3 minute read
The Legend of the Screaming Tunnel
Imagine standing in the middle of a moss-covered tunnel cloaked in nothing but darkness. You’re holding a single burning match and then you hear it… the hairs on your arms stand up as the entire tunnel is filled with her piercing screams. The burning match is extinguished by a gust of wind, but only you know it wasn’t the wind…. you know it was something else. You’re now standing in the dark tunnel paralyzed by fear, all you know is that you’re not alone… This is what you might experience if you visit the Screaming Tunnel in Niagara Falls. During the day it’s a simple limestone tunnel whose walls are covered in colorful graffiti and layered with moss and algae. However, at night it transforms into a sinister tunnel straight out of your worst nightmare.
So, what exactly is The Screaming Tunnel?
This 125 feet-long tunnel was constructed in the early 1800s under the Grand Trunk Railroad. Its primary purpose was to drain away water from the farmlands, but farmers used it to transport their animals and goods.
No one knows how exactly the legend originated or what really happened in the tunnel but there are a few local legends that explain the eerie screams.
All local legends agree that the screams belong to a young girl living on a farm nearby who was set ablaze in the tunnel but, each story describes a different reason for this atrocity. According to one legend, a local farm that was near the tunnel caught fire. The young girl with her clothing ablaze ran towards the tunnel in search of water. However, the girl’s burn wounds were too severe, and she passed away in the tunnel.
According to another legend, her father was infuriated when he lost custody of his children, and so he dragged his daughter all the way to the tunnel. The outraged father then set the young girl ablaze, leaving her to die in the tunnel. Yet another tale tells the story of a young girl was raped inside the tunnel by a man who was possibly drunk. He set fire to her body so that no evidence would ever be found. Even though the tunnel has an atrocious history, it is very popular among those seeking an adventure or those who crave the rush of adrenaline from such spine-chilling experiences.
Want to test whether you can encounter the ghost? Walk the tunnel and when you get to the middle, light a wooden match. This action is said to frighten the ghost haunting the tunnel. You might hear her shrill screams and your match extinguished by a gust of wind.