ABANDONED PLACES
WRITTEN BY AUTHOR NAME
Abandoned Places Copyright Š Text 2013 Author Name First published in 2013 by F+W Media, Inc. 4700 East Galbraith Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 1-800-289-0963 Distributed in North America by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc. 1507 Dana Avenue Cincinanati, OH 45207 1-800-289-0963 enquiries@fwmedia.com www.fwmedia.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmittend in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any informtion sotrage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data ISBN-10: 1-85669-471-2 ISBN-13: 978-1-85669-4711 Design and Layout: Crystal McCann Cover Design: Crystal McCann Cover Photography: Internet Internal Photography: Internet Printed in China
CONTENTS Introduction Centralia, USA Gunkanjima, Japan Bodie, USA San Zhi, Taiwan Kolmanskop, Nambia Varosha, Cyprus Pripyat, Ukraine Conclusion
1 2 6 12 16 20 24 28 35
INTRODUCTION The ghost city has long been an apocalyptic inspiration for filmmakers. There is nothing more surreal than witnessing an abandoned city. Writers through the ages have grabbed ahold of this fact, introducing us to all forms of abandonment. From the 1948 Ghost-Town-Western Yellow Sky starring Gregory Peck to the deserted London streets of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, the frightful tension associated with popular 90’s video game Silent Hill, to the post-apocalyptic nothingness of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-winning novel The Road, the theme is well-trodden in every form of entertainment. In this book, you will explore seven of the most interesting abandoned places on the planet. Take a glimps at the real life of ghost towns.
1
2
CENTRALIA USA Johnathan Faust opened Bull’s Head Tavern in Centralia in 1841, and Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. An exposed vein of coal ignited in 1962 thanks to weekly garbage burning, and as a result a huge underground coal fire commenced. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and
it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the carbon monoxide produced.
POPULAR CULTURE Centralia has been an inspiration for the video game Silent Hill, the film Nothing But Trouble, David Wellington’s Vampire Zero, and Dean Koontz’s Strange Highways.
3
In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas station reported a fuel temperature of 172 degrees Fahrenheit ( 77.8째 C ). Th i s provoked widespread attention, boosted in 1981 when a 12year-old almost plunged to his
4
death as a 4 foot wide, 150 foot deep sinkhole suddenly opened beneath his feet.
In 1984, $42 million was spent on re l ocation, w ith mos t residents moving to the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland. In 1992, Pennsylvania condemned all houses within the borough, meaning that of the 1,000+ residents in 1981 – only a handful now remain – mainly priests. The fire still rages on, and according to experts could do so for another 250 years. 5
6
GUNKANJIMA JAPAN Hashima Island (meaning Border Island) is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. It is also known as “Gunkan-jima” or Battleship Island thanks to its high sea walls.
forced to build Japan’s first large concrete building on the island. A block of apartments that would both accommodate the seas of workers and protect them from hurricanes.
It began in 1890 when a company called Mitsubishi bought the island and began a project to retrieve coal from the bottom of the sea. This attracted much attention, and in 1916 they were
The island was the location for the films ‘Battle Royale II’ and Skyfall. It also inspired the final level of popular Asian videogame ‘Killer7’.
POPULAR CULTURE
7
8
In 1959, population had swelled to boasted a density of 835 people per hectare for the whole island (1,391 per hectare for the residential district) – one of the highest population densities ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960’s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine, and today it is empty and bare. Travel is prohibited.
10
11
12
BODIE USA Founded in 1876, Bodie is the authentic American ghost town. It started life as a small mining settlement, though found even more fortune from nearby mines that attracted thousands. By 1880, Bodie’s population became almost 10,000 – such was the boom. At its peak, 65 saloons lined the town’s main street. Additionally, there was a Chinatown where hundreds of Chinese residents lived.
Through most of the 20th century, Bodie held a permanent residency. However, dwindling resources greatly reduced the town’s prominence. In 1932,
POPULAR CULTURE Bodie was the setting for the young reader’s novel Behind the Masks, by Susan Patron. Kathleen Haun’s historical novel, “No Trees For Shade”, is set in Bodie.
13
a fire ravaged the downtown business district in 1932. Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of arrested decay. Only a small part of the town survives. The town was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and in 1962 it became Bodie State Historic Park as the
14
few residents left moved on. Visitors can walk the deserted streets of a town and interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods.
15
SANZHI TAIWAN The Sanzhi pod houses, also known as the Sanzhi UFO houses, abandoned podshaped buildings in Sanzhi District, New Taipei City, Taiwa n . Th e b u i l d i n gs resembled the round, prefabricated Futuro houses designed by Matti Suuronen. This futuristic pod village was initially built in 1978 as a luxury vacation retreat marketed towards U.S. military officers coming from their East Asian postings. However, production was halted after numerous fatal
accidents during construction. A lack of money combined with a lack of willingness meant work was stopped permanently, and the alien-like structures remained as if in remembrance of those lost.
POPULAR CULTURE The pod-like buildings have been the subject of a film, photographed, and used as a location by MTV. Online discussion describes them as a ghost town or “ruins of the Future.� 17
After many years in a state of decay, the resort was demolished in late 2008 and early 2009. The site was a favorite with photographers and tourists, but efforts to save it failed, and the site is now being redeveloped. The buildings were scheduled to be torn down in late 2008, despite an online petition to
18
retain one of the structures as a museum. Demolition work on the site began on 29 December 2008, with plans to redevelop the site into a tourist attraction with hotels and beach facilities. As of 2010, all UFO houses have been demolished and the site is in the process of being converted to a commercial seaside resort and water-park.
19
KOLMANSKOP NAMIBIA Kolmanskop is Namibia’s most famous ghost town, and is situated in the Sperrgebiet (forbidden territory), a few kilometers inland from the port of Luderitz. In 1908, the railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a sparkling stone amongst the sand he was shoveling away from the railway line, near Kolmanskop. The news spread like wildfire, sparking a frantic diamond rush. Droves of fortune hunters converged in Kolmanskop.
The town developed quickly, becoming a bustling centre and providing shelter for workers
POPULAR CULTURE In 2000, the film, The King Is Alive, was filmed in Kolmanskop, with the town being utilized as the film’s main setting. The town was also used as one of the locations in the 1993 film, Dust Devil.
21
from the harsh environment of the Namib Desert. Large, elegant houses were built and it soon resembled a German town. The development of Kolmanskop reached its peak in the 1920’s, but the town declined after World War I, when diamond prices crashed. Richer diamond deposits were discovered further south, and operations were moved to Oranjemund. Within a span of 22
40 years Kolmanskop lived, flourished and died. Today the ghost town’s crumbling ruins bear little resemblance to its former glory. The stately homes have been nearly demolished by the wind, and are gradually becoming enveloped by desert sand dunes. In 1980, the mining company De Beers, restored a number of buildings, and established an interesting museum, which has now become a tourist attraction.
23
VAROSHA CYPRUS Varosha is in the Turkish occupied city of Famagusta in Cyprus. It was previously a modern tourist area, and flowered into one of the most luxurious holiday destinations. In the year of 1974 however, the Turkish invaded Cyprus and tore up the island. Citizens fled, expecting to be able to return to their homes within days. The Turkish military wrapped it in barbed wire and now controls it completely. Allowing nobody
to enter to this day, aside from themselves and UN personnel. The buildings are slowly falling apart. Though on the positive side, rare sea turtles have begun nesting on the deserted beaches.
POPULAR CULTURE Varosha was discussed in Alan Weisman’s book The World Without Us as an example of the unstoppable power of nature.
25
The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but after the rejection of the proposal by Greek Cypriot voters this hand-over to Greek-Cypriots has not materialized. That is not the end of the story, as the Governments are working together to plan a complete revival of Varosha to its former beauty.
26
Currently, three concept hotel complexes have been designed by Laxia Inc. And by 2010, the de facto “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus� will open Varosha to tourism once again.
27
PRIPYAT UKRAINE Pripyat is an abandoned city in the Zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city population had been around 50,000 – and had been home to most of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. Then the Chernobyl disaster struck in 1986 and the place was abandoned due to threat of radiation. Afterwards Pripyat acted like a museum for a long time, perfectly showing a slice of Soviet life. However at some time at the beginning of the
POPULAR CULTURE The Chenobyl disaster has inspired numerous works of fiction including the film Chernobyl Diaries, the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a mission in Call of Duty, a Marvel Comics miniseries Meltdown, the novel Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith, and the David Bowie song “Time Will Crawl”.
29
21st century the place was looted heavily, nothing was left behind – even toilet seats were stolen.The city will not be safe for human habitation for several years to come, and even then it will be a long time before people consider it healthy to develop once again. Before the power plant was built, concerns were voiced at its planned closeness 30
to the city of Kiev. They had planned to build it only 25 km away, placing the capital at risk from pollution amongst other things. However after a long debate they decided to build Chernobyl along with Pripyat 100 km away from Kiev. A choice that would in the end prove to be a wise one.
31
32
33
CONCLUSION Over time, some places die because people leave. Some places were abandoned due to relocation of resources and some cities had to be left due to wars or human error. The streets go quiet and the isolation takes on the frightening shape of forlorn ghost towns. They lurk in the shadows of modern civilization, without a future. The stories these ghost towns carry will forever be embedded in the abandoned buildings and empty streets.
34