January 18, 2002: Bottomless Hole Replay Compilation - Mel Waters

Art Bell presents a compilation of his conversations with Mel Waters, a rural property owner near Ellensburg, Washington, who claims to have a seemingly bottomless hole on his land. Mel describes a nine-and-a-half-foot-wide shaft lined with stone for the first fifteen feet, into which locals have tossed trash, dead livestock, and old appliances for decades without ever hearing anything hit bottom. Using shark fishing reels and 20-pound monofilament line, he has lowered over 80,000 feet of weighted line without finding the floor.

Local legends add to the mystery. One neighbor reportedly threw his dead hunting dog into the hole only to later encounter the same animal alive in the woods, wearing its original collar and tags. Another neighbor describes seeing a beam of absolute blackness shooting skyward from the uncovered hole at night. An elderly resident recalls stone columns once surrounding the opening in a formation resembling Stonehenge. Dogs universally refuse to approach within a hundred feet of the shaft.

In a dramatic update, Mel reports that armed military personnel have blocked access to his property, claiming a plane crash. A plainclothes official warned him that a drug lab could easily be found on his land if he pressed the issue. Mobile buildings and generators have been moved onto the site, and a real estate agent has conveyed a generous purchase offer from an unnamed buyer.