The Texas Cat Lady's HOUSE OF HORRORS

*WARNING* -- Distressing content

Time Stamps:
#3 -- "DIY" -- 0:40 -- Man builds home defense system to ward off master thief
#2 -- "The Loner" -- 10:47 -- Police discover House of Horrors in Texas
#1 -- "Hellfire" -- 20:59 -- Workers are asked to make repairs inside an active boiler

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[justskellie]

This is the saddest sequence of stories, Mr Ballen. You give such detail, care and articulation that has us all mesmerized. Researching these can't be easy, but you are amazing. Thank you!

[konservative-kat]

The last story about Antonio really bothered me. So i have spent the last few hours looking through articles.
OSHA fined them a little less than $140000 for willful negligence. They also said they were considering reporting them to the DOJ to file criminal charges. Couldn't find any confirmation on whether charges were filed or not.
The CEO at the time said admitted that they ignored their own safety guidelines but they would not do it anymore UNTIL the OSHA investigation was concluded. And then they ignored that and did it again just a couple months later. The CEO resigned shortly after that came to light.
They had been cutting corners to cut costs and neglecting routine maintenance for years.
The union workers at the plant had been complaining for YEARS about being asked to perform these tasks while the boilers were on because they all KNEW it was unsafe and a similar incident occured in 1997 that almost killed 4 people. That is when they changed their policy. Sometime in between they stopped caring about the safety of their workers. Which is why they had to hire contractors to do the dangerous work. Most of the 6 men Mr. Ballen mentioned did were technically contractors hired to do the work.
The plant said that money was not a factor in their decision to keep the boiler running, but turning it off and back on would have cost close to a quarter million, would have taken 12 hours to get the boiler back up to temperature once relit, and they were already having trouble with a couple of their other boilers and they were not working at full capacity. Boiler 2's slag hole had been clogged for over 13 hours when hey sent the men inside, even though they knew that the intense temperature and ever increasing weight and even the slightest change in conditions could have cause the hole to clear itself and flow through at any time.
Also, that particular plant has the highest number of deaths of all the power plants in the state. They have 10. The next highest had 3.

When I started looking I just wanted to know what they were fined and what the settlement amounts were for the families. I could not find the amounts for the families, nor could I find if criminal charges were even filed. BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I WOULD HAVE ORDERED IF I WERE THE JUDGE OF CHARGING THEM FINES. First I would have asked how much money they would have lost if they had shut down the boiler to perform the work. Then I would have multiplied that by 6 for the lives they willingly put in danger. $139000 just isn't enough for all that they did.

[bradbland]

Always amazes me when a man gets into a situation he can’t handle even being drowned in Lava our first instinct is to call mom. Mom isn’t going to let anything happen to us. Just have to get a hold of mom and she will have authorities here before I can hang up the phone. It’s that little boy in us that never goes away. She’s been bailing us out our whole life so it makes sense. To all the moms in the comments God Bless you.

[c.r.k.]

As a cat lady myself, I feel so depressed about all those cats and that poor woman who had nobody to rescue her, what a heartbreaking story 😞

[dethslo]

I hate stories like the third one where the deaths could have been completely avoided if it wasn’t for a company’s greed and complete disregard for safety. In the end, paying off the families probably cost more than it would have taken to turn off the boiler. They literally forced their workers into suicide. I hope the families of those who died are doing ok

[BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

One thing I've never understood about the cat lady story is how was the attic not checked by police? The hatch/ladder would have been down right? Surely they'd go up and check and not just close it. Was it already closed? how/why would it be closed if she went up and then fell? There has got to be a detail missing.

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

The story with her being trapped with nobody to help her, starving or suffocating to death is one of the worst ways to go. Really sad death, rest in peace to the cats as well.

[mntryjoseph]

The last story is not only heartbreaking, it is horrific! The person who didn't shut off the boiler should be in prison. Companies only think about $$$, instead of thinking about the safety of their crew! The well being of the workers should be top priority no matter what the cost. May all the victims in these stories rest in peace.

[monicahendricks]

Never has any of your stories hit me so hard emotionally as the last story did. Your ability to tell a story drew into the story to the point I could imagine what these young men went through.

[caratlandsasukeechan]

You gotta love this man. He has me captivated in each and every story he tells. Also guys, listen to his podcast. Each every episode is so informative even though though you see the actual places.

[meimei]

I’m so choked up on this one with the boiler. I can’t even imagine what the family especially the mom felt during all that including the settlement process. No amount of money can ever replace that son, that father… It’s so horrible.

[loua]

I've learned to recognize the following red flags when watching Mr. Ballen:

1. Small spaces
2. Oversized ovens
3. Cutting corners at workplaces

😬

[jtfl]

“Mom I’m burning..” 😢 how awful.. that was one of the hardest to hear 😓
So good to share these stories so others are aware of the dangers in places like that.

[krystalwashington]

That last one was rough. I get anxious every time I see a story about someone working at a plant. Great storytelling once again, sir!

[madderandmadder]

I have a feeling the man in the first story might have been suffering from dementia. It would explain why stuff kept "disappearing" despite no one coming into his property, the very bizarre way of handling home security in extreme paranoia, and the fact he forgot about the booby traps.

[maliekfuller]

Rest in peace to Mary, could never imagine the torture she would have gone through. Thank you for sharing these stories

[chmc]

I've had to climb inside different parts of 5 story coal boilers at a powerplant. Even after being shut down for weeks, some of the spaces we went into were like crawling into an oven. My stomach turned as I heard what they were going to do. Too many companies preach "safety first " when it's really "dollar first ".

[mikeglasgow]

As an industrial boiler technician, I arrived for a routine boiler inspection called a C.S.D.1. INSPECTION. ( controls and safety devices ) . This was a very large boiler. As such, it has many safety devices that are there for a reason. What I found was unimaginable. Workers have had a few shut downs due to low water. Each time they would reset the low water control and go about their daily routines. After a few days of intermittent low water levels, someone came up with the brilliant idea of jumping out the low water control. Thus making it inoperable. I failed them on the inspection and notified the plant engineer of my finding. I hated it, but all boiler technicians were fired on the spot. This particular boiler, if it had exploded was large enough to take out the whole building and everyone in it. Possibly neighbors as well. Possibly over 400 - 500 people in the building during the day.
SAFETY FIRST.

[jeranbrown]

I’m reminded of the old saying “Doing what’s right doesn’t always mean doing what’s easy.” Safety measures are put in place for a reason. Thanks Mr. Ballen for another awesome set of stories!

[Coopersboy]

Regarding the last story, to all my fellow industrial construction and maintenance workers, if a boss man asks you to something you know or feels is dangerous, for you and the others involved, say something. That boss man may want that plant or mill to run at all costs, but the world will keep turning if it’s shut down for maintenance. Stay safe