From the unexplained to the mundane, come join
us on a journey to the fringe. Hello and welcome
to Journey to the Fringe. If the fringe is calling
you, it's really best not to travel alone. There's
a lot of assholes out there. Just like so many.
We are. You're friendly, I promise. podcast hosts
Taylor and Chelsea. Here today, it's been a while
since I've done kind of a general overview of
a fringy topic, Chelsea, but I wanted to do one.
And you know what it's gonna be today? What?
Tunnels. Fringy tunnels. Oh, I thought you said
funnels. I was like like the thing you used to
help put the water all into one place. OK, I
don't know why. I feel like my texting on my
phone has gotten worse and I don't know if it's
me or the phone. Oh, mine is. But I've been misspelling
a lot of things really badly the last little
while. I also just switched over to an iPhone
and also I was concentrating on how I wanted
to clarify the fringe that we're a part of. We
are not the assholes, I think that we border
on. on it sometimes. I don't think we are either.
I'd like to think we're friendly. I mean, we
are mean to the assholes, I think, and I don't
think it's, or I shouldn't say mean. We are critical
of the assholes, which I don't think is a mean
thing. We're just telling it like it is. That
doesn't make us assholes. And I think people
should be aware of the assholeness of those people.
Nobody's ever called us assholes. They've just
told us that we laugh a lot, which is a compliment.
Yes. Thank you. or a compliment even though you've
never listened again. It's true, we did lose
someone there rather quickly into their journey
here to the fridge. I still can't tell if they
liked the asshole that we were talking about
or not but nonetheless they were critical of
our laughing which we took as a compliment and
continued making no changes to it. This is for
us after all, you're not paying us. Today we're
going to be talking about tunnels and that seems
like a weird topic or something that you can't
really do a whole episode on but Chelsea I got
19 pages here to talk about and oh shit I'm gonna
have to go to bed halfway through well I can
entertain everybody for the second don't worry
about that okay anyhow tunnels can be fringy
in many different ways for Chelsea a tunnel can
be haunted a tunnel can be mysteriously old and
not known about for a long time a tunnel can
be associated with UFOs or aliens and I didn't
want it to Dispriminate I wanted to give us a
sprinkling of this entire group and just say
like hey, there's some weird tunnels out there
Let's talk about that. So Chelsea today's never
terrified of tunnels I don't think so no more
so than you were before I should say so I can't
confirm how you felt I'm skeptical for okay.
I'm skeptical but Yeah, I'm excited. The first
tunnel we're gonna be talking about is actually
in Portland, Oregon It is called the Shanghai
tunnels seems like a weird place to be found
Yeah, why it's called Shanghai Tunnels. Maybe
we'll explain here. I'm actually fairly certain
we do because I'm afraid this script is mine,
but it is a weird name and Portland's a weird
place. Yeah, it is. In downtown Portland, tourists
gather in the shops and restaurants completely
unaware of what lies beneath their feet. Lying
down there is a series of 150 -year -old tunnels
that connect the basements of the city's oldest
buildings to the Willamette River, as well as
Portland's Chinatown. The tunnels were built
by Chinese workers during the time when Chinatown
was the center of trade business. The tunnels'
original design was for transporting goods from
cargo ships to the inner city. By using the tunnels,
the ship's crew could avoid the hassles of inner
city traffic. This was good for the business
of Portland because many of them stored their
goods in their basements. But unbeknownst to
the good people of Portland, the tunnels had
much more nefarious use back in those days. Portland
was a small town at the time, but it had a large
port that could support many ships. Many cargo
ships sailed for many months across the Pacific
before unloading their cargo in Portland. Because
the sailors had a very short window of downtime,
before they had to pack up and set sail again.
Many sailors spent their time drinking in the
bars or fighting in the... loons. Some sailors
took the opportunity to abandon their life at
sea because they feared death by disease or debilitating
injury. This would leave sea captains with empty
positions that they would have to fill in order
to leave port on time. People were oftentimes
reluctant to sign up for a long sea voyage. So
crooked captains would hire men to Shanghai replacement
sailors 50 bucks a head. This is where the Shanghai
tunnels get their names from. But it didn't explain
what that means. Shanghai sailors? They would
Shanghai sailors like abduct them. Why is that?
That's what it says. I'm sorry. You can't see
this people were oftentimes reluctant to sign
up to long sea voyages So cookie captains would
hire men to quote unquote Shanghai replacements
like abduct them. Why is that the word for it?
I don't know. I'm sure there is a reason but
I don't know Men looking to make a quick buck
would prowl Portland's bar saloons and taverns
looking for young, able -bodied men who were
alone. These Shanghaiers would wait until the
target was drunk and then take him down to the
basement. They would knock the man unconscious
and drag him through the Shanghai t - Once on
board the ships, these men chose labor over starvation.
Some men managed to escape the ships and warned
the public about the Shanghaiers. Stories about
the Shanghaiers circulated Portland and soon
men became more cautious when drinking out at
the bar. No kidding. When abducting men became
difficult, savvy Shanghaiers kidnapped women
instead. Women who frequented bars alone became
easy prey for Shanghaiers. Many bars had trap
doors that were sprung on unsuspecting women.
Once the women fell into the tunnel, it was impossible
to get back out. Prostitution rings often and
used the tunnels to hold groups of women in cages
for long periods of time. This gave them enough
time to secure buyers outside of Portland. Chinese
gangsters were also known to Shanghai people
after doping them. Chinatown had many different
conflicting gang groups who oftentimes had their
own separate tunnels towards the docks. They
used the tunnels to sneak in immigrants as well
as goods and drugs. And the many different brothels,
bars, and gambling lairs received these goods
and people through their own personal trap doors
and tunnels. Personal. Yeah, like most of these
gangs in the area using tunnels. prevented them
from being busted by the police. During Prohibition,
the Shanghai tunnels became underground expressways.
Shanghires used the tunnels to transport alcohol
shipments from the ships on the Willamette River
to bars all over Portland. Bars, hotels, and
taverns often used secret passages in the Shanghai
tunnels to conduct their business away from prying
eyes. Police routinely raided bars during Prohibition,
making daily operations impossible for bar owners.
To combat this, bar owners began stashing their
alcohol supply deep in the Shanghai tunnels to
avoid arrest. Hidden doors were also commonly
used in bars during this time. Police officers
raided bars, taverns, and saloons in large groups,
which made it impossible for criminals to escape.
Bar owners used hidden doors and passages to
hide their business associates when they were
on the run. Once the police concluded their business,
the criminals would return to their seats at
the bar and have another drink. Once police officers
realized that businesses and gangs were using
tunnels, they began to conduct searches of them.
Unfortunately, police officers were oftentimes
unsuccessful because of the time sheer expansiveness.
Gangsters and bar owners had long since mapped
out the underground passageways and knew exactly
where to hide their goods. I did not know that
history about Portland, that there's an entire
underground. It's actually a fairly common thing
on the West Coast, it seems, because Seattle
too has like a very extensive underground city.
Yeah, apparently that was a thing. You just had
to build a city and then when that didn't work
out, you just built another one on top of it.
I did find out why it's referred to as Shang
Haiing. I thought that it was racist. I would
have thought too. But they call it Shanghai -ing
because that was a common destination for the
ships to go with the abducted crew members because
they were doing like routes and stuff like that.
Interesting, okay. We've learned more than just
the tunnels in Portland. Today the Shanghai tunnels
are used mainly as tourist attractions. You can
actually go see parts of them. Of course, yeah.
I would do that. Yeah, that sounds actually fairly
entertaining. During the height of its operation,
an estimated 2 ,000 people a year were Shanghai
-ing. hide through Portland's underground tunnels,
which is crazy. That's a ton of people, particularly
because Portland wasn't a huge city 200 years
ago. Yeah. Well, it would have been, I didn't
actually know that Portland was a port city,
but it makes sense actually now that I said Portland
and port in the same sentence. Funny enough.
But I mean, sailing was a huge thing, I guess,
back then. So why not kidnap lots and lots of
people to work on the boats if you needed them?
Well, I'm particularly like, yeah, like a place
where you kind of stopped off after long voyages
and people just wanted to fuck off. And that's
what happened. According to experts, many unfortunate
souls never made it out of these tunnels alive.
Many were beaten, starved, and left for dead
within the tunnels. Gangs used these tunnels
for their hideout and would often drag their
victims down into the tunnels to keep them from
talking to the police. There's evidence that
gangs even kept disobedient members in the tunnels
as a form of punishment. Oftentimes disobedient
gang members would be left by themselves with
no light. Sometimes the gangs would retrieve
their man after a certain period of time and
other times they wouldn't. If parts of the tunnels
go on for miles and miles, it would be easy to
get lost in the dark, especially without a light
to see where you were going. The labyrinth of
underground tunnels is still explored today,
and explorers can travel underground and see
the holding cells once used by the prostitution
rings, as well as the trap doors the Shanghais
dropped people through, which are still functional
in some bars. Although no one should explore
the tunnels by themselves, there are many tunnels
that have collapsed over the years, and some
tunnels lead to nowhere. If you are going on
a Shang - high tunnel adventure, make sure to
stay close to your guide as you can. You definitely
don't want to get lost. Chelsea, is that guy
trapped down there by chance? Are you talking
about the picture I just sent you? Yes. I don't
know how I got here, but I just wanted you to
see the ass on this Loveland Frog. They really
emphasize the Loveland Frog's ass. It's juicy.
The frog works out and everybody needs to know
this. It actually has nothing to do with the
tunnel. I just happened to come across and I
was like, wow, look at his ass. he just comes
up in the weirdest spots. I know. I'm gonna close
my tab now with a level of rock art. Deep within
the tunnels, travelers report feeling goosebumps
as if someone is watching them from the shadows.
Many people report seeing an Asian man walking
past them in the tunnels. Explorers name the
spirit Sam and say that he is responsible for
turning off the lights in Bar's basements. Sam
also likes to move things around in the tunnels
as explorers walk by. One tour guide reported
hearing a voice calling out the name Sam over
and over again. Ed echoed through the tunnels
and scared him. guess because his entire group
was behind him he knew that it was not one of
them he says it was one of the scariest experiences
of his life go ahead Sam wouldn't be calling
his own name that's a fair point but maybe he
does because it scares people because he knows
he's scary or yeah or because he wants people
to know who he is maybe so you're not gonna know
the people who are there you've been dead like
why would you know them so it is best yellow
your name oh you're into Other seeing quick movement
of shadows and feeling ghostly fingers on their
shoulders when no one else is around. Most tunnel
tourists say that Sam is good ghost and look
forward to feeling his presence that's really
creepy that is weird that's a bad touch from
a ghost that is stockholm syndrome you should
um is that stockholm syndrome no it's still creepy
don't let ghost touch sam's fingers touch me
tonight that's a weird sentence to say yeah i
don't like it i don't want to go there anymore
nope he says his name lovingly in your ear i
don't like it sam Other tunnel spirits are known
as tricksters who just love to have a good time.
They will often pull at your shirt tail or gently
tug at the ends of your hair. One gets reported
feeling a small tug on her shirt before she tripped.
She was not injured, but it was an experience
she says she will never forget. Some people recall
feeling unwelcome like someone or something is
watching them. One man remembers hearing the
sounds of like whistling just before he was thrown
to the ground and that is particularly hilarious
for me because he keeps saying that he knows
how to whistle that's what I'm picturing right
now yeah after standing up he turned to see who
had knocked him down assuming it was the small
chat who didn't know how to whistle. Lifting
his flashlight, he saw that no one was behind
him. The man reported that it was the last time
he would be visiting. Although there are some
scary reports of ghostly activity coming from
down in the tunnels, most of the experiences
are friendly. If you go, be prepared to experience
complete darkness, bring your own water and stay
with your group at all times. Why? There's not
water down there? Well, you're going to the Willamette
River, so I guess if you really want to, you
don't want to drink that water. And also, I assume
you're not actually going to be close. Lots of
real klutzy people going down into these tunnels.
Lots of fallen. And apparently the tour guides
really like to push and be handsy, is what I'm
getting from this story. That's also what I'm
getting from it. Anyhow, that actually sounds
like a really fun ghost tour if you happen to
be in Portland. Those tunnels sound fascinating.
Also, just try and stay on your foot. Wear extra
layers that are tight. And watch your footing.
Next up, Chelsea, we're heading to Scotland for
the Edinburgh Vaults. Now, the story of the Edinburgh
Vaults began in the late 18th century with construction
of the South Bridge in 1788. Designed as a grand
passage linking the Old Town to the burgeoning
South Side, the bridge was more than just a structure.
It was Edinburgh's first purpose -built shopping
street. Where behind the facade of the tenements
that flanked the bridge, a hidden network of
chambers was created within its 19 arches repurposed
as storage rooms, workshops, and spaces for bustling
tradesmen. For around 30 years these vaults thrived
with life serving as taverns, cobblers workshops,
and even storage for whiskey distillers. However,
the fate of these subterranean spaces soon took
a darker turn. A bridge had been hastily constructed
and its foundations were far from secure. Water
began seeping into the vaults, flooding the floors,
and driving out legitimate businesses. By the
early 1800s, only the poorest of Edinburgh's
citizens remained. The vaults devolved into a
den of inequity, home to illegal gambling dens,
illicit whiskey distilleries, prostitution, and
even rumors of body snatching. Oh my god. They
were boasting about the whiskey distillers at
the beginning and now it's the illicit whiskey
distillers that moved in. They're both signifiers
of good and bad economies. It's beautiful. Especially
in Scotland. It got so bad the whiskey distillers
moved in, or it was so beautiful that the whiskey
distillers moved in. It was thriving, the whiskey
distillers came in. Anyhow, there was not a normal
economy there. It was not on its middle times.
Conditions further deteriorated. Damp, dark,
and devoid of sunlight, the vaults became nearly
uninhabitable. By the 1860s, even the most desperate
souls had vacated the vault, and they were sealed,
lost to the city above. For decades, the vaults
faded from memory, and it wasn't until a chance
discovered in the 1980s that they were thrust
back into the limelight. A former Scottish rugby
internationalist stumbled upon a hidden tunnel
leading to the vaults, rediscovering this forgotten
world. What Rowan found was a shadowy filled
with relics of its past, a time capsule of human
habitation and hidden history. From the moment
the vaults were unearthed, stories of ghostly
apparitions and eerie encounters began to surface.
The vaults, steeped in their grim history, seemed
to have soaked up the pain, fear, and misery
of those who once lived and died in their damp
confines. Paranormal investigators and ghost
hunters flocked to the site, eager to experience
the supernatural for themselves. The Edinburgh
vaults are widely believed to be haunted due
to their dark past, a history filled with crime.
death and disease. Several spectral residents
are thought to dwell with one called Mr. Boots,
also called the Watcher, an intimidating presence
often heard by the heavy footfalls of boots.
Some believe he was once a safeguard or watchman
who still patrols the vault. Yes, it's not because
he has a cat. I was gonna say, does he walk around
going, Mr. Boots? Boots boots boots boots boots
boots boots boots boots boots boots boots boots
boots boots I might also add. That is. And I
can't say if that didn't happen to me, I'd be
like, just come home with me. I guess we have
a ghost child now. We've adopted him. How do
we do this legally? Is that better than coming
home with a dog to like a spouse? No, I can't
imagine that it would be. It might be a step
below that as in worse. OK. How would you be
like? Financially, I think it's fine, right?
Because like you don't have to feed. You don't
have to take it out to go pee. You don't have
to worry about biting somebody. I don't think.
Yeah. Also, I think we learned that you don't
have to disclose it on a sale of a house unless
you specifically market it as a haunted house
because you brought the ghost child home. And
not if you're officially adopting the ghost child,
I think. Yeah, because it would come with you
if you moved. Yeah, you'd be like, we have good
news. And then they'd be like, what do you mean
we? And we'd be like, Mr. Boots here. But his
name's not Boot. His name's Jack. Yeah, it's
whatever he screams in the middle of the night.
Creepy ghost kid. But we're now the proud parents
to Jack here, who's a child ghost. We'll be putting
him through college. And they also say this,
although I find it hard to believe that it was
once the site of witchcraft and this vault is
said to trap negative energy. Visitors have reported
mysterious scratches and an overwhelming sense
of unease, which I have a hard time when people
say like witchcraft was practiced here. I have
a feeling that we don't understand what they
were practicing and we just branded it vaguely
as witchcraft or pig. That's true. I can get
on board with that. Definitely. I still do it
Yeah, if anyone says anything uncomfortable to
me, I'm like witchcraft. Well, you're gonna get
burned Yeah, I only have two reactions. That's
just what you say. Yeah. Catch them off guard.
The vaults have earned a reputation, at least
according to the websites I have read, as one
of the most haunted locations in Scotland, which
I think is pretty good. Like Scotland has to
be a pretty haunted place. People got nothing
else to do in Scotland other than drink and haunt
and fight. Oh, that's true. Did we not do a haunted
forest in Scotland or was it Ireland? No, Ireland.
That one was in Ireland. Yeah. That was a good
one. That was spooky. Druids too in Scotland,
right? I assume so. I think everything that's
not England. I had those might have been just
catch all witchcraft in my mind. Oh, good point.
Never thought of it that way. And also, Chelsea,
this next sentence, shadows of shadowy figures,
disembodied voices and strange orbs of light
are frequently reported. Those shadowy figures
could be droid ropes. We don't know. Shadows
of shadowy figures is extremely descriptive,
by the way. Lightings of shadowy figures. I might
have missed that. OK, I liked it better when
you put it shadows of shadowy. You don't actually
see this we figure you see their shadows Definitely
could be druids some visitors even claim to have
been pushed or touched by unseen hands Of course,
it seems like Sam is It's a tunnel thing. I think
it might actually be a tunnel thing here It's
a tunnel thing I'm thinking first hand accounts
from those who have dared to spend the night
in the vaults reveal just how unsettling these
Experiences can be also. I'm a little upset.
They haven't explained they said these things
got flooded and people just abandoned them and
forgot about them. So I guess the flooding has
gone away over time. I don't know. They haven't
really explained that part. Does it? Would it
do that though? Or are we, should we picturing
everyone exploring like in like waist deep water?
I would go in there. I would have thought that.
And in like coveralls, like those mud gummies.
up to their chest, looking for crawdaddies. That's
just a total note for me. Would never do that.
That can just remain in water in silence. Also,
I just can't imagine somebody spending the night
in something with even ankle -deep water. No,
that's true. But if you're ghost hunting, are
you taking a rest anyway? I guess the ghosts
even haunt watery places. They might be. It doesn't
seem like that big a place, but they might be
in a dinghy. I don't know. To that point, I think
the Titanic would still be haunted even though
it's under like that is an interesting take i
don't think the ghost could take the pressure
really yeah you think they're pressure based
eh not only do i think they're pressure based
i just don't think there's enough conscious observation
down there for people to ghost to bother haunting
it oh it's like if a tree falls in the woods
you think that a ghost needs someone to i think
ghosts need something there really interesting
i think hmm wow we're really cutting deep on
this one i guess This brings the question of
can space be haunted Chelsea? I mean, yeah, technically
no Mmm, I want to say yeah, but it feels wrong.
Okay. Well, we should focus on this because I
get a lot to go but those are questions we need
to come back to at some point we do we do one
investigator shared their tale of several overnight
stays describing strange footsteps echoing through
the darkened halls and a night when everyone
in a room suddenly felt ill despite having eaten
in different places earlier that day another
group gathering for an investigation at 4am reported
a sudden change in atmosphere a mysterious citrus
scent began to walk through the dark room only
for them to discover the source was a cleaner
mopping the next door proof that not every eerie
occurrence can be attributed the paranormal.
They were cleaning upstairs and they could smell
it. What a weird note to put in there because
it's not ghostly at all. There is a cleaner there,
okay? Not there, above them, which they didn't
know. Yeah, there are more unsettling feelings
that cannot be easily explained. Many visitors,
including seasoned ghost hunters, report no overwhelming
sense of unease while inside the vault, finding
they can only tolerate the oppressive atmosphere
for a short period. Some have spoken of a deep
instinct to flee as if the very walls themselves
are closing in. One of the most chilling explorations
of the vault was featured in the popular TV show
Most Haunted in 2003. Presenter Yvette Fielding
and her team, including psychic medium Derek
Acora, descended into the vault, armed with night
vision cameras and an open mind. The episode,
part of the show's third series, is now legendary
for the eerie encounters it documented. Acora
quickly sensed the presence of spirits. The team
experienced unexplained noises, footsteps, and
even a chilling whistling sound that seemed to
come from nowhere. I'm getting the exact same
description. from this tunnel as the Portland
tunnel. Creepy hands, a guy yelling his name,
although we did just add the name yelling, and
really handsy ghosts. These are the same place.
Yeah, it's a tunnel thing I'm starting to think.
And these things actually look so creepy. Like
it looks like compartments under Edinburgh. Like
it's super weird. Yeah, they're very aptly named
the vaults. And then if you look at some of the
pictures, they look like some of them have freaking
like jail. By the end of the night, the crew
was more than ready to leave, declaring Edinburgh
Vaults one of the most unnerving locations they'd
ever investigated. The rediscovery of the Edinburgh
Vaults has unearthed more than just hidden chambers.
It has opened a portal to the past, revealing
a darker, more often forgotten side of Edinburgh's
history. These vaults, very deep beneath the
city's cobbled streets, are a tangible reminder
of the desperate and destitute who once called
them home. Today, the vaults serve as a chilling
attraction for those seeking a bri - with the
supernatural. Ghost tours regularly wind their
way through corridors with guides recounting
tales of paranormal sightings and unexplained
phenomena. Companies like all Greeky Tours offer,
you know, they gotta pay us to say this, I'm
taking that out. Meanwhile, The Vault also doubles
the unique event space, posting everything from
plays and performances to private gatherings,
adding another layer to the eerie charm. So another
place that has an identical situation. Creepy
nonetheless. Very. looking at them as part of
the creepiness too. People in the 1800s, they
had to have known they were making it look haunted
at that time. You had to have been aware that
this was like a creepy place to be. They weren't
just oblivious to it, do you think? It had to
come up over one of the 15 whiskies that you
drank within a day. which is like the minimum
limit that you had to drink in the 1800s when
you were designing things. If Mad Men's anything
to be extrapolated from. Okay, so we're of the
consensus that yes, they did know it was creepy.
Oh, they had to. there they had to have they
were negligent designers that they did not know
do you think they liked being down there they
had stores down there they like like going shopping
down there and i look at them like this is not
a shopping place they didn't like going down
there they liked their workers being down there
i think was the beginning oh okay Okay. They
thought they were quaint little places for the
people who wanted to work work. Okay. I get it
now. They just so happened to doom them all to
a haunted life in the like not too distant future.
And that helps us have a podcast today to talk
about things. Yeah. So thank you for that guys.
Your whiskey riddled corpses and therefore ghosts
are thanked. We're very thankful for you. Thank
you, Sam. The next place we're going to talk
about is something that we probably should have
talked about at some point in the last four years,
and we're only going to very vaguely touch on
it. And that is Denver International Airport.
Okay. I was like, they're haunted tunnels, but
okay, it's just tunnels in general. Tunnels in
general, and we're moving away from the ghosty
bits now we're moving into the UFO bit now. the
variety in this episode. When Denver International
Airport, DIA, opened in 1995, few could have
predicted it would become a magnet for conspiracy
theories that it became to this day, which is
also why I think that we haven't touched on it
because it is so widely known. Yeah. Have you
been there? No, but I've seen so many documentaries
on it. I don't. Yeah. Yeah, me too. I never even.
They've embraced it so much now. Yeah, they've
embraced it so much. Why not? Like it stops conspiracies
by being two main It really does. Yeah. Yet its
combination of artwork, mysterious construction
elements, and vast underground infrastructure,
which is the part we're going to be talking about,
has made it a focal point for speculation about
subterranean secrets. Conspiracy theorists point
to several unusual features to the airport. Its
dedication capstone bears Masonic symbols and
mentions the New World Airport Commission, a
name suspiciously similar to the New World Order,
referenced in many conspiracy theories. Well,
that's suspicious. Meral throughout the terminals
depict a pos - that some interpret as predictions
of future devastation. Even the runway layout
has drawn scrutiny, which claims that it resembles
a swastika when viewed from above. Beneath the
terminal lies an extensive network of tunnels,
which were originally built for an automated
baggage system that famously failed. These tunnels,
along with the underground trains that carry
passengers between the concourses, provided the
infrastructure for theories about deeper, more
secretive levels beneath. Stacey Stechman, the
airport's senior vice president of communication
has addressed these series directly. Quote, we
served almost 78 million passengers here. Do
people think we can hide secret bunkers and alien
testing from them as well as the 40 ,000 people
who work here? That's pretty brilliant if we
could, end quote. And that's the tongue in cheek
side that they've taken with this as the conspiracy
is just kind of approaching them head on. Which
frankly, not enough things do that. I feel like
you could belittle conspiracy theorists completely
out of it if you jokingly address their issues.
Yes, exactly. I mean, you look at a lot of conspiracy
theories and they just don't address it. Yeah.
I mean, I could and that's how it grows. And
that exactly. But I'm not going to lie. Like
why you make him run ways in the shape of swastikas.
Like that's not normal. I know. And seriously,
the fact that like it is a very extensive underground
tunnels that they put in here that kind of are
unaddressed because they didn't actually end
up getting used for what they were supposed to
be used for. Yeah. time like okay I get it you
tried to do something state -of -the -art and
it didn't work okay fair enough fair enough but
what's down there now gotta be people like touching
you and pulling on your shirts and like saying
their name probably just I mean for yeah for
the loving touching this you got to yell your
name yeah yeah exactly that's the rule unlike
most targets of conspiracy theories DIA has embraced
reputations and even installing a talking animatronic
gargoyle that jokes with passengers about the
rumors this playful approach has paradoxically
fueled I haven't heard from it a long time. That
probably doesn't mean just because I'm not paying
attention to it that it doesn't still exist.
But seriously, what's up with this gargoyle?
Is that not really weird? And you will see this
connected with blizzard people, UFOs, with alien
transport. I don't know for sure. I couldn't
find anything of him doing that. Like that gargoyle
has like completely discredited the entire conspiracies
around this airport. The gargoyle and the PR
team in whole. I mean, bravo to the PR team.
That is pretty awesome. I want to know like what
he jokes about. That is so funny. I love it.
Maybe we can put it in if we can find it. Like
I said, I'm keeping it vague on the Denver International
Airport, that's all I have on it. It might have
a whole episode on it in the future. And I particularly
want to look at it as like how it was able to
successfully quash conspiracies. I think it is
a very interesting case study to look at, but
that's what we're looking at it right now. Are
you following that though? Like, would you know
that it adopts the conspiracy theories? I look
at conspiracy websites and this whole topic in
general. I don't Google Denver International
Airport that often, but But like, I'm part of
the conspiracy community said it doesn't come
up anymore. And it, everything was about it 10
years ago. That's true. I will, I will agree
with you on that actually now that I'm thinking
about it. Cause I was like, where would I see
it? But I am on conspiracy Reddit threads and
where else are you going to see it if you're
not seeing it on Reddit? Yeah. And I don't go
on TikTok. Maybe it's on TikTok. Maybe I got
to take a look around there, but you're right.
Okay. I agree with you now. Next place we're
looking at area 51. There's underground tunnels
there. Yes, potentially. Oh no, are there gray
fingers in these tunnels? I don't know why, but
they're creepier than human fingers. What was
his name? The visitor from Serpo. EB1 or EB2?
Yeah. Do you think he's yelling that and touching
you? Yeah, probably. Because he died too, probably
in these very same tunnels. Yeah, he could be
a ghost there, were them likely. Yeah. No, I
don't want gray fingers. I have more to this
part of the episode than just us speculating
about EBs. Or even, god, I can't remember. We
need to do another episode on these guys. I love
those guys so much. Serpo. No discussion of a
- alleged alien facilities would be complete
without mentioning Area 51. The classified U
.S. Air Force base in Nevada, U .S. has become
synonymous with government UFO secrecy. Though
its existence was only officially acknowledged
in 2013 following a Freedom of Information Act
request, Area 51 has basically been the subject
of speculation and rumors since the 50s. I think,
nah, probably 70s, but a long time. Yeah. The
documented secrecy surrounding the base including
restricted airspace, armed guards, and the use
of deadly force. authorized, warnings provided
fertile grounds for theories about what might
be happening not just on the surface but beneath
it. Locals have reported seeing convoys of military
vehicles disappearing near the base, fueling
speculation about an entrance to vast underground
tunnel networks. Mining expert Christian Gronau,
who works in the region, suggested Area 51's
most sensitive operations have moved underground
in the 70s. Quote, Area 51, what you see like
on Google imagery, that was the 50s, 60s, and
70s. Since then, they've gone everything they
do is underground." End quote. Grown -out and
others propose that the massive amount of excavated
materials from these alleged underground expansions
is disguised through heap leaching at nearby
mines. This process, which uses mercury and cyanide
to break down ore into slurry that can be pumped
away, would theoretically allow the disposal
of thousands of tons of excavated rock without
obvious surface evidence. The speculation about
Area 51's underground component intersects with
the persistent claims about recovered aliens.
spacecrafts and bodies, particularly with the
alleged 1947 Roswell incident, which for the
sake of it, we're just going to pretend that
we believe at this point. Go look back on our
actual beliefs of Roswell from there. Interesting
take that we're taking on this one. It's very
shocking. The theory holds that materials were
transported to Area 51 for study and reverse
engineering, and with the most sensitive work
occurring in deep subterranean labs shielded
from both radiation and surveillance. While the
US government has acknowledged that Area 51 was
was used to develop secret aircrafts like the
U -2 spy plane and the SR -71 Blackbird, explaining
many of the UFO sightings in that area, it has
never addressed claims about underground facilities
or alien technology. This official silence, combined
with base's remote location and extreme security
measures, ensures that Area 51 remains a blank
slate onto which theories about the underground
-alien collaborations continue to object. The
combination of verified secrecy and persistent
witness accounts create an enduring mystery,
while skeptics note that the logistics of maintaining
both secrecy and life's for extensive underground
facilities would be enormously challenging. Believers
counter that the technological capabilities of
the US military, particularly with potential
alien assistance, would overcome these obstacles.
Without definitive evidence, either way, Area
51's underground secret remained tantalizing,
yet out of reach. There are people that we could
look at who report to have worked at Area 51
too, including Bob Lazar, who do talk about the
underground facilities. Interesting. I've never
heard that before. I don't think, maybe I have.
And two, we could have included Dulce in the
- as well, but we have clearly talked about the
Dulce Tunnels, the deep underground military
base there, so we don't need to worry about that
one. Yeah, don't worry about it. That's our stance.
Now, Chelsea, those are the alien tunnels that
we're going to be talking about. Next up, we're
going to be talking about ancient tunnels that
are just weird. Okay. Have we not talked about
that yet? Different. kinds of weird. Okay, I'm
looking forward to finding the distinction between
the two. We're just gonna go to the Erdstahl
tunnels from here, Chelsea. Okay, I've never
heard of that. These ones are so weird. I know
you say never heard of it, but it is not one
thing in particular. The Erdstahl tunnels are
unexplained passages numbering in the thousands
are located in a mix of European countries. There
are 2000 known Erdstahl tunnels throughout Europe
with the highest concentration being Bavaria
with 700 of them. and Austria having 500 of them.
They have also been found in France and Great
Britain. Researchers are at a loss of their origins.
There are countless earthen tunnel systems around
the world, but a few features distinguish earth
cell tunnels. The term earth cell is German,
loosely translating to earth stable or a mining
tunnel. The label has come to be associated with
a very specific variety of human -made subterranean
passages. An earth cell system is made up of
narrow tunnels that have been carved into a smooth
ovular shape aligned either vertically or horizontally.
The passages tend to be notably tight, measuring
only a few feet tall by a few feet wide. Some
of the discovered ursal tunnels contain crude
structures in their terminus that could have
been benches. although who would have waited
to sit there in the dark is unknown. Another
aspect of the tunnels are choke points called
schlups or slipouts. These uncomfortably tight
holes would act as a transition point between
portions of the passages dug at a higher or lower
elevation, requiring anyone passing through to
contort and squeeze their way by. Ritzel tunnels
are also notable for having only one point of
entry and exit, usually tucked away in the footprints
of old settlements or even hidden in the wilderness.
The feature made the airflow through the nearly
non -existent. This feature made the air flow
through the tunnel nearly non -existent. The
single most common trait among Earth's little
tunnels is a sense of mystery. While it is likely
that such tunnels were created in the Middle
Ages, as far back as the 12th century, the complete
lack of archaeological signifiers found in the
barren underground passages make them difficult
to date. In addition, the historical records
do not contain any known account of the tunnels'
construction. Given their strange appearances
and even odder lack of artifacts, no small amount
of specular guarding the use and purposes of
these tunnels. In 2011, an article in Der Spiegel
that sparked a rush of online interest in the
Erdstil tunnels sparked a rush of online interest
in the Erdstil tunnels. A number of possible
meetings were put forth. One theory is that the
tunnels were used for storage, but the narrow
slip passages and the fact that many of them
lie below the waterline and occasionally fill
with water make this seem largely impractical.
Another popular explanation championed in the
article by Erdstil researcher Joseph Weischenberger
described the tunnels as essential hiding places
for tribes. In Weischenberger's view, the peasant
carvers of the Erdsel Passages would take temporary
shelter in the tunnels along with their valuables,
allowing the rampaging whores to pass overhead.
The slip -outs separating the chambers, Weischenberger
said, were put in place to trap oxygen in each
section so people could move deeper as the oxygen
in their chamber depleted. The tunnels as defense
explanation is problematic, not just because
the Erdsel Passages are also so claustrophobic,
even if they were used as temporary shelters,
the ability to cut off the air supply to the
entire system via the single entrance makes the
proposition extremely dangerous, but not impossible.
While Weichensberger had rejected the idea that
the tunnel had a spiritual purpose, given the
lack of records pertaining to the creation of
the aerosol systems, it seems like they could
have been almost anything. Dr. Spiegel says that
they might have been created as way stations
for the souls of the deceased or even hideouts
for demons and dark souls. spirits. Explorers
suggest that they were built by goblins. Conversely,
the tight slip -outs also have been likened to
symbolic birth canals, with the implications
that the ursel tunnels may have served as locations
for ceremonial rebirth, in which people attempted
to slew off disease and sickness as they squeezed
through the tight openings. While the ursels
seem reluctant to give up their secrets anytime
soon, a collection of researchers known as the
Working Group for Ursel Research continue to
search for answers. They are committed to finding
the truth behind the strange tunnels and have
been sharing their findings at annual meetings
using new techniques such as 3d surveying and
can you two hypothesize about the original purpose
of these tunnels the list of possible intended
uses continues to grow and Chelsea that's where
I end this episode interesting I'd never heard
of these ones before and they are like everywhere
why would through different cultures and that's
the weird part you have to have an explanation
for all of Europe basically as to why they were
building these just in one location it doesn't
give you an answer. No, it would have to be particularly
like one weird culture you can't answer it with.
It has to be an entire like European thing. Yeah,
but it could have been like an empire that was
going through, right? Well, it could have been,
but we know about empires. Like we know all the
empires, especially in like the 12th century.
Like it's not that long ago that we have lost
civilizations. That one's weird to me, actually.
That one. No, I don't even know what to say about
it. It is truly weird. And I actually want to
learn more about them. Yeah. That's basically
all you can find on them. I googled them. They
have enough room for a person in it. So obviously
they were used. But like just a person. Yeah.
That's it. Yeah. And like you can't be comfortable
in there either. Like they're not tall enough
for you to be comfortable. very thin, especially
going down to the lower level. I do not envy
those who are looking at those. No, but definitely
you could do it. And they can extend for miles.
Yeah, this is great. I mean, I wouldn't go down
there. No, like, yes, I do the Ember ones. Not
these ones. I would not. This is like a caver
type thing. Like if you want to get stuck in
there. Oh, this one's real tiny. This guy's crawling
through it. Oh, yeah. Some of them can be absolutely
tiny. yeah they're not so weird i shouldn't say
they all are identical but they all kind of meet
the same parameters hmm i wonder if it was mining
or something they're looking no they wouldn't
connect them no and there would be evidence of
like mining like people would have like had documentation
for paying for or something like that yeah that's
so weird hmm i don't know maybe it's like some
ancient mole that inhabited europe that we don't
know you know what that would be my favorite
explanation if it was an ancient mole that would
be really cool with that that's our answer we're
leaving it with that. I have been Taylor here
with Chelsea. We are Journey to the Fringe. Thank
you all for listening. We'll see you next week.
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