In February 1883, dozens of men and boys descended into the depths of the Illinois prairie to mine coal. By noon, the pump man saw water rising in the mine tunnels. Little did he know that something was horribly wrong. In a matter of minutes, a third of the men in the mine that day […]
Episode 123: The Diamond Coal Mining Disaster of 1883 Read More »
Legend has it that a man named William Hennebry was hired by farmer Thomas Byron to drill a well on his central Illinois farm in 1864. Hennebry had drilled to what he assumed was a sufficient depth, but still hadn’t found any water. After some thought, he decided that water was there, but it
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In the early hours of January 7, 1950, flames illuminated the night sky around Mercy Hospital. An orderly was one of the first to see a mental hospital on the grounds engulfed in fire, but he would be far from the last. By the next morning, it would be one of the worst hospital fires
Episode 99: Plain Hell: The St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Fire of 1950 Read More »
Lucille Kalloway checked the clock. It was just before 11 p.m. The patients had been safely in their rooms since about 9 p.m., which was the normal time for them to turn in. Mentally, she ticked off her responsibilities for the end of shift. Lucille had started working at the facility in the summer
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It was just another day for James Clarity. He and his wife, Georgia, lived in Chicago, Illinois, with their five children. Born in Minnesota, Clarity had served in the Navy during the Second World War. After he left the service, he had become an advertising sales representative with Wallace’s Farmer, a prestigious agriculture magazine
Was the 1962 Crash of Flight 11 Really An Accident? Read More »
Steamboats are an iconic part of the history of the Mississippi River. In the case of the steamboat Lansing, however, that history turned both tragic and terrifying in a split second.
Episode 57: Steam and Fury: The Lansing Steamboat Disaster of 1867 Read More »
The Mississippi River, despite its nickname the “Big Muddy,” is surrounded by natural beauty. Bluffs over look the water as it meanders its way through the landscape, making its way ever southward toward the Gulf of Mexico. As picturesque as it is, there is a very practical side to the river as well. The
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In 1898, Judge John Dillon was rich and successful. But when his wife and daughter were about to travel to Europe, eerie premonitions of impending disaster would change his life forever. Sources Downer, Harry E. A History of Davenport and Scott County, Iowa. Volume II. Chicago; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1910. Asheville Citizen-Times.
Episode 12: Premonitions of Doom Read More »
John F. Dillon stood, inspecting the monument in front of him. Fall had already taken a firm hold on the region, the kaleidoscope of orange and red leaves providing a beautiful backdrop for the granite obelisk. Forty feet from base to tip, it was exactly what Dillon had paid for. Now, looking at it again,
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There were several accidents, both large and small, that took place. Ships ran aground and caught fire, and more than one person drowned. Several towns up and down the Mississippi have tragic stories, and Davenport, Iowa has more than its fair share. Sometimes, those events produce other, stranger tales.
Is a 1800’s Steamboat Disaster Behind a Modern Day Haunting? Read More »
