FLUGE TEAM EXPLORES HISTORIC LUNATIC ASYLUM IN WEST VIRGINIA
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Nick Fluge and members of the FGA team traveled to the peaceful but strange town of Weston, West Virginia to visit the famed Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and determine for themselves if the paranormal is more than just a word in a dictionary. Opened in 1864, the asylum was originally intended to treat mental illness, and did that for more than 100 years, but with the additional help of ‘ice pick’ induced lobotomy’s, electric shock, and even chaining and quarantining ‘challenging’ patients the facility remained open until some years ago. The history extends from civil war veterans to 20th century patients who lived as normally as one could in such a unique facility.
The team flew into Pittsburgh from Portland and immediately began their driving journey into West Virginia hoping not to make any ‘Wrong Turns.’ Hours later they arrived in the pleasant and yet somewhat off-putting town of Weston. People in the small town were quite personable until FGA members announced the reason for their visit: “An overnight stay at the lunatic asylum.” Eyes grew, voices became silent, whispers abounded and a sense of dread and quiet filled every gas station, restaurant and hotel within 20 miles of the place. We later learned that things like double suicides, stabbings, and other violent behavior were more the norm than the rare in Weston.
ENTRANCE
The initial drive to the asylum was fine, although it was daytime, a lifetime away from the possible horrors of nightfall. We all were overwhelmed by the sense of calm that one experienced at the front gate of the 2nd largest concrete structure in the world (next to the Kremlin in Russia). Fluge and team joked about everything and played a strong hand during the day. Little did we know what we were about to experience a few short hours later.
IN STRETCHER ROOM
We were officially “committed” into the facility at 9:30 pm sharp. The only people permitted in the facility overnight, the team was nervous with electricity only lighting staircases and the main floor – but never the wards. We proceeded to tour all four floors, each containing special wards for children, women, men, veterans, violently criminal inmates, and even murderers. FGA’s Queen of Hearts, Tiffany, posed like a trooper in the ”stretcher room” until she learned that the stretchers were designed to keep the violently emotional from any type of movement until the chains bound their flesh.
TIFFANY FLASHING HER SMILE BEFORE THE GHOSTS ARRIVED
Elysia quickly found that once she happened upon one of the few pieces of furniture in the massive building with miles of tunnels and halls, that something persuaded her to keep rocking in a curled up pose with an odd look on her face. With courage she managed to continue the journey throughout the rambling wards and halls of the building that fails to disappoint.
ELYSIA ROCKING UNCONTROLLABLY IN AN ALTERED STATE
Paranormal activity began the minute we arrived on the top floor and shut down our flashlights as we all sat silent in Ward E. We summoned those who might still exist there by asking for their permission to let us stay, or to let us know if they recognized us. Three times, without doubt, we heard loud (very loud) footsteps moving towards us. The weaker among us asked the stronger (me) to hold their hands – I did, being the gentleman I am. We felt the footsteps were within feet of us when they stopped as abruptly as they had begun.
Later, a ball appeared out of nowhere on the second children’s floor and when we kicked it – it simply made a curve directly into a wards’ room and then miraculously returned to the hall. We quickly made our way to the first floor break room.
A final and most strange experience was when we visited ‘Lilly’s room’ which is where a 9 year old supposedly died. Lilly is known to ‘play’ with her guests at times. Our first visit before midnight only gave witness to the same strange ball movement that we had seen earlier. However a later experience back in the room at 3pm had our flashlights turning on and off without interference or touch by our team – Strange indeed.
We were allowed to leave the asylum at 5:00 am the next morning. We were happy to be gone, another journey in the many that FGA has had, and certainly one of the most strange.
