"The southernmost part of the island lies a few metres from the American border."
"During Prohibition, the island was a way station for alcohol en route to the United States on the south shore of Lake Erie. Gangster Joe Roscoe acquired part of the island and built a seven-bedroom "clubhouse" that became the centre of rum-running activity. The hotel offered electricity, fireplaces, and a large screened-in porch with views of the lake. The basement held a casino, carved out of solid bedrock"
"Likely prior to the 1950s, there was an airstrip of about 275 metres (900 feet) in length. The runway began and ended in water, and is now choked with vegetation."
"...a remarkably circular body of water."
"Tortugas Bank is the westernmost feature of the Florida Keys, but it is a submarine feature, wholly submerged, without any islands or above-water rocks. The least known depth is 11 meters."
"The last two digits denote a particular address; an even digit denotes an address on the Atlantic Ocean side while an odd digit denotes an address on the Florida Bay/Gulf of Mexico side."
"From the time the deck was built, it began to move vertically in windy conditions, which led to construction workers giving the bridge the nickname Galloping Gertie. The motion was observed even when the bridge opened to the public. Several measures aimed at stopping the motion were ineffective, and the bridge's main span finally collapsed under 40-mile-per-hour (64 km/h) wind conditions the morning of November 7, 1940. The portion of the bridge that fell into the water now serves as an artificial reef."
"Some of the largest octopi in the world, the Giant Pacific Octopus, live among the ruins of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge."
Monday, August 19, 2013
