FEAR FACTS: The Blue Ghost Tunnel, Thorold, Ontario, Canada The Blue Ghost Tunnel, whose actual name is the Merritton Tunnel, was open for just thirty-nine years from 1876 to 1915; in only eleven of these years did it see full-time operational use. So what happened to give this tunnel such a strong paranormal reputation? The answer lies in why the tunnel was constructed in the first place and the subsequent series of tragedies that occurred in and around the Merriton Tunnel. The Blue Ghost Tunnel was built as a temporary passageway for railroad travel under the third Welland Canal which connected the town of Welland to the city of St. Catharines. At one point in time it was also known as The Great Western Railway. The tunnel was finally replaced by a swing bridge in 1915. The hauntings are said to be based on a string of accidents and events that have happened in the tunnel, the canal and a nearby graveyard. In the early Twentieth Century two trains were traveling at full steam towards a sharp curve in the tunnel, unaware of the other’s approach in the opposite direction. They collided head-on in a horrific crash. The engineers of both trains escaped with broken limbs and minor cuts, however the fireman on both trains perished. The first fireman on the express train was found crushed between the boiler and the coal bin. When rescuers tried to recover his body, his arms and legs fell to the ground as his midsection remained wedged tightly between the boiler and coal bin. The second fireman on the mogul train had been smashed into the boiler and suffered more than 90% burns over his body. He was rushed to Saint Catharine’s Hospital where he died five hours later from his injuries.The spirits of these two firemen are said to still linger in the tunnels in the form of mists and wispy fog which are taken by some to be proof that the claims of the tunnel being haunted are true. A second source of activity is attributed to a series of accidents that occurred at the nearby construction of the Welland Canal. On August 6th 1928 a series of freak flooding disasters occurred. Some of these incidents were not even recorded in the local paper as it was feared the canal would become known as being haunted. A total of one hundred seven lives were lost during the canals construction which further reinforced the belief that the tunnel was both cursed and haunted. In 1928 a construction accident at lock 6 resulted in the deaths of eight men. Eerily two years later on the same date, eight more men died in another accident.The similarities between the accidents gave rise to the belief that the ghosts of the fireman had put a curse on the tunnel and surrounding area. The idea of the curse and the hauntings was reinforced when the pump house for locks 4, 5, 6 and 7, which are situated near the Blue Ghost Tunnel, malfunctioned causing a series of flooding disasters. Some of these incidents were not even recorded in the local paper as it was feared the canal would become known as being haunted. A total of one hundred seven lives were lost during the canals construction which further reinforced the belief that the tunnel was both cursed and haunted. A third source of activity comes from a pond near the tunnel. In the early 1800’s St. Peter’s Church and Cemetery was established in the township of Thorold. However, by the early Twentieth century they had fallen into ruin. During the construction of the fourth Welland canal in the 1920’s it was decided the cemetery of St Peter’s was to be used as a canal pond ( an area to be flooded ). Out of the 913 graves in the cemetery only 250 were claimed by relatives for burial elsewhere. The remaining 633 graves were left to lie under the waters of the canal pond. Because of this perceived disrespect it is believed that many of these forgotten souls are not at peace and still haunt the area today. The Merritton Tunnel is said to be a magnet for the living as well as the dead; whispered conversations, footsteps and the sound of old fashioned music playing have all been reported. As a result, it is a hotspot for paranormal investigators. In fact, its nick name the Blue Ghost Tunnel was coined by a young paranormal investigator who claimed he witnessed a blue misty form entering the tunnel. The area has also been featured on the TV show Creepy Canada and was described as being 700 foot of Hell. The Blue Ghost Tunnel is now bricked up, leaving a single locked door as the only way in. However, this does not deter people seeking adventures there. Officials say it has been blocked for safety reasons as there is a stream above it, and the tunnel could collapse. But could it be possible that the officials are also keeping the public safe from the ghosts of the two firemen tragically killed and their curse? You decide. Nell ~ VPI
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:11:04 +0000
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