In Search of Mysterious Unsolved Ancient Mysteries #4
Hey- Who doesn’t love a great mystery? We’re all into caching, after all and some of us grew up (and are growing old) on TV shows, movies and websites that encourage us to question reality and provide answers like “There’s more to the story” and “Things are NOT what they seem”.
While there’s no shortage of easy P&Gs and PBNs on traffic signs - which are great when you just need to grab a cache, it’s worth noting that the world remains full of places and things that just defy common theory and conjecture.
So, strap on your tinfoil hats and hone your caching skills. That’s the signpost up ahead...
The Background
In 1973, Scholastic Books published Strange but True - 22 Amazing Stories by David Duncan. Of course, it showed up on plenty of monthly book orders and is probably in many Geocacher's libraries. Now, the authenticity of some of these tales is questionable, but it was fun reading at least 21 of them. Then, there’s this one.
The Tumbling Dead..
In the early years of the 19th century, the people of Barbados weren’t quite sure about whether the dead truly rest in peace. For it was during this time when a rather chilling series of events occurred in a fairly unremarkable tomb in the Christ Church Parish Cemetery.
It all happened at the vault of the wealthy Chase family, who purchased it from their original owners in 1808. There was a quick series of deaths in this family, and the first two members, both daughters, were interred in the vault without incident.
But, when the patriarch of the family, Thomas Chase, died in 1812, the burial party was stunned to find that coffins inside had been violently tossed around and were standing against the walls of the tomb. Suspecting nothing more sinister than grave robbers, the caskets were returned to their proper orientation and the tomb was resealed.
When another family member died four years later, the vault was reopened, it was revealed that the coffins had, again, been tossed around and were lying all about the vault. Still suspecting grave robbers, the caskets were returned to their proper resting places and the vault was resealed.
It remained that way for less than two months. Once again. the same thing happened!
Three more years passed before the next burial- and sure enough, the caskets had all tumbled yet again, and this time, the Governor of the Barbados was on hand to witness it. He ordered that the whole vault be inspected for possible entrance ways. None was found. But, to detect any future tampering, a thick layer of sand was placed on the vault’s floor and the entrance was sealed with special markings.
A year later, public and personal curiosity impelled the Governor to order the vault reopened again. The seals were intact. However, it was Immediately apparent that something was wrong. The door to the tomb was being blocked, and only after forcing it open was it revealed that Thomas Chase’s coffin was standing up against the marble entrance, as if to prevent entry.
Again, the scene inside the vault was chaos, and this was the most violent yet as coffins were upended and tossed upon each other.
There were no footprints in the sand. There was also no sign of flooding or any other disturbance.
At this point, the Governor had seen enough. He ordered the caskets removed and vault permanently emptied. It remains that way until the present day.
This series of events still defies explanation. How, indeed, did these caskets get shuffled around. The mystery is only compounded because it was actively investigated while it was happened and no plausible suspects have ever been presented.
About the Cache:
Note that it’s not always about the money. Please exercise caution there is a history of tumbling. Also, please bring stealth as there may be muggles in the area. The log is inside of suitable container. The lid is a rather tight press fit and may require a TOTT to lift up. Please exercise care in opening and replacing. There is no need to "snap" back into place. Please replace as found after signing log.
Good luck and Happy Caching!