A Memorial Service for Emilio Carranza

In 2003 my wife and I attended the annual memorial service. There were perhaps 150-250 people in attendance, their cars lining Carranza Rd, forcing us to walk nearly 1/2 mile to the Memorial Site itself. The Memorial began with an introduction by William Heller, Carranza Chairman of the Mt Holly Post 11. He explained why they hold this memorial every year. I’ll admit that I didn’t get it just yet. I recall thinking prior to coming, “Ok, the guy died trying to fly long distance. It’s a tragedy, but why do they do this? Do they have memorials every year for Christie Macauliffe?” I regret thinking that because I now understand.

After a brief speech by a priest, and Lawrence Gladfelter, Commander of Post 11, the principle speakers began. They included:

Sergio Villabulos, Lt Col of the Mexican Embassy, Military & Air Attaché,
Billy Mack, NJ Department Commander, Trenton, NJ
Doug Satterfield, LT Col, US Army Reserve, Ft Dix

Their speeches were followed by placing of the wreathes, dozens of them, then a military salute via the playing of taps, and even a military fly-over by a very old bomber of some sort. I couldn’t tell what model it was…. They also displayed a small piece of Carranza’s wreckage that was recently discovered in the local firehouse.

Afterwards I thought long and hard about what Carranza did and why. I thought about what it meant and it suddenly dawned on me. We live in an age where anything is possible. Non-stop flights from Newark to Tokyo are a reality. We may soon be able to take low orbit shuttles to make that trip in 3 hours. Travel is just not a big deal. Yeah, it may be uncomfortable and sometimes expensive, and yeah after 9/11 it’s a hassle dealing with security, but do any of us really think about air travel with any wonder any more? We have space shuttles going up it seems every month or two, and we even have an orbiting space station where astronauts remain for extended periods of time. Can the orbiting hotels envisioned in the movie 2001 be that far off? What’s next? Manned trips to Mars? Even if we do that, will most of relate to it? None of us expect us to be traveling thru space like Captain Kirk any time soon.

Think back to 1928. Air travel was not commonplace. We didn’t have Fedex to overnight packages. We didn’t even have an interstate Highway System like Route 80 until 30 years later, so even traveling by auto was a slow process. If we could travel long distances, it could mean a world of difference, opening up commerce possibilities, tourism, as well as a greater exchange of culture and knowledge. Charles Lindbergh proved it could be done, and Carranza was going to be next. He flew around America, attempting to generate better relations between our two nations. Carranza was an inspiration to everyone, both in America & Mexico, and even around the world. He was trying to push the limits of existing technology, to demonstrate what we all would someday be able to do. It must’ve seemed very relevant to most people, even if many couldn’t exactly envision what changes long distance air travel would bring. Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of his death. Hopefully there will be more then 200 people at that service. More people should know what he did, and why & how he died. Anyone who has ever flown in an airplane or received anything that traveled by plane owes a debt to all those who helped make air travel as we know it possible. We all know who the Wright brothers are. Most of us know who Charles Lindbergh is. Most do not even know the name Emilio Carranza. Hopefully that will change.

The Emilio Carranza Memorial

Down a desolate road in Wharton State Forest, past a juvenile detention center, and sitting amidst the sandy dunes and scrub trees is a small memorial to a mostly-forgotten aviator. The Mt Holly Legion Post #11 has made it’s mission to keep his memory alive. His services used to draw visitors in the thousands, but now it’s dwindled to only a few hundred, mostly local residents & dignitaries from Mexico. So who is Carranza & why are we celebrating his life and death?

In the 1920’s air travel was in it’s infancy. Lt Col Doug Satterfield, said at a recent memorial service, “Today we have no appreciation of [Carranza’s undertaking]. Aircraft before the 40’s were unreliable, unpredictable and prone to falling apart without warning.” Instrumentation was limited to a compass, and a lighter to look at maps in the dark. Charles Lindbergh had just flown non-stop across the Atlantic, creating an interest in air travel that previously didn’t exist. Emilio Carranza, the grand nephew of Don Carranza, 1st Commandant of the Constitutional Army (later the 1st President of the Mexican Republic) and nephew of General Alberto Carranza, founder of the Mexican Air Force School of Aviation, he naturally had an interest in both the military & aviation.

Carranza believed in the future of air travel. He believed that long travel was possible making it possible to bridge the gap between far away places. He believed that eventually people would be able to travel around the world, opening up commerce, tourism, and dialogues between nations. His family moved to Eagle Pass, Texas where he finished high school. He later returned to Mexico and attended the Military School of Aviation, where he graduated with honors. In 1926 he acquired a Lincoln standard airplane, which, inspired by Lindbergh’s recent flight across the Atlantic, he would use to fly long distances. He planned to fly from Chicago to Mexico City via many small airports across the Midwest. Halfway to his destination, he ran out of fuel and crashed, with his brother being seriously injured.

He acquired a retired Mexican Air Force plane and planned to fly non-stop between Mexico City and Ciudad, Juarez. Note that this plane was made entirely of wood. This would be the 2nd longest flight of any Mexican pilot. He arrived safely on 9/2/1927, at about the same time Charles Lindbergh arrived in El Paso, Texas, where they both celebrated together. The two became close friends and Carranza was Lindbergh official companion while Lindbergh visited Mexico City. Lindbergh flew to Mexico City non-stop from Washington DC, making it the 2nd longest non-stop flight only to Lindbergh’s recently completed trip to Paris. This excited Mexicans everywhere, and soon a committee was formed to get a Mexican aviator from Mexico City to Washington DC non-stop. Carranza was the pilot they invited to make this trip.

The plane, a Ryan B-1, was carefully constructed to deal with both the rigors of such a long flight, as well as dealing with the thin air of Mexico City. Carranza himself was closely involved with the process. On one flight to San Diego, he crashed in the desert and boarded a train to his destination. The only witness to the crash was a 5 year old boy named Juan tapia. He was so impressed and inspired by Carranza that he declared he wanted to be as brave as Carranza. He fulfilled that goal, enrolling in the Mexican military & receiving 7 purple hearts.

Carranza flew the Ryan B-1 from San Diego to Mexico City as a test run, and over 100,00 people eagerly awaited his arrival. His safe arrival completed the longest non-stop flight by a Mexican. By June 10th, 1928 things were in full motion. Spotters along his route to New York were in place. He had a final meal with his family & he departed for America the next day. Heavy fog & darkness made navigation possible only by dead reckoning. Bad weather lay ahead, and all air travel near South Carolina had been cancelled. He finally arrived safe & sound at 4AM in Moorseville, NC. After a brief stay for rest & refueling, he left on June 12th for Washington DC where he landed at Boiling Fields.

Carranza met with world leaders, and the event was covered by press from around the globe. This was not just a trip to test the endurance of an aviator and a plane. This was meant to inspire good will among nations as well. In Mexico City, aviators dropped flowers from the sky. Carranza met with President Coolidge and the Secretary of State. He flew to Detroit with Charles Lindbergh, which further cemented him in the minds of most people as a true leader. Afterwards Carranza flew to New York, where Mayor Jimmy Walker gave him the key to the city. He reviewed the troops at West Point, an honor never given to a visiting official with the rank of just Captain. His plan was to leave on July 3rd for Mexico City, and arrive on the 4th, the American independence day.

The weather was not cooperative, and he was told not to go. Despite these warnings, he made several attempts to leave, but all were cancelled at the last minute. Frustrated, Carranza rescheduled for July 12th. The weather was almost as bad, if not worse now. A large electrical storm covered the area. Lindbergh begged him not go. He returned his plane to the hangar and returned to the hotel. At the Waldorf Astoria in mid-meal he received a telegram. It was an order to leave immediately “lest your manhood be in question.” He left for Roosevelt Field immediately. He lifted off at 7:18 PM, July 12th.

At 325 PM the next day, John Carr was picking berries in the Pine Barrens when he discovered the wing of an airplane. It belonged to Carranza’s plane. A bolt of lightning had hit his plane and sent him crashing down in the middle of what would later become Tabernacle, NJ, in the middle of Wharton State Forest, otherwise known as the Pine Barrens. Members of Mount Holly Legion Post 11 were dispatched to retrieve Carranza’s body. Hacking their way thru sandy pines, they found Carranza, still clutching a flashlight, and carrying in his pocket the telegram from the Mexican Military.

Carranza’s death made headlines around the world. A brave young man had died trying to extend the boundaries of flight. Carranza’s body was held at Buzby’s General store until the coroner made the pronouncement of death, and the body was identified. President Coolidge offered to have his body transported by warship. Two years later, children in Mexico had raised money to build the memorial that now stands in the Pine Barrens where his plane crashed. The members of Mount Holly Post 11 declared that Carranza would not go unremembered,, and every year there is a memorial service. Members of his family, as well as Mexican Dignitaries come & place a wreath at the memorial site. Mount Holly Legion 11, as well as various members of the US Military also gives speeches and pay respects to a fellow soldier who died serving his country.

The abandoned patient houses of Ancora Psychiatric

In issue 18 of Weird NJ they showed photos of the old patient buildings at Ancora, a psychiatric facility in Hammonton. By the time I actually visited in 2004, the houses had all been razed and there was nothing to see. Well, there might have been but the main facility across the street is still active. I wasn’t risking being caught for something that was really not much to see anyway.

Lesson learned: go to see a place while it’s still there. You snooze, you lose.

This is a photo submitted by a reader:

My trip to the Fish Factory

In May 2005 I organized a group expedition to the Fish Factory. We rented a boat and spent about 2-3 hours on the island. Let me state right up front that I do not recommend anyone else do this. Kayaking or canoeing is the only safe way to get to the island. There are numerous sandbars and there’s nowhere to safely dock. We came at high tide and when we got back to the boat it was low tide and the boat was now beached around 30 feet from the water. Even with 5 men, it was a pain in the ass to get the boat back in the water. We also had a problem getting the motor started and drifted dangerously close to the burnt pier. Luckily I had hip waders and managed to guide the boat into water deep enough to get the motor started.

The island is full if fleas, ticks, poison ivy as well as greenhead flies. I knew about the green head flies and purposely planned the trip for a time in the year before they would get nasty. We had to bushwhack quite a bit on the island, so bringing a machete is a very good idea. One of my exploration partners suggested bringing a chainsaw. I can just see it now…

“Excuse me sir, but you’re going fishing, right?”
“Uhh… yeah…”
“Then what’s the chainsaw for?”

If you’re curious abut trespassing, here’s the funny part. According to the Dept of Fish and Wildlife, going on the island is permitted; going into the ruins is not, for safety reasons. The state doesn’t want to be liable in case of an injury. We saw evidence of some human traffic but very little garbage or debris, and little graffiti either. I can safely say that few people have ever explored here and few ever will due to the difficulty in getting here. This, for me, is perhaps one of my most memorable experiences exploring, and has one of the most interesting back stories of any place I’ve ever explored.

View all the photos here

The Fish Factory

Traveling down Great Bay Boulevard near Mystic Island is an interesting experience. It is a narrow two lane road which connects several barrier islands and has 6 bridges, two of which are one lane only. As a result the final bridges have 2 minute traffic lights to allow cars to safely pass each other. Originally it was meant to connect to Atlantic City 8 miles away, but the company in charge went bankrupt and the final bridge was never built. Even though there are only six bridges, it is known as Seven Bridges Rd.

The road is desolate and has no buildings or businesses aside from a half dozen marinas. It has little traffic and is completely isolated. There is little reason to travel this road unless you’re going fishing or just want a nice view of Little Egg Harbor. If you travel to the end of the road, Rutgers University has a research facility just before the road terminates in a sand dune. A nearby island allegedly held a Coast Guard station during WWII which was abandoned after the war, and all remnants removed.

Visible just beyond the dunes, a mile into the harbor, there is an island with a gigantic building which has lost most of its roof, leaving only a twisted metal exoskeleton. A large water tower can be seen as well. If you look quickly, you might think you’re witnessing an optical illusion. Is what you’re seeing really on an island, or is to on the opposite side of the bay? After all, what is a giant building doing there in the middle of the bay, isolated from everything?

What indeed…

The area around Tuckerton and Mystic Island is a prime fishing ground, but no one wanted to catch the menhaden/mossbunker fish. An adult menhaden female can produce as many as 700,000 eggs, so the waters around the harbor are full of this inedible fish. It is very bony, very oily and tasted terrible. The attributes that make it inedible make it a very good fertilizer. The Indians knew they were good for crops, and the word menhaden actually means fertilizer in the Indian language.

The Fish Factory, or the “stinkhouse” as it’s called by locals, is a factory that sits on Fish Island. Formerly known as Clam Island, this 100 acre island sits in the middle of Little Egg Harbor Bay and is now part of the Great Bay Wildlife Refuge. The factory was built around 1840 and was used to process menhaden, also known as mossbunker, a fish that was plentiful to the area. The menhaden is nearly inedible due to its horrible taste, as well as the high oil and bone content. The oil was valuable for things like perfumes, heating and lighting, soap, as well as fertilizer and pure protein, and was sold to companies like Zapata heating Corp & Standard Products.

The factory was established sometimes around 1850, perhaps earlier, said a spokesman from the Tuckerton Historical Society. Fish processing plants in the area primarily turned the fish directly into fertilizer which was sold to local farmers. Eventually the high protein content made the fish a good base for animal and poultry feed. Many pet foods that come in pellet form came from fish flour, taken from the dried remains of fish.

According to legend a 19th century housewife discovered that if you boiled the menhaden you could skim oil off the boiling water and it was a good substitute for whale oil. The oil proved to have many commercial applications including use in makeup, rust resistant varnish, as well as ink & linoleum. Early workers at the fish factory in the 1800’s would spend much of their time on the island, as getting off required a private boat or ferry. Eliza Jackson was born on the island in 1896 and spent her early years primarily on the island, until she was perhaps in her teens.

The operation ran from last spring to late fall and covered areas from the Gulf of Mexico up along the North Atlantic coastline. The fleet included an average crew of 20 using 6 fishing boats, an airplane as well as three large barges as well as many smaller support boats and trucks. The process began when spotter airplanes which would fly overhead and report positions of schools of fish. Three 85-100 foot boats with a purse net, 200 fathoms wide and 25 fathoms deep, would get into position. A sailor in a rowboat would align himself so that the school of fish was between himself and the net boats. The nets would floaters on top of the water and weights on the bottom to keep it hanging low. The boats would then come around both side of the fish, and one end be drawn up to the boat, encircling the fish in the net.

Catches varied greatly from year to year, with a high of 200 million fish but on average the factory processed 125 million fish pr year. The catch grew lower and lower and by the 1960’s was only handling 25 million fish. Once brought back to the factory, the fish were dumped from the holding tank onto container scale where they were sorted by weight into units of 1000 fish. The fish would be boiled in containers with live steam which released the oil from the bodies. Presses would extract water and oil, and remains would be dried in kilns to be converted into fish flour. This flour would the basis for fertilizer and animal feed.

The fish factory was shut down around WWI according to several people who worked and lived in the area. To continue operations and to continue to provide fertilizer to the local farms, garbage was brought in by boat from Atlantic City where it was composted. The factory was owned by the Fish products Company, and was one of a dozen factories producing similar products. The factories location was both a blessing and a curse. It’s proximity to the ocean meant the fishing boats could unload their catch with ease, but getting the final product to the rail lines was obviously more difficult, with the nearest railine being 20 miles away in Barnegat.

In January 1974 the factory was purchased by Seacoast Products of Port Monmouth. The company had similar factories in Delaware, Louisiana and Port Monmouth. Within a few years though, the factory was shut down because of economic reasons and in 1979 the state began looking to acquire the property thru the Green Acres Program. Once acquired there was no attempt to demolish the buildings, although it appears they did remove the ladder that led to the top of the water tower. The dock made a convenient place to moor pleasure boats, and over the next decade many families would stop at the dock so they could have a picnic lunch on the island. It was an unusual place to bring a family, but eventually the place would become unsuitable to friendly family exploring. As the building shed its exterior, reeds and poison ivy overgrew the buildings. There was a serious fire in the late 80’s and another in the early 90’s, which severely damaged the piers and main factory building. The grotesquely large warehouse and processing center grew more rundown, and eventually the metal sheets that covered the roof blew off in storms, or fell within the building. The metal exoskeleton and large water tank remain a stark contrast to the traditional backdrop at your average marina or ocean scene.

As a result of the damage and the overgrowth of reeds, poison ivy and other plant life, most human traffic to the island stopped at this point. But not all. Vandals and scavengers came to the island and quietly stripped various pieces of piping and machinery including bronze cutoff valves for several large oil tanks. The scrap metal probably fetched around $3, a small price compared to the damage their salvaging did.

In October 1994 boaters reported an oil slick near the island and DEP investigators discovered two 100,00 gallon oil tanks which had never been drained and were now leaking oil into the bay. The tanks still contained almost 18,000 gallons of oil which was the consistency of tar. The oil was contained and the 12 months later a full cleanup was conducted. The plan was to bring pump trucks out to the island and suck the oil from the tanks but the oil was too thick for this to be effective. Lengths of pipe were laid in the oil and hot steam sent thru them which melted the oil allowed for its removal. It took several hours to get to the island, fill the 2300 pump truck with oil and return to the mainland. The removal took weeks. The tank were scrubbed clean and only then was the operational considered complete, taking 14 weeks from start to finish.

A 1996 article about the cleanup states that the DEP has no plans to demolish the factory, though they clearly would like to. One official said that the island is an “attractive nuisance” which attracted the curious and mischievous. Its remote location and the necessity of having a boat insulate the property fairly well from all but the most determined explorers. The Marks from Weird NJ didn’t even visit it until many years after they knew of its existence.

The railroad tunnel beneath Fairview Cemetery

The Fairview railroad tunnel is the end of the line for one particular route on the Susquehanna & Western railroad. The line traveled N/S thru Bergen County, and this particular section diverts off the main line in Little Ferry and heads east to Fairview. It ducks underneath Fairview cemetery and travels 1.5 miles before exiting the cliffs in Edgewater, near the old Hills Brother coffee plant. I surmise when the plant closed, that spelled the end for this spur of the railroad.

Regardless, the tunnel and the rail line closed. The tracks in the tunnel were removed, although most of the railroad ties were left behind. A fence was put up over both entrances and the tunnel was largely forgotten. But as is the case with many things forgotten, stories begin circulating, rumors begin to grow, and eventually, urban youth seeks it out to confirm the stories, as well as their own manliness and courage. The stories in Weird NJ are mostly true, although I found no evidence of wild dogs or cult activity.

Upon arriving at the entrance, I found myself walking amongst the trees and scrub brush, as the walls of the cliff grew higher & higher around me. I half-expected a cemetery worker to yell at me from above, but nothing happened. I made it to the entrance where I encountered a fence, but it was opened up (of course) by previous explorers. The passageway was relatively dark, but I still had light from the entrance, and thankfully the other end was always visible. As is the case with almost all old railroad tunnels, it was very very wet. There was a waterfall near the entrance and runoff water had left about 2-4 inches of water thru most of the first few hundred yards. I eventually realized there was a concrete path on the opposite side and I quickly switched to it.

The walk thru was relatively uneventful. I used my two flashlights to keep an eye ahead of me but also to keep an eye on the shadows. I wasn’t worried about cultists or wild dogs, but homeless people. I think that’s always a valid concern when dealing with abandoned places. Thankfully I encountered no one during my exploration. I did encounter a shaft that went straight up thru the ceiling. It looked like a natural opening in the rock and was perhaps 10 feet wide. According to some letters to the magazine it ends up in someone’s backyard, which is a frightening prospect if you ask me. I couldn’t get a GPS signal lock so I couldn’t figure out where I was, despite a search along the way when I walked back above ground. I eventually reached the opposite end after perhaps 20-30 minutes of walking. Although I had a solid path to walk on I went slowly for fear of the unknown. I slowed as I approached the end because I could hear construction equipment. It turns out the passage exits right near the center of town where the mall and movie theatre are.

As of 2003 when I visited here, there was a proposal to create a ferry in Edgewater. If this plan goes thru, there is a possibility that this rail line will be reactivated, and connect to a park/ride lot or other rail lines so people can get to the ferry without having to drive. This idea is only in the discussion stage, but if it happens then the days of walking thru this abandoned rail line will be over. Also around this time, a developer was looking to make a 177 condo tower above near the exit of the tunnel into edgewater. Damage to the railroad tunnel was cited as one of the concerns of the local residents.

Mary’s Tower the victim of arson

According to this post and this one Mary’s Tower was the victim of arson in early 2007.

Other people’s efforts to find Mary’s Tower

My attempt to find Mary’s Tower

I had no idea where it was despite the fact that the article stated clearly what road it was on. I guess that’s why all the fan sites were filled with posts saying “I traveled up and down that road and couldn’t find it!” The other thing all the post indicated was that there was absolutely no place to park. In September 2003, I gathered my wife and a friend and decided to try to find it. Like everyone else we checked out the street in question, as well as another one that was frequently mentioned.

We could not find anything promising (although if I were alone and had time I might’ve been tempted to explore a few patches of woods). Unfortunately we found nowhere to park anywhere on or near this road. The road was one lane in each direction, there were no businesses where you could park, and no room on the side of the road to pull over to.

I was about to give up when I decided to give it check out one thing which caught my eye. I had dismissed it as not being the right spot, but after thoroughly exploring the road I decided I had nothing to lose. Soon I was driving on a small dirt road. It was very long, very bumpy, and with heavy vegetation on both sides, there was no room to turn around. I saw some construction equipment down a ways and wanted to head back but had no means of doing that so I pressed on. Just past the backhoe I could see a house and a driveway with cars. I now realized this was not a narrow road, it was a really long driveway. Ooops. That would make the guy on the backhoe the property owner. Double oops.

I decided to play the only card I could. I pretended I was a photography student, looking for something I heard would be good subject matter for my final project. “Is there some sort of tower around here?” This is where things turned scary. First of all, the guy was about 55 and had only one eye. I don’t know what was creepier: the fact that he had one eye or the fact that the lone eye looked like it had some serious glaucoma going on. It had that white milky covering the eye, and it took all my ability not to stare at him.

“It’s my tower, it’s not abandoned. Now I got kids coming from all over trying to find this tower and I’m sick of it. You probably know already there’s nowhere to park around here. If you pull over on the side of the road the neighbors will know why you’re there and you’ll get a $100 ticket. The cops will be there therefore you can get back to your car. Now why don’t you just turn around & leave.”

I decided this was a good idea and got back in my car. His dog was somewhere, and I thought it was behind the car so I pulled forward so I could go make a u-turn. As I put it into park the dog darts from in front of my car, so I got endless ribbing the rest of the day about almost killing the one eyed guy’s dog… The dog came around but kept wandering in front of my car so I asked the guy to get his dog out of my way, and we finally drove off.

I’ve since seen a few posts in some forums by folks claiming they found it. They seem credible. All I can say is I don’t recommend folks trying to find it. Obviously the fact that there have been lots of folks searching for has raised neighbors awareness and that’s bad for all of us. Besides all of this there really is no parking anywhere nearby. The streets where it’s located go for at least 1-2 miles in all directions with just two lanes, one each way. There are no businesses anywhere nearby, so the best you can do is park on the shoulder when there is one. But you might as well put out a sign that says “Out seeking Mary’s Tower, be right back”.

Mary’s Tower

The story in Weird NJ by Ryan Doan is long on exposition, but short on facts. The author describes how he saw this tower thru the trees and made several trips into a 5 story abandoned tower somewhere near Flemington. He makes reference to a specific street, and passing a pair of pillars and a chain across the remains of the driveway. He also makes reference to finding a diary belonging to Mary, the subject of the legend who committed suicide from the tower, which was abandoned as a result.

The location of this place is the subject of much debate on the various message boards…

Anyone know where it is?