Mel's Hole

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Mel's Hole
A redacted map, said to cover the location of Mel's Hole
Classification
Grouping: Anomalous geography
Description
Country: United States
Region: Ellensburg, Washington
Owner: Mel Waters (Former)
Status: Urban Legend

Mel's Hole is the name given to an alleged geographic anomaly that is said to have been discovered near Ellensburg, Washington, on land belonging to local resident Mel Waters. Waters claimed that he lived in or near Manastash, Washington, which is about 9 miles due west of Ellensburg. According to Waters, the hole has paranormal properties, including an infinite depth and the ability to restore dead animals to life.[1][2]

The first references to the hole were made in a series of interviews with Waters, made by Art Bell on the American radio show Coast to Coast AM. Waters initially appeared on Coast to Coast on February 21st, 1997. He since appeared on February 24, 1997; April of 2000; and January 29, 2002. His most recent appearance on the show was on December 20, 2002.

Contents

[edit] Description

While speaking on Coast to Coast, Waters related several stories about the hole and its properties. Among these stories was the claim that he had discovered that it was in excess of 15 miles (24 kilometers) deep, a figure which he is said to have reached after spooling out 18 reels of 20 lb test fishing line, tied end on end, into the hole. Waters claims that he attached a "triangular, one-pound, standard lead fishing weight" to the end of the fishing line. (Note, however, that the fishing weight plus the weight of 18 spools of ~5000-foot monofilament fishing line might well exceed the tensile strength of the line)

Waters also described the hole as having the ability to resurrect dead animals, attributing this claim to a story about a man whom he said used the hole to dispose of a dog carcass, only for the animal to return alive and well some time later. He also speculated that the hole and its properties might be tied to certain cosmological events, including unspecified alignments of the moon.[3]

[edit] Location

The exact location of the hole was never revealed by Waters. It is said to be located in a region which has been removed from publicly available satellite images due to the presence of nearby Yakima Training Center. Several attempts have been made to find it, but none have been successful.[1][4]

Prior to the 10 year anniversary of Mel's first appearance on Coast to Coast, the moderator of the Mel's Hole website posted that the search for the hole had reached a dead end, and that it would likely never be proven to exist unless Mel came forward with evidence in support of it as a real location.[5]

[edit] Mel Waters

In 1997 the local newspaper the "Tri City Herald" reported that Waters was not listed in the Kittitas County telephone directory or the register of taxpayers, and that authorities in Ellensburg were unable to find any evidence that he was a resident, thus calling into question whether he existed.[4]

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ a b University of Washington (2004-08-01) "Mel's Hole", University of Washington television (2007-05-28)
  2. ^ Transcript (1997-02-21) "Mel of Mel's Hole" (2007-05-28)
  3. ^ Seattle Chat ClubMel's Hole Transcripts
  4. ^ a b Zebrowski, John (2002-04-14) "Expedition seeks paranormal pit", The Seattle Times (2007-06-10)
  5. ^ Moderator, Mel's hole website (2007-06-10)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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