The Great Big Yarn of Mel's Hole | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production of iHeart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm. Josh and there's Chuck and Jerry's here, too. And this is a well, yeah, an. episode of stuff you should know. >> I have to say I'm fairly excited about. this one. >> Oh, good. I'm so glad. But I couldn't. tell cuz sometimes you're just like this. is so stupid when it's. >> Oh, it is.

>> Okay. But I'm Well, yeah. But you're not. excited about how stupid it is. So, I'm. glad I'm really glad to hear that cuz I. am, too. >> No, I mean I'm excited in that it is. completely preposterous and silly. Uh, but in a in a sort in in the fun tinfoil. hat paranormal sort of way that those. are fun. So, I maybe we should start. over again because I feel like we've. really like released a spoiler here that. this is probably just a story, a yarn. >> I was going to save that for the end.

Well, we're talking about actually the. way that we're approaching it is one of. the most interesting stories, legends, modern urban legends, um, to come out of. a a show, a radio show that was well. known for producing all sorts of urban. legends and amazing stories. Coast to. Coast AM. >> That's right. Uh, its host was Art Bell. Uh, he himself along with his wife. claimed that they had their own UFO. encounter in the mid '9s. And the show.

started out in the8s. Uh was syndicated. 93 and it was not, you know, it sounds. like sort of a a very niche thing, but. it actually became very popular and Art. Bell became a very famous radio host. >> Yeah, he was uh in ratings for a while. there. I'm guessing the early to mid. 90s. He was just behind Rush Limbbo and. Dr. Laura Slesinger. That is up there as. far as radio hosts go. Um and he started. to retire in 2002. He finally did host.

his last episode in 2010, but the show. continues on. Um host George Nury took. over full-time in 2002 and he's still. doing it. Um and the whole premise of. the show was that you would fax um. Artbell or now George Nuri. I don't know. if he still has a fax, but definitely. Artbell. you would you would send him a. fax and basically say, "Hey, I've got. this crazy story.". >> And if it was, you know, interesting to. him or he thought he wanted to know more. about it or his audience would, he would.

give you a call and you guys would have. a conversation. He would interview you. on the phone live on air and then. eventually people could call in and ask. you questions. That was pretty much the. format of the show. >> Yeah. And in this case uh of Mel uh Mel. Waters and his hole and don't worry, it's not going to be anything like that. >> No, Jerry was like, "Oh, this can go so. many different ways.". >> These guys uh this was five. conversations on this show over the span.

of five years. Uh again, the guy's name. was Mel Waters, and he lived um in. Ellensburg, Washington, kind of right. smack dab in the middle of Washington. State. and he said, "I have a hole on my. property. This property I don't live at right now. because there was some snow damage to. the the house there. So, I live in town. uh in an apartment or something. But on. this property that I own, which is nine. miles outside of Ellensburg, which is. also rural, you know, in and of itself.

>> Um, he said it's up on the Manitach. Ridge and it's a very strange hole. >> Yeah, it's got it's not your average. hole for sure. And we're talking hole in. the ground. >> We should Yes, thank you for saying that. because there's some people out there. who are so twisted they still didn't. understand what kind of hole we're. talking about. We're talking about a. hole in the ground is. >> like a well, >> sure, but way more different than a. well. But yes, you could liken it to a.

well because it's about 9 ft in. diameter. Um the first 15 or so feet. down it was stone, right? So it was. lined with stone. That's very welllike. >> Then there was soil, then it turned into. rock and it had about a 3 and 1/2t um. barrier wall around it to keep people. from just walking right into it. >> Yeah. Very welly. Yeah. And um Mel. hadn't built that wall, the previous. owner had. But one of the things that. makes the story so interesting and. caught the attention and imagination of.

so many people. It's super out there. But if you listen to Mel, >> he comes off as essentially as perplexed. as you do. You know, he's like, "This. hole has been here since the dawn of. time apparently and he's, you know, just. kind of learned about it since he bought. the property and he has lots of. questions about it. He's just reporting. the stuff that he's learned.". >> Yeah. Exactly. He he doesn't come across. as the the usual sort of tinfoil hat. type you think of. >> No, not at all. >> Uh and and I'm sure you know you listen. to the stuff as well and so we can both.

verify that he comes across as credible. even to our sort of skeptical ears. >> For sure. >> Uh but like you said, he said it had. been there a long time. Uh the previous. owner said it was there when he got. there. Supposedly it had been around. since uh maybe the dawn of time. European settlers um apparently knew. about it. Uh the local indigenous people. avoided it. They said it was cursed. Uh. locals called it the devil's hole. And. here's that's all well and good. Well. and good. But here's where it gets uh.

interesting in that the properties of. the hole and the things that surround. the hole are really really interesting. according to this story. Um first of. which is he's like hey people have been. dumping stuff in this hole for as long. as I know. There's probably like 20. people that come around. They dump in. dead livestock. They dump in appliances. that don't work. Uh there's a weekly. truckload of old tires that get dumped. in there. And this thing has never ever. filled up. And when you drop stuff in.

it, you can't hear anything. >> Yeah. Okay. This is pretty strange. I. mean, but you could also chalk it up to. just an exceptionally deep hole in the. ground. >> Agreed. >> Um the thing is is there there's even. stranger properties to this hole. One of. them is uh actually kind of hard to wrap. your head around. A neighbor saw a black. beam shooting out of the hole skyward. And I think it might have even been at. night, but it was so black and absorbed.

so much of the light around it that it. stood out at night. A beam of blackness, not a beam of light, a beam of basically. a void shooting out of the hole. And I. mean, if you ask your average hole. expert, they're going to tell you that. is unusual behavior for any hole. >> Yeah. As as Spinal Tap would say, it was. none more black. Uh I pictured the smoke. monster from Lost. Personally, >> I I hadn't started Lost, but thanks for. that. >> You were going to get around to it any. day.

>> Now I'll be on the lookout for the smoke. monster. Uh we also me should have mentioned that. um apparently um nothing echoed when you. screamed into it. Um but those previous. things you could explain I guess by it. just being so deep you know because an. echo is created by hitting a bottom and. bouncing back. So I don't I don't really. know if every deep deep hole will echo. back but all that can kind of be. explained. The the black beam coming out. uh is very very strange and cannot be. explained and that's where it starts to. go kind of truly weird.

>> Yeah. So he also he was reporting. information that he gathered from. neighbors, you know, as this hole. started to peique his interest. He. wanted to learn more about it. And one. neighbor said that there used to be. stones lined up around the the um the. edge of it. And I guess that reminded. Mel of Stonehenge and he showed his. neighbor a picture of Stonehenge. He. said, "Yep, it was exactly like that. except it didn't have the stones, the. lentils going across the top laid down. on top." And it's exactly that kind of. detail that added credibility to Mel's.

story. It none of it was whole hog. Like, yes, it looked exactly like. Stonehenge. Queue on that. It didn't. have the the the stones at top. Like. just little little alterations like that. that he would concede were just just. kept it from from just being totally. unbelievable and eye rolly, I think, is. what I'm trying to say. >> Yeah. Unless you just attach this to it, said his elderly neighbor. >> Yes. Right. Or his nephew comes up.

later. He mentions his nephew, but his. nephew never gains a name. It is very. much like that for sure. >> I I think I would have been much more. intrigued if there had been a photograph. of any of this. But anyway, there wasn't. um there was also, it gets a little. stranger, there was a gun, um a World. War II era Walter P38, which was a a. German gun intended to replace the. German Luger pistol. Mhm. >> And he uh, as we'll learn, Mel was a um. was a gardener and worked in like. medicinal herbs and things. So, while he.

was digging around, he found this gun. buried. Uh, and when he went to shoot. it, and this is where I have a few. questions. Apparently, the gun shot. silently. Um, I wonder what that means. I wonder if it didn't make any sound at. all or if it just sounded like it was uh. had a suppressor on it. >> No. or if it just, you know, the actual. like movement of the physical movement. of the gun didn't even make a noise. >> I I as I took it, it didn't make any.

noise whatsoever. But as bizarre as that. sounds, it had even stranger properties, too. >> That's right. If you put this gun down. by a radio, it becomes a time travel. machine. Uh because the radio would all. of a sudden start playing just random um. radio broadcasts from different places. and different times. Uh apparently if. you moved your hand away uh from the. gun, the station would change and you. had to hold very still to stay on the. station. And if you stayed still for. long enough and stayed on a station long.

enough, it would produce a sound that. was quote out of time. >> Okay. Now, let's just bear this in mind, too. If you haven't listened to Mel. Hole, I encourage you to go listen. There's like it's all it's 5 hours long. All like all of this unfolded over five. years uh with across five calls. Um the. like Mel is not aware of what um. questions he's going to be asked by Art. Bell. He's not aware of what questions. the callers are going to ask him. >> as far as we know. >> And if you listen to him like this does. not sound rehearsed or scripted or.

anything like that. So even setting. aside like the idea that this is. possibly real and just taking it like a. story. This guy was one of the best. storytellers in the history of the world. if he's just making all this up as he. goes along. Basically, >> yeah, which made me think it was perhaps. set up in Shady. >> Art No, Art Bell wouldn't have been. involved in that. Now, >> how do you know Art? >> He He was a credible host. >> Okay. >> For sure. >> Okay. >> I think that's why people loved him so.

much. Like, he wasn't going to get. caught up in something like that. People. might call up and pull his leg. He even. asked Mel once like, "Are you pulling my. leg?" I I really don't think he was the. kind of person who would who would set. something like that up. He didn't need. to. People would call in and he could. just be the credible guy asking. questions and they like he didn't need. to set it up. People would just do it. anyway. >> No, I know. I'm just saying if it was. unearthed like the greatest hoax Art. Bell ever pulled this this funny trick.

like. >> you would say like well that's not. possible because Artbell would never do. something like that. >> No, I mean if there were irrefutable. evidence that he had done it or he. admitted to doing it of course I mean. I'm not insane. >> Okay, that's what I'm saying is I just. you just never know. >> You never know whether I'm insane or. not. >> I always know that you're you're not. >> A thanks man. I'm just casting casting a. skeptic's eye on this. Yeah, >> I don't mean to berate you for that. I. was just arguing in favor of art. >> No, Artbell would never do this.

>> I had no idea I felt this passionately. about Artbell and his integ. >> I didn't know that either. Uh, all. right. So, moving on. Um the hole uh. apparently, and these were stories that. even Mel said could be apocryphal, but. he said a neighbor said that they threw. uh their dead dog uh into the hole and. that same dog with the same collar and. tags was alive in the woods um later on. So it brought this dog back to life. >> Yes. Very pet cemeteryish. >> Yeah. But other dogs wouldn't go near.

the hole. They were scared of it. >> He said his own dogs wouldn't go. anywhere near the damn thing was his. quote. Yeah. >> And Art Bell jumped on this. He's like, "Well, wait a minute. If this thing is. able to resurrect things, um, have you. ever considered, you know, being thrown. in there?" Or I think he said, "If. you're ever diagnosed with a terminal. disease, would you jump in yourself?". >> And, uh, already 10 steps ahead of him, Mel said, "It's actually in my will. >> that I be thrown into the hole after I. die.". >> Of why not give it a shot, you know?

>> Yeah. So, Chuck, I say we take a break. here and we'll come back and talk about. some of the tests that Mel applied to. the hole to try to get to the bottom of. it. >> Ah, nice pun. Thank you. >> We'll be right back. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music].

Stuckset. Stuckset. Say one more time. >> Stuckset. >> I don't know. >> You know it's stuckset. >> Is that in this? Stucks. >> Stuckset. It's a great name. >> Stuckset. >> That's the name of it. >> It's a great name. >> All right. >> Stuckset with an with an X. >> Did you mean that pun? >> Uh, yeah, I did. And I feel ashamed. You. shouldn't. That was a good That's. quality pun. And neither one of us are. super into puns, but that was a really.

good one. Very clever. >> Well, I actually did the whole like. arching point, too, as I said it, which. really punctuates a pun. >> It sure does. It punctuates it. >> That was good, too. >> Thanks. >> Um, so I think I said before the break. that Mel um started figuring out ways to. investigate this. First of all, he. wanted to know how deep it was. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And it turns out that Mel was what he. calls um pretty close to a professional. shark fisherman, or at least he used to. be.

>> Yeah. >> So, that means that he had on the. property uh a lot of really heavy, sturdy um shark fishing reels. Anyone. who's seen Jaws knows that those are. sturdy reels. >> Yeah. >> He also had a ton of line, like a lot of. line. And so, he tied a one pound. triangular or pyramidal weight to the. end of a line. Uh, and he started slowly. paying it out. And we should we should. back up a little bit cuz he used the. line differently. The first time he tied.

a roll of lifesavers to the end of it. once and then paid it out 1500 yards and. when he brought it back up, the. lifesavers were intact, indicating to. him that even 1500 yards down, he hadn't. hit the water table. >> Yeah, I would have used a sponge, but. that's just me. >> Oh, that's a good one. That's a great. one. >> Thanks. So, back to the line. He's after. the lifesavers thing, he started just. paying out line using his shark reel, right? >> Yes. And he goes down. over 15 miles, about 80,000 ft into the.

hole, uh, allegedly not hitting the. bottom. And Artbell, uh, noted trusted. radio host said, "Yeah, you know, you. might want to call a university or. something like they would probably want. to look into this and research this.". And Mel was like, "Hey, that's funny. My. wife works for a local university here. >> Uh what he I don't think he said the. school, but didn't people surmise online. it was probably what would it have been? Central Washington. >> Is that a university?

>> Yeah, Central Washington. >> Yeah. And so anyway, uh he said, "I've. been talking to my wife and she's been. talking to the university and apparently. they're pretty interested." Um and then. callers started calling in saying things. like, "Hey, you should use a sponge.". Well, they didn't say that, but they. should have. But they said, "Hey, um, we. have ideas on how to find out how deep. this is." And also, uh, if this is as. deep as you say, it's like twice as deep. as the Marianis trench. Uh, and even. though this wasn't in the show, it's.

also twice as deep as the deepest hole, which is Russia's Cola super deep bore. hole, which is just a little over 40,000. ft. So, this is double that. >> Yeah, it was cute. So, we're talking I. don't know if we even said this or not. This whole thing started in 1997. So. when that caller calls up with the. information about the Mariana's Trench, he says that he went and consulted his. encyclopedia. >> Very cute. >> Yeah, it is super cute. So yes, this is. a this would very like far and away be. the world's deepest hole and it's an.

impossible hole in that sense. We'll get. a little more into that, but that. essentially was the first call and we've. peppered in some stuff from other calls, but that's the basics of the hole and. what Mel said he had done so far. Some. of the listeners that called in were. like, "You should put um temperature. sensors and lower those down and maybe a. video camera and yeah, surely radar can. can come into this somehow." And Radar. was like, "Leave me out of this.". >> Um, and essentially, like I was saying, that's the first call. So, the first. call happens and then a week later, uh,

Mel Waters appears again on Coast to. Coast AM and he has like very. distressing news this time. >> That's right. Uh he said, "All right." I. went back to the property and I I. couldn't get back on. There was it was. blocked off by military personnel and. they said, "You can't come on your own. property." He said, "There there was a. plane crash and you can't come on." And. Mel was like, "There wasn't any plane. crash. Like I would have known about. this. I don't live too far away. It. would have made noise. I would have seen.

smoke. There was nothing indicating that. there was a plane crash. Give me the. person in charge." and they trotted out. somebody not in military uh fatigues, which is very exfilesy. Anytime there's. somebody in charge wearing a suit with. the military, it's it's very exfilesy. and very bad news. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um Mel turned into a bit of. a Karen there. >> Yeah. >> So, this person, whoever it was that. wasn't in military guard, was in an. exfile suit, um. >> smoking a cigarette probably. >> probably says um uh so what's the.

problem? And Mel Mel says, "This is my. property. I want to get onto my. property." And the guy in the suit said, "That's not going to happen." And this. isn't necessarily your property, and if. you want to go ahead, that's fine, but. I'll bet we could very easily find a. drug lab on your land, and then there'd. be a whole bunch of problems for you. that you don't need if you'll just turn. around and leave. >> Yeah, that that really got to Mel for. sure. He was spooked, to say the least. >> Yeah, as he should have been. Uh because. he did have a lab on the property. uh he.

was not cooking drugs, but like I. mentioned earlier, he was into medicinal. uh herbs and plants and things like that. that he would source from northern. Nevada um that you know, traditional u. herbs and things that have been used by. Native Americans for you know, eons. >> And he said, "I do have a lab here and. they could probably frame me pretty. easily." So, uh I'm not not sure what to. do. Uh he also learned around the same. time that the predecessor to I guess. Google Earth was something called Terra. Server where they had just satellite.

aerial satellite images of the Earth. >> He was like my property's blocked out on. that thing now. >> Yeah. And Art Bell, he did his research. because he's very reliable and. trustworthy and he um found a server a. terrace server image and found like this. is Yeah. You can't see his property. Um. I think it's on Google Maps today. Uh. Laura, Dr. Claw helped us out with this. and she points out that there's a nearby. military installation. It's called the. Yakama training center. It's an army. training center, but it also includes a.

um NSA listening station. And that's not. conspiracy theory. That's the Seattle. Post intelligencer reporting that. there's a NSA listening station there. That in and of itself could block out a. large segment of the Central Washington, I think, on terror server. >> Yeah. I also saw, and this is on Reddit, and since this is all bunk anyway, we. might as well just mention stuff like. this, >> but there were dudes on Reddit that were. like, you can see where Google Earth uh. has cloned images and overlaid them over.

the spot where the hole should be. >> Yeah. I mean, it's not the most. incredible part of all this, is it? >> Oh, no. I that's that's that's coming. soon. >> Yeah. I mean, I hope we're in agreement on the. most incredible part and it's not a. silent gun or a silent hole. >> We'll uh we'll see. I'm not exactly. certain what you're talking about. So, I'm I'm excited. >> Come on. You know. All right. We'll get. there. >> Okay. So, there was a couple other. things that Mel said had happened since.

he was first on and caught the attention. of the government who had now taken over. his land. Um he had a buddy who was a. trucker and his buddy told him that he. delivered a huge quantity of fiber optic. cable to a warehouse in Ellensburg. And. in the late 90s fiber optic cable had no. business whatsoever being anywhere near. Ellensburg, Washington. Um another. friend told him he delivered a truckload. of instruments from the Lawrence. Livermore Laboratory, one of the.

national labs, in and of itself is. spooky. uh especially pre-millennium. when everything the government did was. super spooky um and that that those were. delivered to that same warehouse in. Ellenburg Ellensburg. So fiber optic. cables and Lawrence Liverour laboratory. um instruments suddenly amassing in. Ellensburg a little coincidental with. the government taking over his land. >> That's right. And you know how he found. this out? His trucker buddy told him so.

>> Right. >> Uh a couple of other details there. Apparently, um the uh workers at the. warehouse were uh all of them were. Israeli. >> according to this trucker, unnamed. trucker. And uh if you're just. wondering, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. is uh responsible basic generally. responsible for the safety and security. of America's nuclear arsenal. >> Okay. Yep. Great. >> That's what they do. >> Sure. So there was a bit of like an upside to.

all this and like again was really. distressed that he wasn't allowed on his. land and that he had been threatened and. intimidated but he also was like you. know this is my private property my. rights are being trampled on. So he was. quite happy to find that shortly after. the government took over his land um. they did right by him and then some. Uh. his real estate agent contacted him. Apparently he was the type to have a. real estate agent on retainer. >> Yeah. And they said, "Mel, I've got. great news for you. You have an. anonymous offer to lease your land.

indefinitely for a quarter of a million. dollars a month.". >> Yeah. >> How do you feel about this? >> I mean, that's incredible. Uh, he said, you know, this is on the third call by. now. He was like, "Yeah, I took the deal. because I'm in Australia right now, buddy, >> and I'm I'm getting rich here off the US. government or, you know, whatever. unnamed LE. >> or Lor, which one would that be? So he. would be the less they would be the ley. lei.

>> They would be the ley. Okay. >> As far as um car commercials have taught. me. >> Yeah. So Artbell um and we believe. everything he says. He said that hey. >> Mel is definitely in Australia. Uh I've. gotten emails I I guess that were.auu or. something, but he was a somehow he was. able to verify that Mel was from in. Australia. >> Yeah. And uh Mel also is like and here's. the other thing is like the government. took care of all this. They did all the. paperwork. They got my dogs over here. Um the Australian government was.

cooperating and they were in on it. And. I'm in Australia now and I'm I'm doing. my medicinal herb growing uh here to to. great effect. >> Yeah. And we should say also we've been. to Australia for tour and it is not an. easy country to come into. They make you. jump through lots of hoops. So it's. another suspicious thing too. I just. want to point out. Well, we didn't have. the government doing all the leg work. for us. >> Exactly. That's what I'm saying. Like he. did it. Like that's not So that's not. Australia's normal mo is what I'm trying. to say.

>> Yeah. That's not nothing as they say. >> One other thing that he tossed out there. is that so he was using his medicinal. herbs to cure people. He also did some. gratifying work rescuing wombats. Just threw that out there as an aside. I. thought that was a nice touch. And then. there's one other thing, too. remember. the magical gun that made no sound and. then played um radio broadcasts from. other times and eras. >> I do. >> He took that to Australia with him. Probably also another hard thing to do. for the average person. Um and he used.

it as a security deposit for his place. that he rented. He he gave it to his. landlord as security deposit. I don't. know why he would have needed to do that. if he was getting a I don't either. >> Maybe he hadn't gotten the first lease. payment yet. >> Maybe that's the weird Well, that's not. the weirdest part obviously, but that's. the part that makes the least just. logical sense was why would you be like, uh, here just do you like old World War. II guns? Maybe the guy did. Maybe that. was it. >> Well, supposedly whether he did or not,

the man's son got in touch with Mel and. was like, I don't know where my father. is, he disappeared and he took that. weird gun with him. And before they. disappeared, uh, he had become obsessed. with the thing. >> Yeah. So, >> and they never heard from him again. supposedly, >> as far as I know. And also the man's son. was never named, nor was the man, the. landlord. >> Yeah. >> The the uh the story, >> right? >> All right. So, Mel goes back to the. states to visit some family. Um he did. not show for a appearance on Coast to.

Coast in late 1999. And he was like, "Yeah, um you know why, buddy? Art." He. said, "Because I was uh questioned after. an altercation on a bus and I was. transported back to Olympia, Washington, or I was told I was going to be. transported back to Olympia, Washington. But instead, I woke up almost two weeks. later, 12 days later, I just awoke with. no memory of anything that happened in a. rough part of San Francisco.". >> And now today, you just call that San. Francisco.

>> No wallet, no ID. Uh, I had uh adhesive. on my arm, like residue from like where. I clearly probably had an IV. Uh, and. brother, my back teeth are gone. That would be so distressing to be like, I'm missing teeth and I have no. recollection of them being taken out. >> It's distressing when you know it's. coming and it happens. >> Yeah, good point. >> I can vouch for that. >> Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, did you get. knocked out, I guess, when you had yours. removed?

>> Oh, sure. That's the best part. >> Okay. Okay. Yeah, but I can imagine. knowing it's coming would be more. distressing. That usually is. They say. anticipation is the worst part of just. about any experience, right? >> I don't know. That's what I heard. >> Okay. So, what regardless, Mel's now. missing a couple of teeth, he's also. down, in addition to missing his ID and. wallet, his belt buckle, which sounds. kind of um what's the word I'm looking. for? >> Innocuous. >> Yes, Chuck. That's exactly the word I.

was looking for. Sounds innocuous as far. as details go, but this belt buckle was. a special belt buckle that he had made. himself. He was also a craftsman in. addition to a grower and maker of. medicinal herbal tinctures. Um, and he. this belt buckle contained a dime, a. very special dime, a 1943 dime with uh. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's bust on the. side, just like the dimes we had today. The problem is that dime shouldn't have.

existed. >> Yeah. The Roosevelt dimes the uh didn't. start till 1946 uh after FDR died. He. was still alive in 1943. >> So those don't exist. I even did some. searching on the internet. Um the only. thing I could find was apparently. they're 1949 dimes that people have. >> sort of etched the nine to look like a. three. >> Uh because I saw a picture of one I was. like that looks like a 1943 Roosevelt to. me. But um other people said like no. that's been made it was a nine made to. look like a three. But at any rate those.

dimes don't exist. Uh I mean I guess. it's possible that it could have been. some kind of a counterfeit thing. Um but. he said that uh a couple more things. about this dime. >> that it could not be photographed. Um so. it clearly wasn't the dime I saw on the. internet. And also um if you walk 15. feet away it it goes invisible. Uh, and. it's not just my eyesight because I know. what you're thinking. >> Yeah. So, um, he also took one of those.

dimes to a coin dealer and I guess while. it was in the coin dealer's possession, the Treasury Department showed up and. confiscated it. >> just like that. They were there. >> Yeah. And he was using these dimes like. um pretty innocently. I saw the belt. buckles were World War II themed. So, one was a like he had three coins. One. had a bust of Churchill, one had a bust. of FDR, and I think the other one was a. bust of Stalin. And he's like, "Oh, this. FDR dime will work perfectly." Like, apparently, he hadn't realized that they. were special dimes. He just dug them up.

on his property, which I think should. have raised a red flag right away that. they were special dimes if they were. something he dug up on his property. >> Yeah. He said he found them in a red. envelope on his property, these. impossible coins. So, >> I say we take another break. >> cuz when we come back, we are definitely. going to get to the craziest part of. this whole story. [Music].

[Applause]. [Music]. [Music]. Stuckset. >> Stuckset. Say one more time. >> Stuckset. >> I don't know. >> You know it's stuckset. >> Is that in this? Stucks. >> Stuckset. It's a great name. >> Yeah. Stuckset. >> That's the name of it. >> It's a great name. >> All right. >> Stuckset with a ye with an X. >> All right. So, we're back. Uh, and this.

is when we start to talk about a second. hole. Yeah, >> because uh on a subsequent call into AM. Coast to Coast, Mel said because I've. been on your radio show and people are. like familiar with with me in this whole. this hole now this whole hole. >> He said, "I've now been made aware of a. second hole." Uh thanks to the native. people there in Nevada, they got in. touch with members of the Basque. community there. And apparently there's. is still a robust Basque community. because sheep herders from the Pyrenees.

moved there in the late 19th century and. they're they're still there today. So. which is great. Um but this Basque hole. as it's called was very similar to Mel's. hole. Uh it was 9 ft in diameter. This. one had an actual metal collar around it. starting a couple of feet off the ground. and had a metal lining the hole as as. far as you could see down into it. >> Mhm. And um local Basque people was. like, "Yeah, that hole's been around. since the 19th century and dogs won't go. near it. They're scared of it. And we've.

seen a black beam come out of this. thing.". >> He's like, "Another black beam? That's. nuts.". >> Yeah. And that's not the craziest part. It's We're We're getting there. Just. wait. >> Yeah. Now I know what you're talking. about. The. >> I mean, come on. Uh, so I think I think. it's what I'm about to say that that. metal collar around around the hole um. somehow was never hot to the touch, but. the local basks had figured out that if. you put your tent against it, it would. heat your tent in the winter. >> Okay. >> Is that it? Is that what the weirdest.

part was that you were talking about? >> Are you being koi? >> Mhm. >> Okay. I can't tell if you just are are. blanking or if you're just messing. around with. >> No, I really couldn't think of it. earlier, but now I know just what you. mean. the closer we get to it. >> Mhm. >> I love this. We never have this kind of. true suspense on on this show, I feel. like. So, >> I I feel like I should be doing like a. finger drum roll for the next minute. >> So, uh it's keeping your sleeping bag. warm. It's keeping your tent warm. Um. Mel, uh he did a few things. He dropped.

a wrench in it. Uh or I guess he dropped. it on the metal. It didn't make any. sound. >> Yeah. >> Like the last one. Uh then they got some. ice cuz they were like, "This thing has. weird heat properties. So, let's let's. drop some ice down in there in a in a in. a pot and see what happens. Cuz if it. gets hotter or something, then we'll. know it has some weird or some I guess. legitimate heat properties. And the ice. came back. >> It was unmelted. >> And when they put this potted ice over a. fire to melt it,

>> that ice eventually caught on fire. >> Yeah. It put out its own heat, too. >> Yeah. Via the fire. >> Right. So, one of the Basque people who. was um involved in all this is like, "Hey, this eternal hot ice is probably a. pretty good idea. I'm going to take it. home and put it in my wood stove.". >> Yeah, good idea. >> Yeah, it's a great idea. The problem is. one of the strange properties of this. eternal heat ice was that it dried. everything around it. So much so it.

sucked all the moisture out of. everything that this poor Basque man's. cabin crumbled into basically dust. because the eternal ice just being in. his wood stove had sucked all of the. moisture out of the wood so that it just. couldn't stand up as wood any longer. >> Yeah, that that stove collapsed along. with the rest of the cabin. So that's. not the weirdest part. >> Well, the the stove actually kept it. basically burned a hole and now it's. like 5t into the ground that's made it. that far. Yeah.

>> Pretty nuts. >> But that's not the craziest part. You. ready? >> Yeah. >> Dear listener. So, this part is also a. little awful because it involves killing. an animal. >> Uh, we should mention that people at. some point suggested like, "Why don't. you throw a cat down that hole?" Mel's. hole. >> See if you can hear it. Uh, crying. And. standup guy Art Bell was like, "No, we're not doing anything like that.". >> That's what I'm saying. >> I know. That's why. Exactly. So, uh, they did have a sheep though,

um, at the basole and they tried to. bring the sheep around it. The sheep. freaked out, so they said, "All right, you're getting in the crate and we're. doing this the hard way." They lowered. the sheep down 1500 ft. Uh, they it. stopped making any sounds. They brought. the sheep up and it was dead, so they. dissected it and it was cooked from the. inside out, evidently. Um, so they had a. nice mutton dinner and gained. immortality. >> Yep. No. Uh, I'm gonna let you take this,

buddy. >> Oh, really? Thanks. >> The craziest part. Here we go. >> So, while they're dissecting it, they. quickly found out that the sheep was. missing its internal organs. They just. weren't there anymore. But in the. internal organs place was a giant tumor. They're like, "Well, we've already come. this far with dissecting. We might as. well dissect the tumor." And when they. cut the tumor open, they found that. there was what looked to be what you. could describe closest would be a fetal. seal. But the fetal seal had human eyes. And even crazier than that, the fetal.

seal like opened its eyes and started. looking around at all of the Basque. people in Mel who were there standing. over it a go in and amazement. >> Yeah. So this thing was 18 in long. It. was connected by an umbilical cord. And. we should also say that stuff you find. on the internet now, some of that stuff. maybe has been added since 1997. because there's a lot of, you know, bunk. out there. Uh, but I saw it was. connected by an umbilical cord, detached. itself, and like you said, was just kind.

of walking around hanging out with. people. Uh, apparently they thought this. thing was like, I want to go back into. the hole. So, they put it on the metal. collar. >> Mhm. >> It it looked at them, gave him a nod, and took the dive. >> Yeah. >> The fetal seal with humanlike eyes. >> Yeah. And so later on, Mel's here. witnessing all this stuff and he's in. contact obviously with his Basque. friends from that point on. And he said. that later on they told him like the. fetal seal had come back up several.

times and they'd learned that if a boom. box was near they they could communicate. with the fetal seal, but when somebody. grabbed an old. >> two live crew cassette and tried to. record over it, nothing was recorded. >> Okay, they better had some masking tape. over those square holes, you know. Yeah, I forgot about that part. Yeah, absolutely. But what about um uh Mel's. cancer? >> It went away, buddy. Thanks to the bass. hole, I guess he had uh apparently. pretty aggressive uh terminal esophageal.

cancer and it was just gone. And so they. start started calling this thing the. tumor seal because of that. >> Yeah. Which is a horrible name for any. organism. But. >> yeah, >> there you go. So that's if you if you. come across something called the tumor. seal on the internet, that's what. they're talking about. the strange seal. like creature with human eyes that. healed Mel's esophageal cancer. >> That's right. Uh so since the beginning. of the internet and this was uh I mean. seemingly coincidentally kind of around.

the birth of the internet. >> Mhm. >> Um the story grew and grew and grew of. course just like a little fetal seal. will one day become a a sea lion. >> Oh is that right? Seals and sea lions. aren't aren't different. They're so. seals are small. >> But this is a magical story. So that's. just that's what happens in this case. >> especially if it has humanlike eyes. So. >> um Mel Waters apparently doesn't exist. >> Uh they have looked there apparently are. there no records of the Mel Waters in. the county of which he supposedly. resided. >> Uh there was no wife um that worked at.

Central Washington University. >> Go Wildcats, by the way. >> Go Wildcats. Um it was obviously. somebody from around there because they. had a lot of knowledge of the area. So. whoever was. >> pulling off this hoax was was clearly a. local. But there was no Mel Waters as. far as anyone can tell. >> No. But one of the interesting things is. that in the real world in the Ellensburg. area, apparently there is a local rumor. superstition about a bottomless hole.

somewhere in the area. >> Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that's was the. leaping point uh for this story. >> Had to be, but Mel really took it and. ran with it. And so I mean this caught Coast to Coast. AM listeners attention um and enough. that they went out and actually looked. for the hole. There was an expedition. that was mounted in 2002. >> 30 people makes it an official. expedition. >> Yeah. >> It was led or it included a guy named. Gerald Osborne. Yeah.

>> Gerald Osborne went by Red Elk. >> Uhhuh. He didn't he very wisely didn't. claim uh ancestry or heritage to any. particular indigenous tribe in the area. Instead, he said he was an intertribal. shaman, which means he was white. >> Yeah. >> And he's not to be confused he's not to. be confused with Gerald Red Elk, who's a. legitimate Navajo who was a Navajo code. talker in World War II from Montana. >> Thanks for stealing that name. >> Exactly. So he uh was the reason he was.

on this expedition is he said I've been. to this hole numerous times. My father. took me there for the first time all the. way back in 1961. I'm a huge asset to. your group. As a matter of fact, why. don't you guys just carry me around? I'm. that much of an asset to this. expedition. >> Did he really say that? >> No, but I could kind of see it. >> Nothing in this story would surprise me. So you can literally dupe me with. anything at this point. >> Right. And by the way, RIP Gerald. Osborne aka Red Elk. did pass in I think. 2017 maybe. >> Yeah. >> Okay. RIP. Um he claimed that um a huge.

spacecraft would appear and hover over. that hole and that the government had a. very small underground base there. Obviously underground. Uh there's a g a. legit uh geologist named Jack Powell. from Washington uh state department of. natural resources who was is seems like. the lone or maybe one of the lone. skeptics aside from me apparently uh. saying like hey this hole is not. possible. Josh Clark is even going to. say this one day on a very popular. podcast.

>> Um this hole would collapse on itself. because of all the pressure and heat. >> from the the area around it. It's just. you just can't have a hole that deep. It's impossible. >> Yeah. They were like, "Stop saying. impossible." He's like, "Fine, but you. get my point, right?". >> He said, "And that fishing line wouldn't. have made it or your lifesavers or. anything else wouldn't have survived. that that depth.". >> No, he and he did concede like this is. this area was carved out by volcanic. activity eons ago. So, it is possible. that there are like a lot of really. really deep holes that may even be for.

all intents and purposes as far as human. scale is concerned bottomless. >> Yeah. But this what this guy's. describing could not possibly exist. And. this area is also just riddled with gold. mine shafts. In fact, I think I might. know the particular gold mine shaft. outside of Ellensburg that inspired this. guy, this Mel Waters. >> Yeah. Not you. You're playing the role. of Jack Powell. >> Yeah, that was me doing my Jack Powell. impression. He and I sound just alike. Just like uh me and um Mark Ruffalo,

right? >> Oh, have people said that? Yeah, I get. that a lot. >> Oh, I've never thought about that. Someone said you talk like someone the. other day. Uh Mike Burbiglia. >> Yeah, I've I think a little bit. They. might be the first person to say that. I've heard that. >> Yeah. >> And then I think uh Yeah, I think that's. it for voice look alikes or sound. alikes. >> Same. Uh Muppet Eener. >> Love that. I will never ever forget. that. I hold that dear to my heart. >> You should. Uh all right. So Powell said. uh as Josh just play acted. Uh let let's.

go to this this uh gold mine shaft that. I know about. Like I bet this is it. It's near the Manastache Ridge. I think. I said Manach earlier. It's Manastache. >> I think it's Manaste. >> Oh, well I mean it depends on which side. you live on. >> Yeah. Nevada. Nevada. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Tomato tomato. >> Uh but he took them there uh the group. of whole you know Mel's hole enthusiasts. and they were like nah there you you. duped us. This there's no way this is. Mel's hole. It's too normal. Basically,

it's not doing anything weird. >> You lying geologist. >> Yeah, exactly. That's funny. >> So, these people, they were undeterred. They were like, "We are so um we're. going to bulk so hard at your suggestion. that this pith thing is Mel's hole that. just despite you, we're going to go on. and form the Seattle Paranormal. Society." So, there. >> Yeah. Like, we're all here together, >> right? >> We we should call ourselves something. >> Yeah. So, they did. >> So, they did. Yeah. And uh and uh here's. another just little addendum. In 2012, apparently a like a local library.

historian said, you know, the files on. Mel's hole are not in my library. anymore. They disappeared. Um, and. there's no way some crackpot stole them. >> Right. They're definitely not under a. placemat at my house where I forgot. them. >> Yeah. >> So, uh, there were again like there are. people out in the real world who are. trying to track down Mel's hole for one. reason or another. >> And Mel. >> And Mel. Yes. Exactly. And one of the. the places that became like a clearing. house online for continued information. about Mel's hole was the Northwest.

Museum of Legends and Lore. Um they. actually claimed to still be getting. email updates from Mel and Mel's nephew. So you know that they were like that was. an arcane reference right there, Mel's. nephew. That I think it legitimized. everything. And they actually may have. been receiving information from somebody. claiming to be Mel's nephew. Uh. eventually though, even they, the. Northwest Museum of Legends and LO were. like, "Nuts to this." And based on the. date of their last post, they seem to. have given up the ghost in 2003.

>> Yeah, it may have had something to do. with uh they said, "Hey, Mel's nephew, he's coming to our our our hang. He's. coming to the Northwest UFO conference. uh on Memorial Day." And then they said, "Oh, well, it turns out he didn't make. it. He got in a car wreck.". >> But he'll keep us posted about whether. he he's going to make it to the. conference after all. Exactly. >> So, um, you said that there's so much. crud on the internet now about this that. it's just kind of to me it took like a.

really interesting, cool, self-contained. thing that didn't need to be expounded. upon. And. >> yeah, >> just 2020s internetized it, which means. it just got dumb. >> Um, and so there's tons of like I I read. one article where somebody was like, "This may be a Lazarus pit." And I. looked up Lazarus Pit and it only exists. in the DC comic universe. >> Yeah. >> So that probably is not a very credible. um website. >> And then also there's this YouTube video. from just this past March.

>> And but this is what's amazing about the. internet. Somebody made a YouTube video. that claimed that Elon Musk because he's. like the head of technology in the world. apparently sent a special drone, a. special high-tech drone made for tough. places. They said. >> Mhm. down into Mel's hole. And we'll get. to the to what he came up with in a. second. But if you go and search that, there are um offshoot videos, videos. about that that are treating it like. news. So there's tons of YouTube videos.

talking about this drone footage that. Elon Musk found. Um and essentially he. he found what was at the bottom of it. and he did not like what he found. according to this YouTube video. >> Yeah. Legend has it it was a a cave. painting of a cybert truck, >> right? >> I think he would have been gratified. with that or he would have been like, "Wow, those things really are ugly.". >> Yeah. >> Um, so no, they they quoted him in this. video. There's something down there, something we don't get. We aren't ready.

for what's at the bottom. >> and that tracks. >> So, I mean, it still just keeps going on. and on. Some people in of of a 2017. video went to a location that someone on. Reddit said was Mel's Hole. They're. like, "It's not Mel's Hole." So, there. are people still looking for Mel's Hole. out there, but to me, >> you don't really need to go much beyond. the actual original story. It's It's. perfect as is. >> Yeah, it's fun radio theater. >> Yep. Uh yeah, and that's our assessment.

that it is theater, Chuck. I think. that's where we both land, right? >> I mean, that's where I am. I hope you're. there. If not, we got to end the show. >> I'm solidly right there with you. >> Okay, good. >> Well, since we're standing right next to. another shoulder to shoulder, cheek to. gel and all that stuff, I think that. means it's time for a listener mail. >> I thought so relieved. I thought you. were about to say we have to jump into. that hole together. >> Never. Never. We like our lives. >> That's true. But maybe it would be like.

Joe versus Volcano and it would just. spit us right back out like uh like Tom. and Meg. >> That was such a good movie. >> Loved it. Uh, all right. Here is a. follow-up to Project 100,000. Hey guys, I just listened to the episode. Was. impressed with your coverage like. always. Uh, in the topic um of a lack of. men for Vietnam for the Vietnam War. My. mind is flooded with thoughts of the. secret war. Uh, my people, the Mong. people were recruited as uh guerilla. troops to assist the US in the jungles. of Laos, uh, Thailand and Vietnam. Many.

of the troops were children, including. my great uncle. >> Good lord. Very few spoke English and. agreed to participate on the premise. that they would be brought to live the. American dream after the war was over. But very few made it over. Most were. stranded and then hunted as traders to. their countries. Uh in fact, my mom was. born in a concentration camp in Laos, and she's only 42 years old right now. >> Oh god. >> Uh most of us live in Minnesota, California, and Wisconsin now, but many. of us still have family living back home. where the conflict has seemingly fizzled. out. I've always wondered what happened. overseas to the ones who didn't make it.

out of the camps uh and how or if my. people uh have restored their uh. villages, but the topic is still raw. I. think it'd be a great topic to look into. for an episode, a short stuff, or just. for your brain bank. Um, and that is. warmly from Melody, who apparently uh. listens to us from the long drives. between Chicago and Minneapolis. >> Nice. Thanks a lot, Melody. I had. definitely not heard about that and I. think that's a great correlary to. Project 100,000. Huh, >> Totes. >> Yeah, I think that might even deserve. its own episode, too. We'll have to dig.

into it. If you want to be like Melody. and blow our minds and depress us. simultaneously, we love that kind of. thing in a weird way. You can send it. via email to stuff podcast at. iiheartradio.com. [Music]. >> Stuff You Should Know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, iHeart. Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple. Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your. favorite shows.

[Music].