The Mystery of Mel's Hole

The Origins

The legend of Mel’s Hole began in 1997 when a man named Mel Waters called into the late-night paranormal-themed radio show Coast to Coast AM hosted by Art Bell. According to Waters, he had discovered a mysterious hole on his property near Ellensburg in Kittitas County, Washington. The hole, he claimed, was unlike any other: it appeared to be bottomless, and bizarre phenomena surrounded it.

Waters described how locals had long used the hole as a dumping ground for everything from trash to deceased animals. What made the hole extraordinary, he asserted, was that items thrown into it never made a sound upon hitting the bottom. Attempts to measure its depth using fishing lines reportedly failed, as the line would extend thousands of feet without encountering resistance.

The Claims Become Stranger

As Waters' story unfolded in subsequent radio interviews, the hole’s purported properties became even more bizarre. He claimed that animals avoided it, and people who ventured near felt uneasy. One particularly wild anecdote involved a neighbour’s dog, which was thrown into the hole after it had died—only to reappear alive and healthy days later. Ice were caught on fire and burned for months in the oven, until the oven collapsed in the ground. A sheep that was forced into the hole, came back dead with a large growth inside. The growth contained a living seal-like creature, that slithered out of the sheep and down into the hole.

Waters also alleged that military officials took control of the area, forbidding him from returning to his property. This fueled speculation that the government was hiding something extraordinary, perhaps a portal to another dimension or a gateway to the center of the Earth. Adding to the intrigue, Waters later claimed he was forced to leave the country and never come back. But he did come back a few years later, still telling the same story to the very same radioshow until one day, he stopped answering calls and was never heard of again.

Scientific Skepticism

Despite its allure, the story of Mel’s Hole has been met with significant skepticism. Besides that the man himself, seems to never have existed, no verifiable evidence of the hole’s existence has been produced, and many details of Waters' account remain unverifiable. The man calling himself "Mel Waters", might have used an alias when calling in, to avoid detection. 

Skeptics also point out that a hole of such depth would be geologically improbable, as the structural integrity of the Earth’s crust would collapse under the weight of surrounding materials. Efforts to locate the hole have also proven fruitless. Investigators have combed through the supposed region near Ellensburg without success, leading some to suggest that the story is either a hoax or a piece of elaborate storytelling.

Cultural Impact

What makes Mel’s Hole so captivating isn’t just the mystery itself, but its cultural resonance. The tale taps into age-old themes of the unknown and forbidden. Bottomless pits have long featured in mythology and literature, tickling our minds about what lures at the other side of a seemingly bottomless pit. 

Mel’s Hole also highlights the power of modern media to shape and amplify folklore. Coast to Coast AM was instrumental in giving the story a platform, transforming it from a local curiosity to an international urban legend. Waters made guest appearances on Bell's show in 1997 (February 21 and 24), 2000, and 2002. Those appearances and the rise of the internet have helped create and cemented Mel's hole to what has been described as a modern rural myth.

The Truth About Mel’s Hole

So, what is the truth behind Mel’s Hole? Is it a genuine geological anomaly, a clever hoax, or simply a product of a man's imagination? The lack of concrete evidence suggests the latter, but the story’s endurance speaks to something deeper. In a world increasingly dominated by science and technology, tales like Mel’s Hole remind us of our enduring fascination with the unexplained. It's also notable that "Mel Waters" never once tried to make money out of his story, nor is there any verifiable photos of this man nor of the alleged hole. This could line up with Waters' claims of being forced to give up the story, his property and his life as he knew it. It wouldn't be the first time government people or shadow-government-people cover stuff up. It's kind of what they do. Cover up and make people shut up or disappear. However, if the story was, or is real, most likely there would be older stories regarding the hole. I mean, the Native Americans lived in the area for thousands of years before "Mel Waters". There would've been traces of this alleged bottomless pit in their stories and legends. The colonisers would have written about it, when stealing the land, and charlatans would have tried to sell "magic potions from the bottomless pit" since the 1750's, and "Big Corp" as well as "Big Pharma" would make documents of their sneaky affairs, toxins and chemicals disappear in that hole. I bet Donald Trump would use the hole to make all those in the politics that opposes him, disappear too. As a sacrifice to the Seal-people of the bottomless pit.

Anyhow, perhaps the true significance of Mel’s Hole lies not in whether it exists, but in the way it captures our imaginations?  Whether fact, fiction, or folklore, Mel’s Hole remains a compelling story.