Halloween: Haunted Houses

Today is Halloween, so intstead of posting regularly I think I'll write about supposedly real haunted houses.

James A. Garfield's House in Mentor, Ohio -This house, which is now a National Landmark, was the former residence of president James A. Garfield. Security guards have reported hearing the president's wife, Lucretia, walking upstairs at night. She is said to turn lights on after the guards have turned them off. While renovating the inside of the house, workers tended to leave the room in which they were working a mess. The next morning, everything would be neatly in place.

Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee - Local legends say that the Bell Witch has haunted the area surrounding the caves for hundreds of years. It is said that the witch appears to people in human form. There are many unexplainable pictures of shadows and other such entities in the cave. Upon entering the cave, it is alleged that one will be overcome by the feeling of being watched. It is further asserted that if one is to take a rock from the cave, they shall be forever cursed. Many others have also reported voices in restricted areas of the cave that cannot be reached by any human.

The Collinwood School in Cleveland, Ohio - Now a state monument, this school was the site of a huge fire in the early twentieth century. Over one hundred people died because the doors in the school opened inwardly rather than outwardly, preventing escape. Residents that live near the school have reported seeing a light come on in one room, traverse the hall and go back from whence it came. Police investigated and found no one living in the building.

Royalty Theater in Clearwater, Florida - The Royalty Theater was once an old vaudevillian movie house and since 1921, it has been plagued by paranormal activity. The theater’s apparition is nicknamed Captain. He is said to be a bearded, blue-eyed man in a blue coat and hat. Footsteps are heard moving across the stage when no one is present. On one stage wall, there is an image of a knife that simply will not go away–it has been covered by twenty coats of paint! Users of the theater do maintain, however, that Captain is actually very friendly and does not harm anyone.

Ghost Light Road in Jacksonville, Florida - A man was once drag racing down this road on his motorcyle in the 50's or 60's when he crashed and was subsequently decapitated. If one drives on this road at about five miles an hour, a white light (single headlight of a motorcyle) will appear in the rearview mirror of the car and approach the car and then disappear and a red light (taillight) will appear in front of the car driving away.

The Boston House in Fort Pierce, Florida - In 1901, a woman hanged herself in the attic of this building. The attic, which now serves as an attorney's office, is haunted by the woman. The woman now haunts the buildings. Her visits occur so often that the story has been featured in the local newspaper numerous times.

Reynolds Hall in Tallahassee, Florida - Located on one of the lower floors of this dormitory is a communal shower in which a janitor once hanged himself. Today, the man haunts the facilities. The showers will turn themselves on and off and the bathroom doors open and close.

Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida - The building that is now a college used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel, run by Henry Flagler and his mentally unstable wife. After their daughter died, Mrs. Flagler hanged herself on the fourth floor of the hotel. The building, which is also the girls dormitory is plagued by many strange events. Girls on the third floor constantly hear ballroom music above them, although the 4th floor is sealed off. One girl reportedly went into hysterics because her bed began to shake wildly, though no one was in the room with her. Though they need the space, administrators will not allow students to room on the fourth floor.

The CN Tower

The CN Tower, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a communications and tourist tower standing 553.33 metres (1,815.39 ft) tall. It surpassed the height of the Ostankino Tower while still under construction in 1975, becoming the tallest free-standing structure on land in the world. On September 12, 2007, after holding the record for 31 years, the CN Tower was surpassed in height by the still-under-construction Burj Dubai. It remains the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas and the signature icon of Toronto's skyline, attracting more than two million international visitors annually. 'CN Tower' stands for Canada's National Tower. The CN Tower consists of several substructures. The main portion of the tower is a hollow concrete hexagonal pillar containing the six elevators, stairwells, and power and plumbing connections. On top of this is a 334.6 ft metal broadcast antenna, carrying TV and radio signals. There are two visitor areas: the main deck level (formerly known as SkyPod) located at 346 metres (1,135 ft), and the higher Sky Pod (formerly known as "Space Deck) at 1,465 ft, just below the metal antenna. The hexagonal shape can be seen between the two areas; however, below the main deck, three large supporting legs give the tower the appearance of a large tripod. Construction on the CN Tower began on February 6, 1973 with massive excavations at the tower base for the foundation. By the time the foundation was complete, 56,000 tonnes (61,729 short tons) of dirt and shale were removed to a depth of 49.2 ft in the centre, and a base incorporating 7,000 cubic metres (9,156 cu yd) of concrete with 450 tonnes (496 short tons) of rebar and 36 tonnes (40 short tons) of steel cable had been built to a thickness of 22 ft.

The Golden Gate

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay onto the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937 and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Since its completion, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. It still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. In 2007, it was ranked fifth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects (number 1 being the Empire State Building, followed by the White House). Construction began on 5 January 1933. The project cost more than $35 million.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2.0 mi west of Amesbury and 8.1 mi north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. However one recent theory has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Stonehenge was produced by a culture with no written language, and at great historical remove from the first cultures that did leave written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. This multiplicity of theories, some of them very colourful, is often called the "mystery of Stonehenge." There is little or no direct evidence for the construction techniques used by the Stonehenge builders. Over the years, various authors have suggested that supernatural or anachronistic methods were used, usually asserting that the stones were impossible to move otherwise. However, conventional techniques using Neolithic technology have been demonstrably effective at moving and placing stones this size. Proposed functions for the site include usage as an astronomical observatory, or as a religious site. Other theories have advanced supernatural or symbolic explanations for the construction.

Stonehenge

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal , is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." While the white domed marble and tile mausoleum is most familiar, the Taj Mahal is an integrated symmetric complex of structures that was completed around 1648. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer of the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. The focus of the Taj Mahal is the white marble tomb, which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome. Like most Mughal tombs, basic elements are Persian in origin.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico. The most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples. Chichen Itza was a major regional focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands.

Pyramid of Las Vegas

The Luxor is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It was one of the city's first fully-themed megaresorts. Ground was broken for the Luxor in 1991. It has an Ancient Egyptian motif and contains a total of 4,407 rooms lining the interior walls of a hollow pyramid and contained within twin ziggurat towers that were built as later additions. The hotel is named after the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt, the site of the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor Temples, and scores of other pharaonic monuments — but no pyramids. The Luxor is among the most recognizable hotels on the strip because of its striking design. Designed by renowned hotel architect Veldon Simpson, the main portion of the hotel is a 350-foot (110 m)-high (106 m), 30-story pyramid of black glass (in comparison, the Great Pyramid of Giza with original capstone topped out at 481 ft). The hotel is marked by a large obelisk with the name of the property in lighted letters, while the porte-cochere travels underneath a massive recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza. The tip of the pyramid contains a fixed-position spotlight that points directly upward – it is the brightest beam in the world, and is visible from anywhere in the Las Vegas valley at night, and can be seen at flight level from above Los Angeles, California, over 275 miles (440 km) away. At ground level, on clear nights, the beam could also be seen as far south as Laughlin and even as far north as Mesquite or Beatty.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu probably is the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. It is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Most of the construction in Machu Picchu uses the classical Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. The Incas were among the best stone masons the world has seen, and many junctions in the central city are so perfect that it is said not even a knife blade fits between the stones. According to archaeologists, the urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility. Located in the first zone are the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, their sun god and greatest deity.

Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and constructed over a 14 to 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. Khufu's vizier, Hemon, or Hemiunu, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid. It is thought that, at construction, the Great Pyramid was 280 Egyptian royal cubits tall, 146.6 meters, (480.97 feet) but with erosion and the loss of its pyramidion, its current height is 138.8 m. Each base side was 440 royal cubits, with each royal cubit measuring 0.524 meters. The total mass of the pyramid is estimated at 5.9 million tonnes. The volume, including an internal hillock, is believed to be roughly 2,500,000 cubic meters. Based on these estimates building this in 20 years would involve installing aproximatly 800 tonnes of stone every day. Manetho gives Khufu a reign of 65 years this would enable him to build the pyramid by installing aproximatly 250 tons of stone per day.

A very unimportant building

The Washington Monument is a large, tall, sand-colored obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed to commemorate the first president, George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and sandstone, was both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5.5 inches in height. It was designed by Robert Mills, an architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death.

Where Death Meets Its Maker

The Colosseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. Its construction started between 70 and 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD. Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The Colosseum's ruined state is due to earthquakes and stone-robbers. The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidised, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free.

More Than I Can Afford

Toothpicks What!?!?!?!

Bridges and buildings made of toothpicks are just like creating a model of the real thing. You have to be cautious in your design of the structure or else it will never stay up. Building toothpick structures takes a while and you can't just push a whole bunch of toothpicks together and put glue over them to get it to look right. Toothpick bridges are especially difficult to make because most of the time the person making them is doing for a competition in which they need to be the one that has the strongest bridge. Meaning that they need to design the bridge and make sure everything in it is correct. Making things out of toothpicks is the same as architecture, just on a smaller scale. All of the same principles of safety, strength, design and construction apply.

Dubai owns the U.S.

Dubai of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) there are so many architectural marvels that it you probably couldn't see it all in a week. Also, they are the sight of many more projects to come, involving the construction of strange and unique buildings. Dubai is the sight of two of my earlier posts, the Burj Arab (future tallest building in the world) and the Burj Al Arab (my first post). Dubai is famous for many things and one of them is its man-made islands. Some look like palm trees and others are a map of the world.

Many of the buildings' structures are very unique and are weird shapes. I would really like to travel to Dubai for a vacation. It would be a great experience.

University of Florida

The University of Florida, UF, is a college just for engineering. UF was established in 1910 under the leadership of its first dean, John R. Benton, who served for the next 20 years. In 1917, chemical engineering joined the curriculum and the College was engaged in military training. The college offers master's degrees in chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. The College of Engineering is the largest professional school, the second largest college and one of the three largest research units at the University of Florida. Members of the engineering faculty collaborate with colleagues in disciplines, including chemistry, dentistry, forest resources, geography, geology, mathematics, medicine, physics, psychology, speech and zoology. The school is very professional and has a lot of opportunities to learn. UF is located in Gainesville, FL.