when they go to investigate the smell, they are unaware of the massive fall that awaits them. This would explain why the dogs all went over on clear and dry days, because the mink smell wouldn’t have been strongly dilluted by the rain.

Whatever the explanation for the famous Dog Suicide Bridge actually is could be debated for years without satisfaction. Just take some advise from the locals and keep your best friend on a leash when visiting Overton Bridge.

source 1 2 3

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Screaming Tunnel

The story has it that a girl burned to death in the middle of the tunnel...

There is a tunnel under the old railroad tracks just to the west of the Queen Elizabeth Way in Niagara Falls. Located near the end of the road on right-hand side of Warner Road, just off of Taylor/Beechwood Road, the tunnel runs under the railway tracks that link Niagara Falls to Toronto and New York City. The tunnel is made of rough-cut stone and measures 16 feet high by 125 long.

According to local legend, over a century ago, a farm house located just past the south entrance to the tunnel caught fire one night. A young girl, her clothes engulfed in flames, fled screaming from the house. She ran through the tunnel in an attempt to extinguish her garments but collapsed and died on the tunnel floor.

Some have heard that the young girl was kidnapped by a crazed butcher, who dawned a pig’s mask and burned her alive after she had tried to escape through the tunnel.

Another legend involves a little girl who was chased down and burned by her angry father when he found out he lost his children to his wife in a bitter custody battle.
Perhaps the most gruesome story, the young girl was raped while inside the tunnel, with the perpetrator burning the body in order to hide the evidence...
It is said that the girl is still in this tunnel, haunting it. The urban legend has it that if you stand in the middle of the tunnel and light a wooden match stick, she will blow it out immediately and you will be able to hear her screams. It is also noted that the middle of the tunnel is quite cold, even on a hot summer day. People report that when they are in the tunnel, they have a feeling of being watched. Orbs are very noticeable on photographs taken inside the tunnel.
Most who know of this tunnel remember it as Christopher Walken’s temporary place of refuge in the 1983 feature film Dead Zone, but to some, this tunnel represents a varying story of fire and death.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Mystery Astronaut Carving

Could this be a carving from someone who’s been to the future? Could this be some bit of technology that existed back in 1100 AD? Cathedral in Spain, built by Episcope de Salamanca in 1102 A.D., there is a figure of a NASA Astronaut hides among the fascinating carvings!

In fact its non of the above: In 1992 the Cathedral Ieronimus was renovated to add some additional modern and contemporary motifs. The reason for these motifs was in the tradition of the cathedral builders and restorers, they include contemporary motifs among older ones as a way of signing their work. The builder at the time, Jeronimo Garcia, chose an astronaut as a symbol of the twentieth century. This obviously debunks any and all suspicions of someone sent from the future.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Candyman


Candyman is an urban legend about the ghost of a slave who returns from the dead in search of revenge.
According to the legend, if you look into a mirror and chant the name “Candyman” five times, the Candyman will appear and kill you with his hook. For you see, the Candyman is a vicious killer with a bloody hook for a hand. He appears from the mirror, covered in blood and bees and with nothing but murder on his mind.
They say that years ago, Candyman was once a real man. Back in the days of slavery, Candyman was a black slave named Daniel Robitaille, who worked on a plantation in New Orleans. He was a talented painter and was chosen by the plantation owner to paint a portrait of his daughter.
But Daniel fell in love with the daughter of the white plantation owner. When the racist plantation owner discovered that his daughter and the slave were in love, he raised an angry mob and chased Daniel out of town.
Armed with pitchforks and a pack of dogs, they chased the poor slave across fields and streams. Finally, they caught up with the exhausted slave near an old barn. The evil men siezed Daniel and cut off his right hand with a rusty saw. Then they covered him in honey and threw him into a beehive.
The unfortunate Candyman was in terrible pain and died from his injuries, but not before he cursed the men who killed him and vowed to return and exact his revenge. They say his spirit would never rest and now his ghost walks the world for all eternity, appearing when his name is called five times.
So remember, you can say “Candyman” once, twice, three times or four. But never say it five times or you’ll be sorry!