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Tuesday October 19, 2004 Previous | Next
Dear Yahoo!:
What's the deal with the Philadelphia Experiment?
Jennie
Port Orchard, Washington
Dear Jennie:
For those readers who don't subscribe to conspiracy newsletters, the Philadelphia Experiment was an incident alleged to have taken place in 1943. According to legend, the Navy destroyer USS Eldridge was made invisible and teleported from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Norfolk, Virginia. As is often the case with "paranormal phenomena," there's no smoking gun; however, we can give you the scoop on a few contrasting theories.

We made the U.S. Navy's official site our first stop on the quest for truth. After all, they'd know if one of their own ships disappeared, right? While the Navy does acknowledge the theories, they insist there are no documents confirming that the experiment, also known as "Project Rainbow," ever took place. In fact the ship's log states the Eldridge was never even in Philadelphia.

Though the Navy makes a strong case, we wanted a second opinion, preferably from the chain-smoking, basement-dwelling alternative media. This site delves into the legend's origin, explaining that it was a man named Carl Allen who claimed to have seen the experiment and its aftermath firsthand. Those seeking further clarification can check out these interviews with three alleged survivors of the experiment.

Whether or not any of this is true, who can say? Like the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, we're filing this case under "U" for "unsolved."

 
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