A tragic fire swept through the Rhoads Opera House in 1908, killing 170 people within minutes. The victims were buried a Fairview Cemetery in Berks County. Since then, police have responded to calls about horrifying screams and wailing, only to find the cemetery deserted when they arrive. Legend has it that those screams belong to over 150 souls who have yet to find peace after such an excruciating death.
For more information about the Rhodes Opera House Tragedy, visit WMFZ.com.
Award-winning photographer Matt Hoyle has a new book coming out in September called, “Encounters: With the Strange and Unexplained.” This book chronicles a paranormal road trip that he took last summer, photographing 60 witnesses to alien spacecraft, haunted houses, poltergeists, etc. Matt has a website where you can view his photos, some of which look more like paintings. He did a great job of catching the emotion of his subjects and their spooky surroundings. Check them out at Matt Hoyle’s Encounters.
My curiosity was sparked when I read a passage in the article, Who’s Seen Wilton’s Blue Lady?, where ghost hunter Fionna Broome experienced a frightening encounter with a demon. It frightened her so much that she removed her articles about Vale End Cemetery for several years because she didn’t want anyone going there. She eventually put the articles back up, along with a narrative about her encounter with this demon and his minions, citing a warning for anyone who may want to visit Vale End Cemetery.
However, in my opinion, the risks aren’t worth it. Look for ghosts elsewhere. Something at Vale End is not a ghost, and it could be lethally dangerous.
The features were distinct and almost mimicked the expressionist style of painting. Maria Pereira had no explanation for its presence and her first suspicions were that it was of paranormal origin. Six days later, in an attempt to destroy the apparition, the floor was ripped up and a new cement floor laid down. One week later another face appeared in exactly the same place.
Curiosity about this strange phenomenon led me to search the Internet, where I found a more interesting and in-depth article about the Faces of Belmez as well as recordings of the EVPs that were taken at the time of the investigation.
Leftfield PSI=Belmez Faces Article: I noticed a discrepancy between this article and the one I’d originally found. As it turns out the faces appeared in the hearth of the fireplace and not the floor. This site displays some beautiful, if not haunting photos of the faces.
Although the media blitz has long since died down, this mystery continues to baffle scientists and the residents of this village.
