Mel Waters, a resident of Ellensburg, Washington, discovered a mysterious hole on his property that seemed to have no bottom. He experimented with the hole, dropping a 1-pound weight attached to a fishing line and found that it went 4,500 feet down without hitting the bottom. Over time, Mel claimed that the hole had strange effects on the environment, including causing radios to malfunction and animals to avoid it. As Mel continued to investigate the hole, he began to receive strange signals on his radio, including broadcasts from unknown sources.
Mel eventually contacted Art Bell, a radio host who explored paranormal topics, and shared his story with a wide audience. The government allegedly became interested in the hole, and Mel claimed that he was visited by military personnel who took over his property. Mel then went into hiding and eventually resurfaced, claiming that he had been offered a large sum of money to sign a non-disclosure agreement and leave the country.
The story takes a bizarre turn as Mel describes a second hole he discovered in Nevada, which was warm to the touch and had a metal lining. He claimed that the hole was visited by a "magic seal" creature that had the eyes of a human and was able to communicate with him through a system of beeps and clicks.
Despite the outlandish claims, the story remains unverified, and many questions remain unanswered. The location of the hole was never confirmed, and Mel's identity and motivations remain unclear. The story has become a legendary urban myth, with many believing it to be a hoax, while others continue to speculate about the truth behind Mel's hole.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Mel Waters lived on a property in the Manastash Ridge, West of Ellensburg, Washington.
2. There was a hole on Mel's property that looked like a well but wasn't.
3. The previous owners of the property and their neighbors used the hole as a trash dump.
4. Mel wondered why the hole didn't fill up and started to notice strange things about it.
5. The hole was 9 feet 9 inches in diameter and had a stone retaining wall built around it.
6. The hole extended down into darkness, and Mel couldn't hear objects hitting the bottom.
7. Mel used a fishing line to measure the depth of the hole and found it to be over 15 miles deep.
8. Mel's dogs wouldn't go near the hole, and he noticed strange radio signals coming from it.
9. A neighbor threw his dead dog into the hole, and it came back a few days later.
10. Mel contacted Art Bell, a radio host, to discuss the strange occurrences.
11. The US military became aware of the hole and blocked access to Mel's property.
12. Mel was offered $3 million to sell his property to someone, but he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement and leave the country.
13. Mel took the deal and lived in Australia for two years before returning to the US.
14. Mel went to Nevada to investigate another bottomless hole with a group of Basques.
15. The Basques had been using the land for herding sheep for over 200 years and considered the hole and surrounding land sacred.
16. The second hole had a metal collar and lining and was warm to the touch.
17. Mel and the Basques conducted experiments on the hole, including lowering a bucket of ice down into it.
18. The ice didn't melt, and when they tried to melt it over an open flame, it caught fire.
19. A sheep was lowered down the hole and came back up dead, with a strange tumor inside it.
20. The tumor had a fetal seal inside, which was attached to it by an umbilical cord.
21. The creature had human-like eyes and seemed to study the men.
22. The creature eventually jumped back into the hole, and the Basques believed it was a benevolent presence.
23. Mel returned to Art Bell's show to discuss his experiences, but he was never heard from again.
Note: Some of these "facts" may be disputed or unverifiable, as the story is presented in a narrative format and may be subject to interpretation.