The Philadelphia Experiment or was it?

While down in Philadelphia I took the opportunity to stop back at the Naval Shipyard to do a video on a subject that fascinated me as a child.

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Show Music by Jack Servello

#PhiladelphiaExperiment #Eldridge #UnsolvedMystery
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[ODDySEEy]

ODDySEEy viewer Curt asked the following question: Where is the ship now?

I should have included it in the video, sorry for the oversight.

On January 15th of 1951, the ship was transferred to Greece under the "Mutual Defense Assistance Program".

It was renamed the "Leon" (Lion) and used for patrolling the Easter Aegean Sea as well as training for midshipmen.

On November 15th of 1992 it was decommissioned.

Shortly after it was decommissioned it was sold as scrap to V&J Scrapmetal Trading Ltd. out of Piraeus.

The Eldridge was also transferred with three other DE's (Destroyer Escorts).

The USS Ebert became Lerax (Hawk), the USS Slater became Aetos (Eagle), and the USS Garfield Thomas became Panthir (Panther).

All four ships together were referred to as the Thiria (Wild Beasts)

[emeraldsoundproductions]

I remember watching a movie back in the 80's about this.

[girlgamergear]

Interesting as always! You may want to look into getting an exhibitor table at Sci-fi Valley Con!

[gmdetroitcowboy]

Great videos, I work for the Pennsylvania department of conservation and natural resources and am going too forward your link too the edjecational staff, I'm sure they would love too watch!

[rogergarman]

Great job Scott!!! Maybe they used the Stargates to move back and forth. 😉

[DDExplores]

Very cool stuff, , , thanks for sharing

[journeywithjay]

Really enjoyed this one. I first heard about this story doing research on camp hero in Montauk NY. And the experiments they done there. That base in Montauk is abandoned now and thought about making a trip out that way and doing a video there.

[crystallake]

Carl Allen (aka Carlos Allende) never personally witnessed the alleged events he wrote about at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Instead, he conflated details he heard 2nd and 3rd hand from other sailors (merchant and military), and combined those details with some exaggerations of his own. His story is based on accounts of a real top-secret experiment gone wrong, but he's incorrect about many aspects such as the timeframe, nature of the test, etc. The real experiment took place in 1944 (not 1943). An experimental facility had been built at the navy yard to test a method of thermal diffusion (enrichment) of uranium for the atom bomb. On September 2nd, 1944, there was a horrible explosion that released Uranium Hexaflouride and Hydrofluoric Acid into the surrounding area. Two men (both engineers) in the building were immediately killed, and a two soldiers immediately suffered severe chemical burns and acute radiation exposure, they died soon later. A fifth person, Arnold Kramish, survived only after suffering horrible chemical burns and exposure to radiation. Sailors in port were also exposed, many of whom likely suffered or perished, but there is little information on this. As a result of the explosion, the Uranium Hexaflouride and Hydrofluoric Acid created what witnesses described as a yellowish-green hazy fog. This fog was witnessed by nearby soldiers and sailors, and was even seen by residents of south Philadelphia when looking toward the Delaware River. The effects of exposure to highly corrosive hydroflouric acid, coupled with radiation sickness from exposure to the uranium compounds account for the men getting sick, screaming in pain, and even appearing to have melted into their surroundings. Like Allen's tale, the real experiment also has ties to Virginia. But not Norfolk. There was a similar (almost identical) facility built at the Anacostia Navy Yard carrying out similar experiments. Military ships would travel between the 2 facilities carrying top secret cargo (Uranium ore from the Belgian Congo), and yes they took that secret shortcut, which is called "Back Creek" allowing them to avoid the circumnavigation of Delaware and southern Maryland on the route. The military immediately covered up the incident and disallowed the local authorities (police, fire, and coroner) to participate in any of the post accident activities.

_"The Philadelphia Record" News Paper Article from Sept 3rd, 1944_

9 INJURED IN BLAST HEARD IN WIDE AREA;
SIDE OF BUILDING RIPPED OUT; FIRE EXTINGUISHED
-
Two specialists were killed and nine other men injured late yesterday afternoon
when an explosion, followed by fire, ripped out the side of a building
at the Navy Yard. Gas was released, burning the lungs of some of the men.
They were given first aid at the scene and then sent to the Naval Hospital.
At least one is in "a very critical condition, " the Navy announced.
Two other men, Navy Yard firemen, collapsed while fighting the
blaze. Their condition is not serious. The two men who died following arrival at the Naval Hospital were:
Douglas P. Meigs, 26, Tacoma Park, Md., an employee of the H. K. Ferguson Company of Cleveland. Peter N. Bragg Jr., 24, Fayetteville, Ark., a Navy chemical engineer. The injured included five U. S. Army first class privates

[phillipmullins]

Although like you Scott I don't believe it happened the two movies that relied on the " experiment" were cool sci-fi fantasy.

[RobertRoth-ojzz]

It's been proven afterwards by high ranking scientists that these can actually happen.