©2007 About. Inc

Just south of San Antonio, Texas, in an unremarkable neighborhood not far from the San Juan Mission is an intersection of roadway and railroad track that has become somewhat famous in the catalog of American ghost lore. The intersection, so the story goes, was the site of a tragic accident in which several school-aged children were killed - but their ghosts linger at the spot. And the curious from all over the country come to this section of railroad track to witness firsthand the paranormal phenomena they've heard takes place there. The story - at least 20 years old - is the stuff of urban legend and its details vary from telling to telling, but this is essentially it: Back in the 1930s or 1940s, a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and toward the intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus, killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, any car stopped near the railroad tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. It is the spirits of the children, they say, who push the cars across the tracks to prevent a tragedy and fate like their own.

Even today, cars line up at the haunted intersection to see if the legend is true. The driver stops the cars some 20 to 30 yards from the tracks and puts the car in neutral gear. Some even turn off their engines. And sure enough, even though it appears that the road is on an upward grade, the car begins to roll. It rolls slowly first, then steadily gaining speed - seemingly of its own accord and against gravity - up and over the tracks. This has been tested time and time again, and cars really do roll up and over the tracks - every time. But that's not all. The second half of this legend is that if a light powder - like talcum or baby powder - is sprinkled over the car's trunk and rear bumper, tiny fingerprints and handprints will appear - the prints of the ghost children pushing the car. Many who have tried it swear that indeed they can see the evidence of small children's handprints in the powder...

Copyright © 1997-2006 Haunted Bay

Often called the most haunted ship in history, the USS Hornet rests deceptively still in its berth at the decommissioned Alameda Naval Base. The USS Hornet CV-12 is the eighth US ship to carry the Hornet name. The first was commissioned in 1775 and battled the British in the Revolutionary war. The second Hornet commissioned in 1805 gained fame in America's battle against the Barbary Pirates and landed Marines on the shores of Tripoli. The seventh Hornet (CV-8) launched 16 Army B-25s to strike the Japanese home islands in one of the most daring raids in the history of warfare, the "Doolittle Raid". She went on to fight at the Battle of Midway and was lost to an overwhelming air attack at the Battle of Santa Cruz.

The eighth USS Hornet, the one currently docked in Alameda, was commissioned in 1943 at the height of the war in the Pacific. She quickly became one of the most highly decorated ships in the Navy. She destroyed 1,410 Japanese aircraft and destroyed or damaged 1,269,710 tons of enemy shipping. Ten Hornet pilots attained "Ace in a Day" status. She supported nearly every Pacific amphibious landing after March 1944 and struck the critical first hits in sinking the super battleship Yamato. Her pilots are also credited with the first strikes against Tokyo since the 1942 Doolittle Raid. During the cold war the Hornet had the honor of recovering astronauts from both the Apollo 11 and 12 missions. Her impressive record did not come without cost. An aircraft carrier, in times of war or peace, is a dangerous place. Sailors have walked into aircraft's spinning props, been sucked into their air intakes, and blown off deck by their exhaust. Dropped ordnance has exploded, burning and maiming sailors. Snapping flight arrest cables are known to have decapitated at least three men on the USS Hornet. All told, in her 27 years of active service, more than 300 people lost their lives aboard ship...

By Yona Williams

In Ireland, there is a ghostly tale regarding a castle located within the country. Built between 1798 and 1812, the castle served as the home to the Charleville family (hence the name, the Charleville Forest Castle). In an effort to showcase the flashy preferences of the family, the first Earl of Charleville Charles William Bury and designer, Francis Johnston worked with one another to construct the castle that holds a curious tale. In order to create such an elaborate structure, it took more time than the designers had planned and the more money they spend, the more complicated the timeline became. The Charleville family also didn’t make matters any better with their overindulgent tastes. They lived beyond their piggy bank figures, which often hindered the progress of the castle’s building. Sometimes the construction of the castle would stop for a bit until the family could financially fulfill their dreams.

Some of the impressive features that the castle held included decorative detail regarding the ceiling within the dining room area, which was the handiwork of William Morris. This piece of the castle can still be viewed to this very day. Throughout the years of the castle, the family would actually reside, but for the most part, this illustrious fixture in Ireland often accommodated no one. By the time the 60s rolled around, the castle was practically abandoned by the Charlevile family members. Presently, the Charleville Forest Castle is now the property of Bridget Vance, who is currently revamping the appearance of the castle to the point of its former majesticness. But unfortunately, these desires have been met with opposition. The construction has been a bumpy road to say the least. It isn’t for lack of money and it isn’t for lack of commitment, but because of the ghosts that haunt the premises. The local workers diligently repairing the castle believe they have disturbed spirits attached to the residence. The haunting characteristics of this site have been recognized all through the country and many refer to the property as one of the “spookiest castles” in the land...

Copyright © 2003-2006, Legends of America.com 

The Ghost of Abraham Lincoln: Like many historic cities, and especially one that was called home to Abraham Lincoln for years, Springfield, Illinois continues to play host to a number of unearthly spirits.While there are a number of spirits who are said to haunt this historic town, the most famous is that of Abraham Lincoln himself.  According to over a century of legends, Abraham Lincoln continues to lurk around his tomb, now a state historic site in Springfield. Sightings of the former president have been told almost since the day his body arrived in Springfield in on May 3, 1865.  After lying in state at the capitol for a night, the body was placed in a receiving vault at Oak Ridge Cemetery.  In December Lincoln’s remains were removed to a temporary vault not far from a new proposed memorial site. In 1871, three years after laborers had begun constructing the permanent tomb, the body of Lincoln and those of the three youngest of his sons were placed in crypts in the unfinished structure.

The construction of the permanent tomb lasted for years and it was at this time that the first sightings of a spectral Abraham Lincoln were reported as he wondered near the crypt.  Others would report hearing the sounds of crying and footsteps near the site. In 1874, upon completion of the memorial, Lincoln's remains were interred in a marble sarcophagus in the center of a chamber known as the "catacombs," or burial room. In 1876, however, after several Chicago criminals broke into the tomb, intending to kidnap the corpse and hold it for ransom.  However, the attempt failed as one of the men in the gang was a spy for the Secret Service.Over the years, the legends have persisted as tourists and staff members report uncomfortable feelings, phantom footsteps, whispers, muffled voices, and weeping.  Along with our former president, Oakridge Cemetery also has reports that the apparitions of a small boy and a mysterious woman in a flowing red cape have been seen on the property.

The Borley Rectory The haunting of the Borley Rectory during the 1920s and 1930s, is undoubtedly one of the most famous in Britain, as well as being one of the most controversial. There seems to be a consensus among many people that the rectory was never really haunted at all, all phenomena being put down to fraud, misinterpreted natural phenomena, and the will of Harry Price to create an interesting case. The wealth of sightings and experiences by independent witnesses, suggests that although much of the phenomena can be explained in rational terms, a percentage remains which can still be seen as inexplicable at the present time.

History: The rectory was built in 1863, on the site of an old Benedictine Monastery for the Reverend H.D.E Bull and his family. In 1892 the Reverend Bull died in the Blue Room. Harry Bull then took over from his father until 1927, when he also passed away in the Blue Room, now with a reputation as the haunted room of the house. After a year standing empty, the Rev Eric Smith and his wife moved in, and lived there for three years. It was during this time that Harry Price stayed over at the house for three days, as part of his long-term investigations. In October 1930, the Rev L.A Foyster and his wife Marianne moved in, and stayed for 5 years. In 1935 (after the Foysters had moved out) the property was leased to Harry Price for a whole year, the results of which were published in The Most Haunted House in England. The rectory was gutted by fire in 1939 when the occupier, Captain William Gregson, who had bought the property, accidentally turned over an oil lamp near a bookstand. The fire caught hold quickly destroying the rectory beyond repair. The ruin was finally demolished in 1944.

Ghostly sightings, Legends and Strange Phenomena : From around 1885, there were sightings of a ghostly nun in the grounds of the rectory, and poltergeist activity was observed. According to local lore, the ghostly nun was the spirit of a 13th century nun from a local convent, who had fallen in love with a monk from the local monastery. They were said to have fled from the area in a coach and horses...