Category:
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
The Great Mull Air Mystery
In 1975, a pilot in a small plane makes a mysterious unscheduled night flight, and goes missing.
Several months later, the pilot's body is found, close by the air base from which he took off.
His plane is found even later, sunk in the ocean.
Did he jump from the plane in mid-air? No injuries consistent with that.
Did he escape the downed plane and swim to shore? No traces of sea water on the corpse.
Read the details here of this still-baffling enigma.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 13, 2014 -
Comments (4)
Category: Tragedy and Pathos, Unsolved Mysteries, Air Travel and Airlines, 1970s
The great hose mystery of 1955
Back in 1955, a mysterious phenomenon was reported. Garden hoses started to spontaneously burrow their way into dirt. It began in the garden of California resident George Di Peso. His 12-year-old daughter stuck the nozzle of a hose into the dirt to make the job of watering the garden easier, and then the hose (with the water running) started to burrow downwards. Over 20 feet of the hose disappeared into the earth.
The same phenomenon was then reported in Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Florida, Ontario, and Kansas.
Geologists speculated that the rapid flow of water was creating a vacuum at the nozzle causing the hoses to slide downward into the earth. The burrowing could be stopped by turning off the water. But Di Peso never did recover the 20 feet of hose lost in the earth. He eventually cut the hose off where it went into the earth, saying "I couldn't stand it any longer. This thing was getting out of hand. My life has been made a big mess."
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 29, 2013 -
Comments (9)
Category: Unsolved Mysteries, 1950s
Garlic Fog Invades Los Angeles, 1949
Back in late 1949, people throughout Los Angeles County reported a strong odor that smelled like garlic. The smell persisted for weeks, periodically increasing in intensity. Some residents took to wearing gas masks. There were reports of the fumes being so strong that they discolored fences and buildings. There was a widespred fear that it was a poison gas attack.Despite a lot of speculation, I'm not sure that the source of the mystery odor was ever identified, although leading theories were that it was either coming from the Los Angeles River bed, or from a chemical factory. It became known as the invasion of the Garlic Fog. [Sydney Morning Herald, Aug 7, 1949] (via Buried Words and Bushwa)
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 14, 2012 -
Comments (6)
Category: Unsolved Mysteries, 1940s, Weather
Noah’s Ark Found—in Alaska!
The supposed remnants of Noah's ark have been "discovered" in a wide range of places.
But this 1902 discovery in Rampart, Alaska, on the Porcupine River, seems totally forgotten now.
I wonder if a followup expedition ever was mounted...?
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 13, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Regionalism, Religion, Unsolved Mysteries, Myths and Fairytales, 1900s, North America, Native Americans
Flora Marian Spore
Original story here.
The woman depicted above went from female dentist to occult artist. Not the most common career path. She turned out many paintings "inspired" by ghosts.
Unfortunately, despite a fairly substantial career, none of her paintings seem to have survived or been recorded, except for the one depicted below.
Photo from the blog of Jim Linderman.
Wikipedia entry.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Oct 16, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Art, Outsider Art, New Age, Paranormal, Unsolved Mysteries, 1920s
The Phantom Whistler of Louisiana
Back in 1950, newspapers were full of the story of the Phantom Whistler of Louisiana. The Whistler was terrorizing a young woman, 18-year-old Jacqueline Cadow. He would hide in the shrubbery outside her house at night and whistle a funeral dirge. Sometimes he would follow this with a "blood-curdling moan."When she got engaged to state trooper Herbert Belsom, the harassment grew worse. He started to make threatening phone calls to the family, threatening to kill Jacqueline if she went through with the wedding.
On several occasions, a few people besides Jacqueline heard the whistling and moaning, but the strange thing was that no one ever saw the Phantom Whistler. And eventually the Sheriff began to suspect that the entire thing was an "inside job and a hoax." Later the Sheriff modified this to say that he had solved the case, but he refused to disclose who or what the Whistler was because he didn't want to "embarrass" the people involved. Jacqueline and Herbert got married without incident.
Some more details here and here.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 09, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Unsolved Mysteries
Smelly Hands
Is this a common problem among ladies?
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 02, 2012 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Skin and Skin Conditions, Business, Advertising, Products, Public Humiliation, Unsolved Mysteries, 1930s
Mystery Meat, Human Style
What does one do with human tissue, if not transplant it? Perhaps create a cell-culture line? It's all very mysterious.
As I was taking the photo, a bus driver came by and joked with another employee. "What's that for--the barbecue?"
If anyone has a good explanation, please offer it in the comments!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 15, 2010 -
Comments (12)
Category: Body, Science, Unsolved Mysteries
New Montauk Monster Found!!
Montauk Monster web site
Posted By: dherlich - Mon May 11, 2009 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Unsolved Mysteries, Video
Smoke Circles
Residents of Felixstowe are wondering what caused the giant smoke circles that recently were seen floating in the sky. One resident says: "They appeared for a good ten to 15 minutes. No-one had ever seen anything like them - they just rose slowly then melted into the clouds."Could smoke circles be the new crop circles?
(via Prof. Hex)
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 29, 2009 -
Comments (6)
Category: Unsolved Mysteries
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |