It’s History

The Staten Island Boat Graveyard, located at 2453 Arthur Kill Road in Rossville, has roots dating back to the 1930s and has been known as the Witte Marine Scrap Yard and Arthur Kill Boat Yard. Now referred to as the Donjon Iron and Metal Scrap Processing Facility, it was once home to approximately 400 vessels, though that number has dwindled to an estimated 25 to 40 decaying ships. This scrapyard features a diverse collection of obsolete steam tugs, ferries, car floats, and other crafts, each with a rich history.

In this video, we explore:
- The history of shipbreaking yards (01:47)
- The founder of the Staten Island Boat Graveyard (02:10)
- The first African American ship crew during World War II (04:22)
- The New York City Fire Department’s Abram S. Hewitt (06:22)
- The New England Passenger Steamer and the Eldia (09:02)
- Creepy cemeteries near the Staten Island Boat Graveyard (10:12)
- Why artists, moviemakers, and marine historians are drawn to the graveyard (12:43)
- The Donjon Marine Company Incorporated (14:57)

#UrbanDecay #StatenIsland #BoatGraveyard #History
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Explore the battleship graveyard outside the Philadelphia International Airport, featuring storied vessels that once served in the United States Navy. This video highlights the fates of legendary ships, including the USS Barry, USS John F. Kennedy, and the USS New Jersey.

Chapters:
0:00 - Why does Philadelphia have a battleship graveyard?
2:01 - USS Barry
5:45 - USS John F. Kennedy
9:17 - USS Ticonderoga V (noted as scrapped in 2020)
11:44 - USS New Jersey

#BattleshipGraveyard #USSBarry #USSJohnFKennedy #USSNewJersey
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Buried nearly 1,000 feet beneath southern Poland lies the Bochnia Salt Mine, one of Europe's oldest salt mines and a UNESCO World Heritage site with a history spanning nearly 1,000 years. This sprawling underground labyrinth stretches 37 miles across 16 levels, with only a fraction accessible to the public.

In this episode, we explore the mine's forbidden corridors, including collapsing tunnels, abandoned leaching chambers untouched since the 1960s, and sacred chapels carved deep into the earth. Discover stories of horses lowered by net into the abyss, steam-powered industrialization under the Habsburg Empire, and an underground railway passing through a consecrated Catholic church.

#History #Poland #HiddenPlaces
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On November 25, 1990, a section of the Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge in Seattle collapsed and sank into Lake Washington, an event witnessed live by thousands. The bridge, an essential transportation link since its construction in 1940, folded into a V-shape before disappearing underwater. This episode explores the history of Seattle's floating bridge system, the engineering decisions that contributed to the disaster during renovations, and the lasting significance of the Murrow Bridge sinking as a case study for engineers today.

#Seattle #MurrowBridge #Infrastructure #EngineeringDisaster
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In the middle of the Mississippi River near St. Louis stand two mysterious stone towers known as the Chain of Rocks intake towers. Built in 1894 and expanded in 1915, these structures were crucial for St. Louis’ drinking water system, allowing engineers to draw water directly from the river to the city’s waterworks plant. Inside, keepers lived for weeks operating intake gates and monitoring river conditions while safeguarding the system against floods and ice jams.

This episode of It’s History delves into the story behind the Mississippi River intake towers, exploring topics from Mark Twain’s criticism of the city’s muddy water to the dramatic engineering project that created these fortress-like structures in a dangerous river.

#MississippiRiver #StLouisHistory #EngineeringHistory
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