The StoryPenn’s Cave is located in Centre Hall, PA, and is America’s only all-water cavern. The cave stretches a mile long under a massive amount of earth. Within this pitch black cave are beautiful rock formations that cannot be touched by humans. These well-preserved bed rocks can easily be destroyed by oil off our hands. Penn’s Cave is a special treat for anyone looking to get out and explore some of nature’s best accomplishments. But, the legend of the cave sure does enhance the mythical experience. Back in the 1700s, Penn’s Cave played a big role in an unfortunately fatal love story. Nitanee was the daughter of an Indian chief who fell in love with a Frenchman named Malachi. Their love was forbidden, but the two sought every opportunity to be with each other. As a result, the couple decided to run away together one night to be married. Unfortunately, they were captured by Nitanee’s brothers, and Malachi was locked away in the cave to die. Nitanee’s brothers guarded the entrance so that Malachi couldn’t escape. Upon his death, they sought out his body and sank it in the deepest part of the cave. The story says that people could hear Malachi call out for Nitanee every day as he waited to die in the cave. As a matter of fact, some people wonder, “Has he ever stopped?”
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The ClaimsMany tourists who have visited the cave have returned with ghostly images they have captured on camera. Many of these photos consist of distorted figures and contorted mists. These men and women are people who know nothing of Penn’s Cave’s supposed haunting. Aside from tourists, the staff all believe something else lurks in the tunnel, besides rocks and water. Mike, in particular, is one tour guide who claims to have had his share of experiences when working on the grounds. He claimed he has heard voices from within the cave on numerous occasions while he was alone. One night after everyone had left for the evening, Mike was trying to lock up the cave when he heard a voice call out to him over a speaker. The speaker was located at the entrance of the cave, and is used by the tour guides to communicate with other staff members in the main building. Mike was shocked to hear it because he knew he was alone. This didn’t stop him from responding, but, with no surprise, there came no response. On another occasion Mike claimed he heard a male call out the name Nitanee. Mike’s detailed experiences are similar among most people who spend time in Penn’s Cave.
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The Investigation
The investigation of Penn’s Cave was a short one. Marissa, Oscar, Gladys, Kim, Olivia, and Joe were accompanied on the boat by Mike, Terri, and one of her co-workers. Since we only had a window of two hours to work with, we strategically split it up into four half hour sessions. The purpose was to be able to spend a little time in different locations. We wanted to be able to experience the cave as a whole. Almost 200 photos were taken with digital cameras; however, the cameras distorted the moisture in the air, making it hard to see anything. CLPS operated with only a K2 meter and 2 EVP recorders that night. From the restriction of a boat, there is only so much that can be done. But, the investigation proved effective. On most quiet investigations, we like to attempt to provoke spirits in a last-resort situation. Knowing time was against us, we resorted. On many occasions throughout the night, the entire group was able to hear what sounded like a group of people talking on the opposite end of the cave, almost like another tour was about to start. However, we were the only ones on the grounds that night. Therefore, that was an awesome experience, to say the least. On several other occasions, a few members from the group heard what sounded like a female’s disembodied voice, particularly Joe and Olivia when they started making a few harsh comments towards Nitanee and Malachi. Oscar, at one point, even thought he saw a shadow dart behind one of the many rock formations. One of the coolest experiences was had by Joe. While near the entrance of the cave, he heard what sounded like someone knocking on wood. At first he assumed it was the tour boats rocking into each other. Upon investigating, it was clear to see that the boats were anchored down and tied so that they couldn’t rock into each other. The fact of the matter was that the knocking was occurring as Joe was asking some direct questions about Penn’s Cave and the legendary love story. Many experiences were had among all of us in the cave that night, and even though it was over quickly, we left with a good deal of evidence to review.
EVP's
BreathFemale VoiceFemale Voice II |
Disembodied VoiceNative American Language |
The Debriefing
After reviewing about 10 hours worth of footage, we were satisfied with our findings. The investigation went by quickly, but left us with plenty. We were proud to be able to capture the grouped voices we heard on two occasions. More than that, Joe and Olivia's disembodied voice was captured as well. We were unable to make out what it was saying, as it appeared to be speaking in a non-native language. Oscar claimed to see a shadow during the investigation, but unfortunately he was unable to pick it up on his camera. These few documented experiences, along with a few other EVP clips, corroborated everyone’s claims. That is why it would be irrational to think that the beautiful Penn’s Cave is anything else but haunted!