10. Al Capone Moonshine
Al Capone is well known for being the most infamous gangster in American history. During
the national banning of alcohol known as Prohibition, Capone’s Chicago operation made millions
off of bootlegging, prostitution, and gambling. Capone dominated the organized crime scene,
and worked with partners in various regions to maintain his chokehold on the illegal liquor
scene. A moonshine still believed to belong to the
operations of the infamous 1920’s-era gangster was found in an area known as "Hell Hole Swamp"
by archaeologists. The discovery was made in the woods of South Carolina, part of the
Francis Marion National Forest. Among the objects found were the moonshine still, a
garden hose, blocks, and metal scraps. These parts are just one of the several stills that
archeologists have connected to Benjamin Villeponteaux, a notorious associate of Al Capone.
Katherine Parker, a researcher associated with the discovery, said the items were probably
part of an illegal liquor distilling operation, remnants of an operation run by a notorious
local bootlegger. Parker also included on her website that these items are often mistaken
to be modern trash dumps to the untrained eye, especially since they often include items
that are still commonly used and dumped, like the cinder blocks. An architectural historian
determined that the blocks found here likely dated back to the 1920s and functioned as
a supporting platform for a submarine-style liquor still, which remained in use for many
years even after alcohol became legal again. This was due to a hefty $4 per gallon tax
imposed by the state on legal liquor. According to Parker, the "Submarine-Style" liquor still,
which can contain hundreds of pounds of rye, barley, water, and sugar, is raised over a
fire and allowed to boil inside a metal container that when connected by a hose, draws out alcohol
vapors and condenses them into liquid.
Villeponteaux owned a property close to the forest and was killed in 1926 during a bloody
shootout by a rival gang of bootleggers. Villeponteaux was responsible for several busted distilleries
found in the area, and was working with Capone to run illegal liquor out of South Carolina
during Prohibition prior to his violent end.
9. MS World's Discoverer The MS World’s Discoverer is a cruise ship
that one that was ultimately abandoned and left to rot in Roderick Bay of the Nggela
Islands, where it still sits today. An entire cruise ship being abandoned is rather unusual.
So how did this happen? The MS World's Discoverer was a large ship built with a length of 297
ft, (87.5 m) and a total of 7 decks. This ship was launched on December 8, 1973, with
a capacity of 137 passengers in 76 cabins. Its trouble began when it struck an underwater
obstacle or reef and was ultimately abandoned in the Sandfly Passage of the Solomon Islands
after roughly 25 years of service. After the unfortunate incident in 2000, which hit this
majestic beauty, the ship’s captain sent a distress signal which was received in Honiara,
Solomon Islands' capital city. Thankfully, no lives were lost, as all passengers were
dispatched to a passenger ferry sent for the rescue. The ship was brought into Roderick
Bay, where it was grounded. Today, the ship has been damaged by tidal activities and destroyed.
During the time of its wreck, the Solomon Islands were experiencing a civil war, and
the ship was plundered extensively by the locals as well as other factions participating
in the fighting. It now suffers surface rusting and loss of windows in its abandonment. Salvagers
found the ship to have little value remaining thanks to the extensive destruction by the
locals during the war, and the only remaining function of the MS World Discover is its use
as a tourist attraction.
8. Queen Anne’s Revenge The infamous pirate Edward Teach, more commonly
known as Blackbeard, whose exploits are the stuff of legend, was the captain of a vessel
known as the Queen Anne’s Revenge. An 18th-century ship with a length of 103 feet (31.3 m), the
Queen Anne’s Revenge’s records remain uncertain. Some believe it to be originally
built for merchant service in Bristol, England in 1710. This 200-ton vessel which was first
used as a slave ship was first acquired by the French Navy in November 1716 and was later
sold by them for commercial purposes. Queen Anne's Revenge was captured by Blackbeard
in 1717 near the island of Saint Vincent in the West Indies. It was said to have more
heavy cannons added by Blackbeard after its capture. Blackbeard only used the ship for
less than a year despite winning numerous prizes with it as his flagship and selling
off its cargo of slaves at Martinique. The remains of the wreck were discovered by
a private firm in 1996, reports stated that Blackbeard deliberately grounded the ship
as an excuse to let go of the crew, several of which he abandoned on a small island nearby.
At the wreckage site, up to 300,000 artifacts were recovered, and among those total a number
of cannons identified - up to thirty different cannons belonging to various origins including
Sweden, England, and possibly France. Additional explorations in 2006 and 2007, led to more
discoveries made. The information was able to confirm viral claims of the ship being
the actual Queen Anne's Revenge, and in 2008, even more artifacts were discovered. These
include loose ceramic, pewter fragments, lead strainer fragments, nesting weights, a sword
guard, a cannon apron, a coin, and ballast stones. The most recent recovery was made
in 2011, when the 1.4 tonne remains of the ship were excavated and brought to the surface.
These include various weapons such as the La Grange or canister shot. This wreck has
continued to yield fascinating pieces of history.
7. Ancient Coins Over 300 Roman imperial coins and a gold bar
were found in an amphora - a type of jar once used by the Romans to transport liquids such
as wine and olive oil- by archeologists. The discovery was made by construction workers
during the excavation of the Cressoni theater in the north of Milan in Italy. Reports from
a coin expert revealed they were left in a way that they could be easily retrieved upon
the occurrence of any disaster. She also explained that the arrangement of the coins in rows
stacked like in the modern banks could not belong to a private individual, but rather
a bank or some other commercial development. Experts, however, have claimed that the worth
of the coins is somewhere between $800,000 to $1.5million. One of the incredible unique
pieces dates back to sometime before 474 A.D. and features Emperor Honorius, Valentinian
III, Leon I, Anthonio, and Labio Severo.
The Cressoni theater was opened in 1807, and it experienced its closure in the year 1997.
So when was the amphora placed there? How did it get there? Who deposited it? Why was
it left there? Why was it abandoned? And why did no one come for it? Just whose stash of
gold was this? The answers remain unclear. Historical records show that during the period
when the coins were likely stashed, the Roman Empire was experiencing chaos and collapse.
Perhaps similar to modern “doomsday preppers,” the person hiding this stash of gold was attempting
to prepare for war, famine, or other potential fallout from the collapse of the ruling government.
6. SS City of Adelaide The SS City of Adelaide, a passenger steamship,
was launched in 1863 from Glasgow Scotland. This steamship was built by J & G Thomson
in Govan, Glasgow, and was later converted to a cargo transport while it carried passengers
between Sydney, Melbourne, and Honolulu. It sailed for 50 years before it caught fire
in 1912 which lasted for several days and ran aground in Cockle Bay, Magnetic Island
in Australia.
During World War II, the City of Adelaide was used as a bombing target for the RAAF
and in 1942, the vessel experienced a bomb impact which led to its crash as its fuselage
disintegrated instantly killing three RAAF officers and a US Navy officer abroad. The
vessel today has become deteriorated and known as a wreck full of Mangrove trees growing
mostly undisturbed. It has since become a bit of an Instagram sensation, though it's
certainly off the beaten path.
5. BOS 400 Shipwreck The BOS 400 shipwreck is a ship that at one
time was known to have the largest floating crane in Africa, capable of lifting 1200 tons.
The BOS 400, unfortunately ran aground in Maori Bay during a storm on the South African
Coast in 1994.
This large monster experienced a massive hit with a rock on its way to Cape Town, having
almost reached its destination when the tow rope suffered a breakage. Due to the heavy
storm present, the lines of the barge experienced disconnection and the crew was left to abandon
the ship as they were airlifted to safety. The BOS 400 experienced a total loss despite
attempts by the crew. Today the large crane and part of its structure are still visible
above sea level.
This eerie and haunting abandoned oil rig is fascinating to see, though the local government
has had to explicitly inform potential explorers of the area not to climb the extremely dangerous
wreckage.
Would you take the long trek to set eyes on the BOS 400 shipwreck? Share in the comments,
and make sure to like and subscribe to the channel for more amazing and unusual content!
4. Chatillon Car Graveyard Deep in a forest in Southern Belgium, surrounded
by dirt roads, fields, a farm, and dense trees thick enough to prevent anyone from seeing
what lies hidden within, there lies an eerie abandoned car graveyard. The rusty automobiles
were found near the village called Chatillon, home to one of the largest car graveyards
in the world, just a short distance from the border with France. These vehicles are said
to have belonged to US soldiers who were stationed in the area during World War II. When it came
time to return home, shipping their cars, however, seemed expensive, hence the reason
they were abandoned even after the conclusion of the war. And to save cost, these US soldiers
simply drove the cars right into the woods and left them parked there in rows. At least,
that’s the popular version of the story. Car enthusiasts with a keen eye, however,
would likely notice that the photos included cars that had clearly been abandoned in the
infamous car graveyard were clearly from a time after the war. It’s possible that some
of the cars made their way to the area via WWII soldiers, but perhaps that story has
been embellished for a sense of romanticism. While the cars remained abandoned there for
many years, the risk of damage to the environment proved too great. Cleaned up in 2010 by people
who may never know the story behind these long-existing abandoned objects, the site
remains a calm place today, and further seen as a place for tourists.
3. Bartini Beriev VV-A 14 Plane The Bartini Beriev VV-A 14 is ultimately the
result of the ongoing competition between the United States and the Soviet Union out-supplying
each other with military equipment. This contest was regarded at the time as the most expensive
arms race in history. The Bartini Beriev VV-A 14 plane was developed during the early 1970s,
by the Soviet Navy to combat airstrikes, which interestingly has its other features as an
object capable of functioning in both water and air, which makes it possible to take off
from water and fly at high speed over long distances. As an instrument of war, it was
known to have conducted 107 flights with a total flight time of 103 hours. The Bartini
was primarily made to subvert US Submarines and any missile strikes. The abandoned aircraft
is named after its Italian-born designer, Robert Bartini, and was flown by a crew of
three pilots. Of the two prototypes built, just one survived, and it sits near the Russian
Air Force Museum located outside Moscow. The abandoned one, however, has its wings missing
- which serves as a reminder of wasted time and effort. Despite Robert Bartini's death
in 1974, campaigns have been led by some aviation enthusiasts to revive the plane.
2. RedBird Subway Car In the late 1970s and early 1980s, New York
City was a very different place. In order to combat graffiti, the iconic RedBird Subway
Cars were painted their very distinctive bright red color. The Red Bird, found standing in
a field located in the middle of New York, was once considered one of the fastest, running
on most of the numbered IRT lines for four decades. Initially entering service in various
colors, these cars received the new paint scheme between 1984 and 1989. Today, repurposed
Redbird cars serve as garbage trains, rail adhesion cars, or rider cars on locomotive-hauled
work trains, while others have been preserved by various museums.
One of the places we can find the Redbird Subway Car is in the transit Museum, while
another is stationed in Queens as a center for tourist attraction in Q-garden.
1. Maheno Shipwreck An iconic shipwreck can be found off Fraser
Island, an island where nature’s lush beauty of green trees offers something for every
traveler. Aside from its beautiful scenic views, however, this island’s waters are
also known for swallowing many of the large vessels that have ventured nearby.
Some of these vessels have become a draw for tourists seeking the unique and unusual. Among
those that have experienced disaster on this island is the SS Maheno. "Maheno" is a word
from Maori, a native language of New Zealand, which means "island".
Originally an ocean liner, the SS Maheno had some pretty luxurious accommodations. Once
able to take on 420 passengers, the ship featured a smoking room, dining area, and a music room
that even included a classic Bechstein grand piano. The SS Maheno is acknowledged as the
first turbine-driven steamer in the world. Long before its ultimate demise off Fraser’s
coast, the ship was first used as a hospital ship where casualties of war were carried
for treatment. Today, it makes up a part of the exquisite landscape of this vacation spot.
Thanks for checking out today’s video! Are you into exploring abandoned spaces or objects?
We’d love to hear about your discoveries in the comments below! That’s all for today,
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