You’ve heard about the gold rush in Australia, well this was a silver rush in a small town on the banks of Lake Superior in Ontario, Canada. Supplies of silver were discovered in 1845 but attempts to mine it proved difficult due to challenging weather conditions which included storms and ice surges. Miners were not able to successfully retrieve the silver, which was worth $3 million until a breakwater made of concrete and rocks was built in the lake which meant they were able to control the surging waters.
The mine functioned until 1883 when there was a lack of funding for the fuel required to power the furnaces and the water-filled shafts. The mine lays abandoned until this day.
The Wreck Of SS America, Canary Islands
The SS America was built in 1940 and was primarily used as a passenger ship until it was caught up in a wreck in 1994. During World War II the ship was used by the Navy, but somehow two Nazi spies had managed to infiltrate the ship and were sending vital intelligence back to the German army. It was later discovered that these spies were part of Duquesne Spy Ring, who along with 31 other spies were convicted of espionage when they were uncovered by the US army, which was the largest conviction in US history.
The wreck which eventually killed the ship took place in 1994 when it got caught up in a storm just off the coast of the Canary Islands that essentially severed the ship in two. What was supposed to be a glorious 100-day journey ended in misery as the ship was destroyed and abandoned.
Partially Sunken Ship in Roatan, Honduras
The area of Rotan is home to a number of shipwrecks. The one in this image is the Dixon Cove wreck which happened in the 1970s and according to legend was wrecked in a storm and then pushed into the channel where it became stranded and eventually abandoned. It was rumored to have some valuable materials on boards. Some believed it to be wood, while others claimed it was marble, and some claim that it was a different ship entirely.
Local thieves came aboard the ship to loot whatever they could, and the wreckage has been left abandoned ever since. The Caribbean has always been a favorite for explorers and for many divers a ship wreckage is a fascinating thing to explore as it is full of intrigue and mystery.
Lucy The Elephant Hotel, New Jersey
Lucy the Elephant was originally built in 1881 and comprised six floors which were topped off by a magnificent Howdah, which is a set used to ride an elephant. There was a winding staircase that led through the elephant-shaped structure. Lucy the Elephant suffered many disasters, which included a fire and having its Howda blown off the top of the building.
Eventually, the building was so damaged and suffered such severe neglect that the city condemned it and said it should be torn down, with a new developer for the area wanting to have Lucy removed altogether. When news got out that Lucy was to be destroyed a committee was formed to have her saved and restored to her former glory. They were victorious, and she is now fully functioning and open for business.
Old Power Station in Belgium
Built in 1921, this abandoned power plant in Belgium is intimidating enough just to look at. At the time of completion, it was one of the largest coal-burning plants in the country. It was previously used as a water-cooling station, capable of cooling down 480,000 gallons of water per minute. It was once a significant feature of the town and by 1977, was the primary source of energy for the town of Charleroi.
A power plant of this magnitude is going to be a considerable source of pollution, so it wasn’t surprising when it was discovered that this plant was responsible for 10% of all of Belgium’s carbon dioxide emissions. Unsurprisingly Greenpeace started to take notice of the plant and protested for it to be closed down, which eventually happened in 2007. Security guards are often stationed around the plant to stop people looting for scrap metal.