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’Net Junkie Shawn "Speedy" Lopes |
Hunt for ghosts
on the InternetAs the legend goes, more than 50 years ago, a night custodian at the Willard Library in Evansville, Ind., descended into the stately Victorian structure's basement to tend to the library's furnace. Upon nearing the building's heating unit, he was terror-stricken by the sight of a shadowy veiled woman, dressed in gray from head to toe. Over the years, others have reported similar sightings of apparitions at the library.
There have been stories of washroom faucets being turned on by themselves, the mysterious scent of heavy perfume wafting through the air and unexplained drafts of cold air. These days, people visit the 118-year-old institution not only for reading and research material, but to seek ghosts as well. Though you may never find yourself in Evansville, through the miracle of the Internet, you can scour Willard Library for these elusive spirits from your computer. At www.libraryghost.com, visitors can access several 24-hour cameras on the library's premises, including the research room cam, children's room cam and the basement cam. The first two refresh every 10 minutes during business hours and every 30 seconds overnight. The basement camera refreshes nearly every second.
Many people around the world have monitored the site for ghostly sightings, and thousands have reported what they have seen. One particularly intriguing Libraryghost.com feature allows visitors to capture a still shot from the site's running cameras and post it for others to view. A good deal of these snapshots are murky and inconclusive, though a few submissions point out chilling, inexplicable ghostlike forms. Click on "Proof" to see for yourself.
Libraryghost.com also offers a virtual tour of the haunted library with Willard Library Director Greg Hager as your guide. He walks you through the building, discussing the strange orbs captured on video in the children's room and other unexplained occurrences. The site also details the findings of several ghost-hunting experts who have spent the night at the Willard Library collecting infrared, ultraviolet and magnetic readings. Click on "Reports" for specifics on the odd "fluctuations" found in their data.
Libraryghost.com's "Slide Show" button will take you to a pictorial section which illustrates the ghost-hunting sessions that have been held at the library, and there's also a just-for-fun Ouija-type "Ghost Board" to fool around with when the browsing gets too scary.
Note: Web sites mentioned in this column were active at time of publication. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin neither endorses nor is responsible for their contents.
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Contact Shawn "Speedy" Lopes at slopes@starbulletin.com.
