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Collective Disappearances (Settlements, Crews, Etc.)

Ali_Strachan

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
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Jul 30, 2001
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Did an entire Canadian village disappear in 1930?

Did an entire Canadian village disappear in 1930?

I wonder if anyone can verify whether the population of an Eskimo village by Lake Anjikuma disappeared without trace in November 1930? I orginally came
across the story in one of those cheap mysteries books which tend to sensationalise such mysteries. However, some research on the Internet did reveal a few sites with information on the supposed event. A trapper
called Joe Labelle stumbled upon the village & could not find a living soul. It has all the trappings of a classic "Marie Celeste"-type mystery with everything
left as if everyone had suddenly walked off, e.g. cooking pots burnt black. Even the dead were supposedly ripped from their burial ground. And to round it off a cigar-shaped UFO was seen beforehand & an eerie glowing light (not the Northern Lights) was seen by Mounties searching for the villagers. I have
grave doubts about this story as it does not appear to be more well-known.

Mike Palmer
 
I think this is quite a well covered case, maybe still a mystery...
I think a note was left pinned to a tree stating "gone to Roanoke" (the name of a nearby island) but upon investigation there was still no trace of the settlement. I'll dig out some more info later...
 
I recall a page or so going to it in "The world's Greatest UFO mysteries". Not much detail though :(
XCOM:)
 
Tubal Cain said:
I think this is quite a well covered case, maybe still a mystery...
I think a note was left pinned to a tree stating "gone to Roanoke" (the name of a nearby island) but upon investigation there was still no trace of the settlement. I'll dig out some more info later...

Here is the famous story of the missing colony of Roanoke Island (and some theories)
http://www.millersv.edu/~columbus/papers/nixon-02.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/print/1998/04/980428075409.htm

Sounds somewhat similar to the Canadian story, but it would seem harder for a settlement to "disappear" in the 1930s than the 1500s.

sureshot
 
I 've heard of this..

Yes how appropriate for a Canadian forrest spirit to
answer this question...;) anyway..
I read a lot of items, books,etc..on the strange
and paranormal. I remeber this tale and it is
definately a seperate event than the late 16th
century disapperance of the Ronoake Colony.
IF THE 1930'S DISAPPEREANCE IS THE ONE I AM
THINKING OF I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S NOTHING MORE
THAN AN URBAN LEDGEND-IE..THE TOWN DISAPPEARED
FROM NATURAL CAUSES OR IT'S JUST A CAMP FIRE
STORY..SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU..L8ER:eek:
 
Like I just posted over at my "redblotch" thread, The Encyclopedia Britannica has this to say about Roanoke Island. The island is located in Dare county, North Carolina (USA). Founded in 1584, it is the site of the first attempted English settlement in America. Virginia Dare was born there (Aug.18,1587) In Aug. 1590, when John White returned to the island, after going to England to get supplies, he found the settlement empty, the 15 men he had left to hold onto Engand's claim had disappeared, the only clues were the word "Croatan" written on one tree and the word "Cro" written on another tree. About the Canadian village disappearance, I have that story in a book, and when I find it I'll post it here. And like I posted on my redblotch thread, Roanoke, VA is a city in sw Virginia, the only thing in common with Roanoke Island is they similarly named. To do an AWFUL pun, "Yes Windagow, there is a Roanoke, Virginia!"
 
I'm afraid that your first instinct about this story was probably the correct one. Best information suggests that it owes it's existence to a newspaper article that appeared in the Halifax Herald of 29 November 1930 under the sensational title "Tribe Lost in Barrens of North/ Village of Dead Found by Wandering Trapper, Joe Labelle." At the time the piece also ran in several other papers here in North America who were serviced by what I assume was a newswire called the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). Written by "special correspondent" Emmett E. Kelleher of "The Pas, Manitoba" and datelined 28 November 1930, it has continued to surface on a regular basis in numerous books,magazine articles and websites ever since. The version that gained the most attention was probably it's appearance in Frank Edwards 'Stranger Than Science' (1959). The problem is that the whole story was actually laid to rest within a few months of it's original publication by a curious Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer named Sergeant J. Nelson who was stationed at the The Pas RCMP detachment at the time. Sgt. Nelson reported that although he had "made diligent enquiries from different sources" he could "find no foundations for this story." Despite interviewing individuals who resided in the area where the event allegedly occurred he was unable to locate a single person who was able to substantiate the claim. In fact Nelson reported that Joseph Labelle, the trapper who related the tale in the first place, was a "recent arrival" from the south to the region and had never been within several hundred kilometers of the site of the allegedly 'vanished' community. Even the illustration, a photograph, that accompanied the original article was dismissed by the officer after comparing negatives, when he discovered that it had actually been taken in 1909 by a The Pas resident named Patrick Rose. The original subject of Mr. Rose's photograph was a small Cree tent encampment located just outside The Pas at the time. Rose stated that Kelleher had borrowed the negative 'for his album' before the story came out, and "later returned it to his collection". Sgt. Nelson comments that Kelleher was known "for his habit of writing colourful stories of the North" and that "very little credence can be given to his articles." Nelson closed by reporting that Mr. Kelleher was "at present [....] visiting in the east, and should he return to The Pas [....] I will interview him regarding the above matter." It's not known if Kelleher ever came back. To my knowledge the most thorough debunking of the yarn is Dwight Whalens "Vanished Village Revisited" in Fate Magazine November 1976. It's entry in John Robert Colombo's "Mysterious Canada" is also worth a look as well.

Hope this helps

Terrance Gibson
 
I forgot to mention that the "UFO"/"glow in the sky" or the "Roanoke note", do not appear in the original article by Kelleher.

t.
 
I like Canada, yet sorry that i don't know anything about your story. As for the lost colony at Roanoake, by chance I saw a writer on tv talking about her new book on it. She was wired, truly into it. Her book is Roanoake:Solving the mystery of the Lost Colony". Lee Miller's argument is that it is one of the most hidden conspiracies in history, that it was the British Government who sabotaged the colonists, and came up with a Warren Commision-like explanation. She also, I believe, said that there were 115 people who disappeared.
 
A version of the story appears in Whitley Streiber's 'Majestic', along with a few others of dubious providence. It definitely ain;t the Roanoake story though.
 
We all know about that man's mental stability though....
XCOM:)
 
Towns as well?

Aren't there a few records of entire towns disappearing? Are any of these genuinely mysterious, or are they mostly quiet explicable?
 
As for Roanoke, there are plenty of stories of 'white Indians' throughout that area. In my American History classes we discussed the colony, and we were taught that the colonists had probably joined up with some then unknown tribe. Propaganda? Hmmm...
 
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Stephen King talks about a number of towns that were found suddenly empty in the prelude to ''Salem's Lot'. The tone of it suggests that he was working from research when he wrote the descriptions, so who knows. I'll dig a copy out and have a look.
 
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I believe there were complete Medieval settlements that disappeared from Greenland... later Nordic visitors would appear and everyone was just gone, empty houses and livestock gone feral. But I can imagine how that might happen in Greenland, a pretty rough place to call home.
 
Stephen King talks about a number of towns that were found suddenly empty in the prelude to ''Salem's Lot'.

Oh no! it's those pesky vampires again!
 
Scrumpy Jack said:
I believe there were complete Medieval settlements that disappeared from Greenland... later Nordic visitors would appear and everyone was just gone, empty houses and livestock gone feral. But I can imagine how that might happen in Greenland, a pretty rough place to call home.

the whole greenland thing is a very depressing story - archaeologists found the graves and were confronted with a long history of malnutrition, gradually growing worse with each generation until they died out in the 14th c. the place was entirely reliant in iceland for everything, which was in turn probably three-quarters reliant on norway and denmark. after the 12th c. the climate worsened and no convoys could go for months at a time, iceland was taken over by norway and then denmark and its populace ruthlessly exploited, also by the new christian religion (from ad 1000) which seized vast tracts of land, taxed them heavily and instituted feudalism, having previously been trader-farmers who used the place as a base, and the volcanoes crackled back into life. there were also dark murmurings of the weakened norse greenlanders being massacred or at least severely prayed upon by the inuit (is that right?) natives. odd little forgotten corner of european history, but a real tragedy just the same. must have been horrible.
 
Yes, the "Lost Colony" did pretty much vanish without a trace, although it must be remembered that they were left on their own for quite a stretch of time. And those pesky Injuns.
 
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Does anyone remember a story about an entire Inuit village that vanished in the 19th C., taking with them even their dead, but not their animals?
 
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people who just disappear

The Aboriginal people who live in QLD also have a legend of a pigmy sized people who were valued as arbiters of justice and good advice.Early white settlers sighted the tribe near the Jardine River,and then it disappeared.??
 
Minor Drag said:
Yes, the "Lost Colony" did pretty much vanish without a trace, although it must be remembered that they were left on their own for quite a stretch of time. And those pesky Injuns.

Not to mention that the the word CROATOAN was carved on the trees. From this, one might deduce that the colonists moved to Croatoan Island, but hey, no one bothered to look for them there.

Years and years later, it was found that many of the Indians living there had strangely European features, such as blue eyes.
 
Was there not a Croatoan tribe? Seem to dimly remember something about that.

Also, a good hoax about carvings in english found on a rock a few years ago.
 
vanishing townsfolk?

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can help me find information on this subject, although I'm afraid I don't have much to go on.

(I think) I remember reading some years ago about strange events surrounding the entire population of several towns just disappearing suddenly.
I'm sure this has happened more than once, although I am unable to recall where or when, just that I (may have) read it.

If I remember correctly ( and I may not be ), at least one of these happened in the US and was at least 100 years ago if not more. I also recall one explanation being that it was a mass suicide.....the town being near cliffs on the edge of the ocean.

I've been trying to find anything on his for the last two days, but due to my lack of info, all my searches come up blank.

Anyone have any ideas?

If I did dream this, I reserve the rights for the book and film :)

Thanks in advance, Dia
 
aha

Thanks Ogopogo,
that does sound familiar. I almost stated in my original post that a date could be around 1600 too, but thought it may be wrong.

It certainly differs from what I remember in the explanations, but seeing as I can't remember clearly where I read it originally, that could well be it.

If anyone turns up anything different, I'd still be interested to know.
 
im gona be vague to but it may give u a lead or two... Barbary Pirates use dto cruse the Channel/atlantic/irish sea... generaly looking for stuiff to knick and for Slaves... aparently Cornish fishermen were worth moenby in N.African markets cos of thier navigational skill etc... Some times they would raid small costal comunities and carry off the population... (or in one case the congrigation of St Marys church Penzance) Other times a fleet of smal fishing boats woudl be hijacked and so all the men froma village may disapear... This is reputed to have happened to the men of Port Isaac (or lost in storm dipending what book u read)... One Irish Village is said to have been totaly taken to Africa one night, i think that story may be authentic too, tho sorry i cant be more specific, but it may be worth looking into..
 
I remember reading a book by the name of Phantoms by Dean Koontz that was based on that premise. The introduction mentioned this had happened several times in relatively recent history (since Roanoke, although that was mentioned) but I don't recall any town names. If anyone has a copy they could probably check.

At the time (I was quite young) it was definitely the scariest thing I had ever read.
 
large scale disappearances

June 25, 2003

To all:
Circumstances can have many levels, and many of them can be less than obvious. Unless you look at all the levels of a matter, though, it is possible that will not completely understand it.
In preparing a post on the relationship of the straight Anasazi roads and ley lines, I began to think about aspects of a different issue, but one which related to the Anasazi.
The Anasazi, a Navajo name meaning "Ancient Ones" or "Ancient Enemies" constituted an apparently massive, thriving culture of the American southwest. With the center of their population in a complex of giant pueblos in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, the Anasazi seemed to have a massive system of incredibly straight roads, connecting outlying communities, Great Houses, waterholes, and even apparently empty spots. They seemed to even have an efficient message system, involving outposts with tools for making bonfires, or reflecting others' signals, with polished obsidian blocks. In all, they seemed to have a sturdy, well-defined and individual culture. So impressive is the Anasazi community, in fact, that it has often been referred to as the "Chaco Phenomenon"!
Yet by about the middle of the twelfth century A.D., they all but disappeared. A smaller culture supposedly began another community north, near the southern border of Colorado, which lasted for, perhaps, another 100 years, but, essentially, the Anasazi culture disappeared around 1140 A.D.
In that, they joined a list of other disappeared peoples around the globe, from the Etruscans; to the builders of Nan Madol, in Micronesia; to the builders of Zimbabwe; to the builders of Angkor Wat; to the lost tribes of Israel; to those who erected the stone heads on Easter Island; to even the squadron supposedly lost over the Bermuda Triangle, Judge Crater, the colony of Roanoke and even the Neanderthals. These separate disappearances occurred over a wide range of years, but they also encompass a wide range of sizes. Interestingly, though, it seems that, while disappearances occurred over a span of time, the sizes of disappearances seem to have been decreasing over time!
If the disappearance of the Neanderthals is taken as one of the earliest such occurrences, it can have represented as involving a few million individuals, and to have occurred, perhaps, one hundred thousand years ago. The Etruscans comprised a very large nation of people, perhaps some tens of even hundreds of thousands, who had communities from the tip of the Italian boot to the northern portion of the peninsula. They had a thalassocracy, a kingship based on a control of the seas, second, perhaps, only to the Phoenicians, and apparently even had an alliance with Carthage. Perhaps around 350 B.C., they were all but gone. Between 1586 and 1590, more than one hundred colonists of Roanoke Island vanished. Around the 1880's the Marie Celeste, carrying, presumably, less than one hundred people, was found, completely abandoned. Within recent years, single individuals, such as Judge Crater, have disappeared.
One can wonder if the presumed mass extinctions can even be added to this list.
To be sure, in all that time, smaller groups, likely, also disappeared, but the maximum size of disappearances seems to have decreased. It is possible that contacts between different groups, allowing them to keep an eye on what other groups are doing, may have significantly expanded. And it may even be the case that just as large disappearances keep occurring, but one individual at a time. The fact that whole populations are observed very easily, but many do not put great attention on the actions of individuals can explain why large groups no longer, apparently, disappear, but single people do. To the extent that natural occurrences may have caused great disappearances, the increased connection of support systems between neighboring groups, these days, may also stand in the way of populations vanishing.
But it remains that many disappearances have been anomalously large, and all but inexplicably utter. To the extent that unusual vanishings may, indeed, be decreasing, it is possible that, if the decrease is examined, it may be possible to estimate the size of the population, if the time of its vanishing is known. The ten tribes of Israel, for example, were supposed to have disappeared around 720 B.C. There are those who say they have been found in other areas of Asia Minor. The presumed size of the tribes can be determined, by examining how other vanishings changed with time. If that size is far less than what their size was supposed to be, it can be that they didn't disappear, but merely moved to another area.
As an aside, it seems also to have been the case that most of the mass disappearances of populations, around the world, seem to have concentrated themselves in certain latitudes. Again, it can be that most of the population of the world has fallen within these limits, too, but most of the large disappearances seem to have taken place between the equator and 45º north latitude.

Julian Penrod

[edit]

I've removed your address and tel' no m8 - best not advertise it TBH
 
julianpenrod,

In regards to the Roanaoke colony, it's my understanding that "Croatoan" is an island along the coast. Fairs skinned natives in the area, with names such as "Blair" and simular. So it seems that they either headed their and interbred with the locals...
 
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