"Mysteries at the Museum" Dorothy of Dakota, Crop Circles of the Deep and Tunnel of Love

1 00:00:01,935 --> 00:00:04,104 A tunnel of love beneath the Berlin Wall. 2 00:00:04,204 --> 00:00:07,607 This was gonna take everything he had in him. 3 00:00:09,576 --> 00:00:11,678 A puzzling pattern on the ocean floor. 4 00:00:11,778 --> 00:00:13,847 It absolutely did not look 5 00:00:13,947 --> 00:00:15,982 natural in any way, shape, or form. 6 00:00:17,584 --> 00:00:19,919 And a twisted tale straight out of The Wizard of Oz . 7 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:22,088 She knew that her daughter 8 00:00:22,188 --> 00:00:24,524 was somewhere inside of there, and she was not going 9 00:00:24,624 --> 00:00:27,260 to lose sight of that storm. 10 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,663 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:35,935 --> 00:00:38,605 Oklahoma is famous 12 00:00:38,705 --> 00:00:41,875 for its sweeping plains, rich oil fields, 13 00:00:41,975 --> 00:00:44,611 and extreme weather. 14 00:00:44,711 --> 00:00:46,680 Over the last half century, 15 00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:49,849 more than 3,500 tornados have touched down 16 00:00:49,949 --> 00:00:53,353 in the Sooner state, and in the town of Norman 17 00:00:53,453 --> 00:00:57,023 is an institution that's dedicated to all kinds 18 00:00:57,123 --> 00:01:00,060 of meteorological marvels-- 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,697 the National Weather Museum & Science Center. 20 00:01:03,797 --> 00:01:06,533 On display 21 00:01:06,633 --> 00:01:10,203 is a unique collection of antique thermometers, 22 00:01:10,303 --> 00:01:13,139 a device used to measure wind speed 23 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:15,141 known as an anemometer, 24 00:01:15,241 --> 00:01:17,510 and an armored aircraft 25 00:01:17,610 --> 00:01:20,080 designed to fly into hailstorms. 26 00:01:23,183 --> 00:01:25,352 But among these scientific instruments 27 00:01:25,452 --> 00:01:28,521 is one item that looks decidedly low-tech. 28 00:01:28,621 --> 00:01:31,791 The artifact is made of a cardboard shell. 29 00:01:31,891 --> 00:01:36,162 It contains metal gears, wires, and threads. 30 00:01:36,262 --> 00:01:39,299 It looks almost like an amateur science experiment. 31 00:01:39,399 --> 00:01:43,303 This device is linked 32 00:01:43,403 --> 00:01:46,106 to a harrowing tale that seems like it's ripped 33 00:01:46,206 --> 00:01:48,141 from the pages of fiction. 34 00:01:48,241 --> 00:01:50,744 This is a story of a young family, 35 00:01:50,844 --> 00:01:52,879 a terrifying weather event, 36 00:01:52,979 --> 00:01:55,815 and an unbelievable faceoff between Mother Nature 37 00:01:55,915 --> 00:01:57,751 and mankind. 38 00:02:01,454 --> 00:02:04,391 It's the mid-1950s in Bowdle, South Dakota. 39 00:02:04,491 --> 00:02:06,993 Marion Weron lives on a farm 40 00:02:07,093 --> 00:02:09,662 with her 9-year-old daughter, Sharon. 41 00:02:09,763 --> 00:02:12,699 The two lead a simple life raising horses 42 00:02:12,799 --> 00:02:14,834 and other livestock. 43 00:02:14,934 --> 00:02:16,503 They loved horses. 44 00:02:16,603 --> 00:02:19,005 Even though Sharon was 9, she was a very strong rider. 45 00:02:22,676 --> 00:02:25,178 But on July 1, 1955, 46 00:02:25,278 --> 00:02:28,581 something happens that will change their lives forever. 47 00:02:28,682 --> 00:02:32,352 Marion has just returned home from running an errand. 48 00:02:32,452 --> 00:02:36,122 Outside, Sharon is riding her pony in the woods 49 00:02:36,222 --> 00:02:37,924 on their property. 50 00:02:39,959 --> 00:02:42,529 Suddenly, the skies darken with storm clouds. 51 00:02:42,629 --> 00:02:46,199 The darker the sky got, the more concerned Marion became. 52 00:02:46,299 --> 00:02:49,969 Marion knows that when a storm gathers, 53 00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:53,673 it can generate a powerful tornado in the blink of an eye. 54 00:02:56,309 --> 00:02:58,478 At the time, the National Weather Service 55 00:02:58,578 --> 00:03:01,047 broadcasts tornado warnings on the radio. 56 00:03:01,147 --> 00:03:04,517 They use radiosondes, like this one 57 00:03:04,617 --> 00:03:06,953 at the National Weather Museum & Science Center 58 00:03:07,053 --> 00:03:10,290 in Norman, Oklahoma, to monitor weather conditions, 59 00:03:10,390 --> 00:03:14,227 but the technology is limited, providing just minutes 60 00:03:14,327 --> 00:03:16,730 for people to take shelter. 61 00:03:16,830 --> 00:03:19,065 By the time that they could forecast that a storm 62 00:03:19,165 --> 00:03:21,434 was on its way, it was often too late. 63 00:03:21,534 --> 00:03:24,471 Marion knows that she and Sharon 64 00:03:24,571 --> 00:03:27,173 need to take cover immediately. 65 00:03:27,273 --> 00:03:30,844 So she calls out for her daughter to come inside. 66 00:03:30,944 --> 00:03:33,813 She saw Sharon coming, and she had a moment of relief. 67 00:03:36,449 --> 00:03:38,985 But Marion's relief is short-lived. 68 00:03:39,085 --> 00:03:42,055 Sharon is just 100 yards away from safety 69 00:03:42,155 --> 00:03:44,357 when suddenly... 70 00:03:44,457 --> 00:03:47,894 a tornado forms directly behind her. 71 00:03:47,994 --> 00:03:50,697 Marion screams for her daughter to hurry, 72 00:03:50,797 --> 00:03:53,833 but it's too late. 73 00:03:53,933 --> 00:03:56,536 In an instant, the girl and her pony 74 00:03:56,636 --> 00:03:59,272 are sucked into the raging twister. 75 00:03:59,372 --> 00:04:01,741 It was an absolutely terrifying sight. 76 00:04:01,841 --> 00:04:04,411 Marion was completely in shock. 77 00:04:04,511 --> 00:04:07,247 The desperate mother watches as her daughter 78 00:04:07,347 --> 00:04:09,849 is swept into the swirling vortex. 79 00:04:09,949 --> 00:04:13,286 Then, the tornado continues to whirl away 80 00:04:13,386 --> 00:04:15,989 across the South Dakota prairie. 81 00:04:16,089 --> 00:04:18,925 Sharon jumps back into her car 82 00:04:19,025 --> 00:04:21,828 and races after the twister, not knowing how, 83 00:04:21,928 --> 00:04:24,764 or if, she can save her beloved child. 84 00:04:24,864 --> 00:04:27,634 The only thing that she could think to do was chase 85 00:04:27,734 --> 00:04:30,637 this tornado down-- she knew that Sharon was somewhere inside of there, 86 00:04:30,737 --> 00:04:34,307 and she was not going to lose sight of that storm. 87 00:04:37,944 --> 00:04:41,848 Marion chases the whirlwind for nearly a mile. 88 00:04:41,948 --> 00:04:45,552 Finally, she watches in terror as a blue speck 89 00:04:45,652 --> 00:04:48,822 is thrown from the tornado-- it's Sharon! 90 00:04:48,922 --> 00:04:51,791 The terrified mother jumps out of her car 91 00:04:51,891 --> 00:04:54,661 and watches as her daughter lands in a field. 92 00:04:54,761 --> 00:04:58,631 She races over to find the girl lying face-down in the dirt, 93 00:04:58,732 --> 00:05:02,035 her jacket wrapped around her head. 94 00:05:02,135 --> 00:05:04,337 She feared the absolute worst. 95 00:05:04,437 --> 00:05:07,140 Marion carefully removes the jacket, 96 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,710 and thankfully, Sharon's eyes flutter open. 97 00:05:13,179 --> 00:05:15,582 Sharon lifts her head and looks around in a daze 98 00:05:15,682 --> 00:05:18,051 and asks, "Mother, what happened?" 99 00:05:18,151 --> 00:05:20,887 Sharon's hands are heavily bruised, 100 00:05:20,987 --> 00:05:24,190 but she's otherwise unharmed, and she's not 101 00:05:24,290 --> 00:05:26,526 the only one to have survived. 102 00:05:26,626 --> 00:05:28,928 Their pony has also weathered the storm 103 00:05:29,029 --> 00:05:31,398 with nothing more than a broken hoof. 104 00:05:31,498 --> 00:05:35,201 Marion felt unbelievable relief in that moment. 105 00:05:35,301 --> 00:05:38,972 Tornadoes are known for their destructive power, 106 00:05:39,072 --> 00:05:41,641 and very few people that have been sucked into one 107 00:05:41,741 --> 00:05:43,910 live to tell about it. 108 00:05:47,180 --> 00:05:49,916 A local newspaper reports on Sharon Weron's 109 00:05:50,016 --> 00:05:52,252 amazing experience. 110 00:05:52,352 --> 00:05:54,954 She comes to be known in the area as a real-life 111 00:05:55,055 --> 00:05:57,490 Dorothy Gale, the lead character 112 00:05:57,590 --> 00:06:00,760 from the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz , 113 00:06:00,860 --> 00:06:03,797 but one question remains-- 114 00:06:03,897 --> 00:06:06,366 how was she able to survive 115 00:06:06,466 --> 00:06:09,069 being swept up in a tornado? 116 00:06:09,169 --> 00:06:12,572 Some chalk Sharon's survival up to pure chance. 117 00:06:12,672 --> 00:06:15,809 It seemed like quite a bit of good luck 118 00:06:15,909 --> 00:06:18,278 is what helped save Sharon's life. 119 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:23,850 Others, however, have suggested that it was 120 00:06:23,950 --> 00:06:26,553 the horse that saved her. 121 00:06:26,653 --> 00:06:29,756 According to this theory, when Sharon and her horse 122 00:06:29,856 --> 00:06:32,392 were sucked into the vortex together, 123 00:06:32,492 --> 00:06:35,829 the size of the large animal protected the much smaller girl, 124 00:06:35,929 --> 00:06:39,199 insulating her from the fast-moving debris. 125 00:06:39,299 --> 00:06:42,669 Scientists believe that no one person could survive 126 00:06:42,769 --> 00:06:45,872 this type of ordeal, but when two are taken in 127 00:06:45,972 --> 00:06:48,641 at the same time, they provide a protective shield. 128 00:06:48,742 --> 00:06:50,977 The story goes down as one of the most 129 00:06:51,077 --> 00:06:54,014 extraordinary escapes in history. 130 00:06:54,114 --> 00:06:57,917 As the years go by, developments in 131 00:06:58,018 --> 00:07:01,187 meteorological technology supersede the radiosonde, 132 00:07:01,287 --> 00:07:04,858 giving those living in the path of tornados 133 00:07:04,958 --> 00:07:08,361 more and more advanced warning of upcoming storms. 134 00:07:08,461 --> 00:07:11,664 Today, weather forecasters predict the arrival 135 00:07:11,765 --> 00:07:15,101 of a tornado as much as 13 minutes ahead of time. 136 00:07:15,201 --> 00:07:18,505 With the help of technology like Doppler radar, 137 00:07:18,605 --> 00:07:21,875 we now have an idea of when a tornado is going to occur. 138 00:07:24,878 --> 00:07:26,946 And this radiosonde is on display 139 00:07:27,047 --> 00:07:29,482 at the National Weather Museum & Science Center 140 00:07:29,582 --> 00:07:31,518 in Norman, Oklahoma. 141 00:07:31,618 --> 00:07:34,554 It recalls the real-life Dorothy who was almost 142 00:07:34,654 --> 00:07:37,290 swept over the rainbow. 143 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,729 California's Pacific Coast Highway 144 00:07:42,829 --> 00:07:45,565 is one of the most scenic driving routes in the world. 145 00:07:45,665 --> 00:07:48,234 At 790 miles long, 146 00:07:48,335 --> 00:07:51,204 it offers views of such breathtaking shorelines 147 00:07:51,304 --> 00:07:54,474 as Monterey Bay, Big Sur, 148 00:07:54,574 --> 00:07:57,177 and Point Mugu State Park. 149 00:07:57,277 --> 00:07:59,846 And along this historic motorway, 150 00:07:59,946 --> 00:08:03,016 in the picturesque community of La Jolla 151 00:08:03,116 --> 00:08:06,653 is the nation's preeminent marine research facility-- 152 00:08:06,753 --> 00:08:09,889 the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. 153 00:08:12,959 --> 00:08:16,463 The collection includes a cusk-eel, 154 00:08:16,563 --> 00:08:19,966 which lives two miles beneath the ocean's surface, 155 00:08:20,066 --> 00:08:23,269 a rare deep sea predator called a goblin shark, 156 00:08:23,370 --> 00:08:26,906 and an endangered prehistoric fish 157 00:08:27,007 --> 00:08:30,810 known as a coelacanth. 158 00:08:30,910 --> 00:08:34,381 But among these extraordinary creatures of the deep 159 00:08:34,481 --> 00:08:38,485 is a tiny specimen with the strangest story to tell. 160 00:08:38,585 --> 00:08:41,588 The artifact is about 7 and 1/2 inches long, 161 00:08:41,688 --> 00:08:44,224 and it weighs about 1/4 of a pound. 162 00:08:44,324 --> 00:08:46,059 It is brownish-yellow. 163 00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:48,561 It was preserved in a glass jar 164 00:08:48,661 --> 00:08:51,664 with a white plastic lid. 165 00:08:51,765 --> 00:08:55,535 This organism played a starring role 166 00:08:55,635 --> 00:08:58,338 in an underwater enigma that bamboozled 167 00:08:58,438 --> 00:09:00,607 the world of science. 168 00:09:00,707 --> 00:09:03,543 This is a story of passion, discovery, 169 00:09:03,643 --> 00:09:06,346 and unexplored mysteries of the deep ocean. 170 00:09:10,950 --> 00:09:14,320 Japan, 2012. 171 00:09:14,421 --> 00:09:18,024 Yoji Okata is an avid scuba diver 172 00:09:18,124 --> 00:09:20,860 and successful underwater photographer. 173 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,130 Yoji was an adventurous person with a passion 174 00:09:24,230 --> 00:09:26,533 for the natural world. 175 00:09:28,568 --> 00:09:29,969 One day in September, 176 00:09:30,070 --> 00:09:32,372 Yoji is diving off the southern coast of Japan 177 00:09:32,472 --> 00:09:36,643 when he sees something unusual on the seabed. 178 00:09:39,779 --> 00:09:41,514 Etched into the sand below him 179 00:09:41,614 --> 00:09:43,850 is an intricate design. 180 00:09:43,950 --> 00:09:47,287 Yoji observed a strange, circular pattern 181 00:09:47,387 --> 00:09:51,257 about six feet wide with sort of sand ridges and hills 182 00:09:51,358 --> 00:09:53,593 throughout the circle. 183 00:09:53,693 --> 00:09:56,363 In his years of underwater photography, 184 00:09:56,463 --> 00:09:59,432 Yoji had never seen anything like this. 185 00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:03,970 The pattern seems too perfect to have 186 00:10:04,070 --> 00:10:06,439 any natural explanation. 187 00:10:06,539 --> 00:10:10,610 It absolutely did not look natural in any way, shape, or form. 188 00:10:10,710 --> 00:10:13,179 He was determined to try and figure out 189 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:16,616 what actually was the cause of these underwater circles. 190 00:10:19,686 --> 00:10:22,288 Later, when he examines his photos, 191 00:10:22,389 --> 00:10:25,692 Yoji discovers that he is not the first 192 00:10:25,792 --> 00:10:28,828 to come across these complex underwater designs. 193 00:10:28,928 --> 00:10:32,866 These undersea circles were first documented by divers 194 00:10:32,966 --> 00:10:35,969 in the Pacific Ocean in 1995, 195 00:10:36,069 --> 00:10:39,472 but since then, their origin has remained a mystery. 196 00:10:39,572 --> 00:10:43,877 Some speculate that they're made by ocean currents 197 00:10:43,977 --> 00:10:46,680 forming patterns in the seabed. 198 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:50,383 But this made no sense to anyone that understood physics of water. 199 00:10:50,483 --> 00:10:54,721 Sand ripples ought to occur in a typical linear fashion. 200 00:10:54,821 --> 00:10:57,457 This was a circle. 201 00:10:59,759 --> 00:11:01,961 Others believe the designs are merely a hoax 202 00:11:02,062 --> 00:11:04,698 created by mischievous divers, 203 00:11:04,798 --> 00:11:07,600 but this hypothesis doesn't hold water, either, 204 00:11:07,701 --> 00:11:10,637 as the circles have been found across a wide swath 205 00:11:10,737 --> 00:11:13,139 of the Pacific Ocean. 206 00:11:13,239 --> 00:11:15,608 No single diver or group of divers could possibly 207 00:11:15,709 --> 00:11:17,944 have made all of these strange formations 208 00:11:18,044 --> 00:11:21,381 on the bottom of the ocean in all of these different places. 209 00:11:23,883 --> 00:11:26,619 With no obvious explanation at hand, 210 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,756 some note that these strange patterns on the seabed 211 00:11:29,856 --> 00:11:32,859 bear a striking resemblance to another bizarre, 212 00:11:32,959 --> 00:11:35,195 land-based phenomenon-- 213 00:11:35,295 --> 00:11:37,831 crop circles. 214 00:11:37,931 --> 00:11:40,266 In the 1970s and '80s, 215 00:11:40,367 --> 00:11:44,070 large, unexplained circular patterns began appearing 216 00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:46,873 in corn fields in the United States and Europe, 217 00:11:46,973 --> 00:11:49,676 leading many to suggest that the crop circles 218 00:11:49,776 --> 00:11:52,479 were the work of extraterrestrials. 219 00:11:52,579 --> 00:11:54,814 And if that theory is correct, 220 00:11:54,914 --> 00:11:57,851 then perhaps who, or whatever, made the crop circles 221 00:11:57,951 --> 00:12:01,688 also created these intricate patterns on the ocean floor. 222 00:12:05,058 --> 00:12:07,594 But none of these theories satisfy Yoji. 223 00:12:07,694 --> 00:12:10,497 Yoji did not feel that any of those explanations 224 00:12:10,597 --> 00:12:14,300 were rational, but he wanted to know 225 00:12:14,401 --> 00:12:17,771 what was causing these unusual, crop-like 226 00:12:17,871 --> 00:12:20,607 circular formations in the sand. 227 00:12:20,707 --> 00:12:22,709 So what's really behind 228 00:12:22,809 --> 00:12:25,445 these curious deep sea creations? 229 00:12:31,251 --> 00:12:33,920 Underwater photographer, Yoji Okata, 230 00:12:34,020 --> 00:12:36,823 has discovered something unusual while diving 231 00:12:36,923 --> 00:12:40,226 off the coast of Japan-- large, intricate patterns 232 00:12:40,326 --> 00:12:43,129 etched into the sand on the ocean floor. 233 00:12:43,229 --> 00:12:45,699 So what or who is responsible 234 00:12:45,799 --> 00:12:47,734 for these deep sea designs? 235 00:12:50,937 --> 00:12:53,206 To crack the enigma, Yoji Okata 236 00:12:53,306 --> 00:12:55,942 returns to the deep, along with an investigative 237 00:12:56,042 --> 00:12:57,711 team of divers. 238 00:12:59,979 --> 00:13:01,981 After days of searching, they find 239 00:13:02,082 --> 00:13:04,684 another ornate circular design. 240 00:13:04,784 --> 00:13:07,687 It's then that the divers see something moving 241 00:13:07,787 --> 00:13:09,923 in the middle of the circle-- 242 00:13:12,425 --> 00:13:14,928 a tiny fish. 243 00:13:15,028 --> 00:13:18,631 The divers observe the small pufferfish flapping 244 00:13:18,732 --> 00:13:21,568 its fins frantically as it swam back and forth. 245 00:13:21,668 --> 00:13:24,204 The team watches 246 00:13:24,304 --> 00:13:27,173 as the fish uses its fins to create 247 00:13:27,273 --> 00:13:30,143 a circular pattern on the ocean floor. 248 00:13:30,243 --> 00:13:33,246 It didn't take long for the divers to recognize 249 00:13:33,346 --> 00:13:35,882 that the artist of these strange sand formations 250 00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:38,351 was, in fact, a small pufferfish. 251 00:13:38,451 --> 00:13:41,488 The creature is identified as a member of 252 00:13:41,588 --> 00:13:45,191 a newly discovered species called the white spotted pufferfish. 253 00:13:48,895 --> 00:13:50,797 But the question remains-- 254 00:13:50,897 --> 00:13:53,033 why do they make these intricate patterns? 255 00:13:53,133 --> 00:13:55,702 After careful observation, 256 00:13:55,802 --> 00:13:58,238 scientists conclude that the work is done 257 00:13:58,338 --> 00:14:02,275 by the male of the species as an elaborate courtship ritual. 258 00:14:04,711 --> 00:14:07,013 The sand formations attracted females, 259 00:14:07,113 --> 00:14:09,115 who swam down the grooves, 260 00:14:09,215 --> 00:14:12,085 where the male was waiting-- the females deposited 261 00:14:12,185 --> 00:14:14,421 their eggs, and the male fertilized them, 262 00:14:14,521 --> 00:14:17,057 and then the male protected those eggs until they hatched. 263 00:14:20,427 --> 00:14:22,796 Yoji Okata and his team are the first to witness 264 00:14:22,896 --> 00:14:25,398 one of the most unusual mating rituals 265 00:14:25,498 --> 00:14:27,534 in the natural world. 266 00:14:27,634 --> 00:14:30,270 Yoji was elated that he finally had discovered 267 00:14:30,370 --> 00:14:33,873 the culprit, the artist, of these strange sand formations. 268 00:14:37,444 --> 00:14:40,413 Today, this pufferfish, like the one responsible 269 00:14:40,513 --> 00:14:43,817 for making these underwater creations, is on display 270 00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:46,519 at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 271 00:14:46,619 --> 00:14:48,888 in San Diego, California. 272 00:14:48,988 --> 00:14:51,424 It recalls a remarkable quest 273 00:14:51,524 --> 00:14:54,994 to reveal the puzzling patterns of ocean life. 274 00:14:59,232 --> 00:15:00,800 Berlin. 275 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:03,670 This German capital is home to such architectural gems 276 00:15:03,770 --> 00:15:06,339 as the Berlin Cathedral, 277 00:15:06,439 --> 00:15:09,409 the Bellevue Palace, 278 00:15:09,509 --> 00:15:12,479 and the Brandenburg Gate. 279 00:15:12,579 --> 00:15:15,148 But on the outskirts of town is a museum 280 00:15:15,248 --> 00:15:18,151 that recalls a dark chapter in the city's history-- 281 00:15:18,251 --> 00:15:21,955 the Allied Museum. 282 00:15:22,055 --> 00:15:25,959 Chronicling the military history of West Berlin 283 00:15:26,059 --> 00:15:28,762 during the Cold War, the exhibits include 284 00:15:28,862 --> 00:15:32,032 a jeep that once patrolled the streets, 285 00:15:32,132 --> 00:15:34,567 a helmet worn by a serviceman 286 00:15:34,668 --> 00:15:37,003 who guarded the border, 287 00:15:37,103 --> 00:15:39,606 and diffused bombs found in the aftermath 288 00:15:39,706 --> 00:15:42,342 of World War II. 289 00:15:42,442 --> 00:15:45,412 But standing on the grounds is an object 290 00:15:45,512 --> 00:15:48,415 that towers over this institution. 291 00:15:48,515 --> 00:15:51,184 This is absolutely enormous. 292 00:15:51,284 --> 00:15:54,054 It's 30 feet tall, 6 feet wide, 293 00:15:54,154 --> 00:15:56,523 and has a long, rectangular shape. 294 00:15:56,623 --> 00:15:59,059 The artifact's made from reinforced concrete 295 00:15:59,159 --> 00:16:01,227 and has long, iron railings on it. 296 00:16:03,463 --> 00:16:06,132 This is a lookout tower from Germany's Berlin Wall, 297 00:16:06,232 --> 00:16:10,170 and it recalls a daring scheme to unite two lovers 298 00:16:10,270 --> 00:16:12,605 divided by history. 299 00:16:12,706 --> 00:16:14,908 This is a story about love and the depths people 300 00:16:15,008 --> 00:16:16,743 will go to hold onto it. 301 00:16:20,580 --> 00:16:22,782 It's 1962. 302 00:16:22,882 --> 00:16:25,585 Berlin is a city split in two. 303 00:16:25,685 --> 00:16:29,322 The western half is governed by West Germany, 304 00:16:29,422 --> 00:16:32,325 a democratic republic, but the eastern part 305 00:16:32,425 --> 00:16:35,495 and the surrounding territory, is under the Communist rule 306 00:16:35,595 --> 00:16:37,630 of East Germany. 307 00:16:37,731 --> 00:16:40,700 East Berlin was almost like a huge prison. 308 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,470 These people are not just suffering economically, 309 00:16:43,570 --> 00:16:46,272 they've lost freedoms that they used to enjoy. 310 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:52,178 Those living under the harsh yoke of Communism 311 00:16:52,278 --> 00:16:54,581 are forbidden from leaving. 312 00:16:54,681 --> 00:16:58,585 The division has torn families apart and separated lovers. 313 00:16:58,685 --> 00:17:00,787 One such couple 314 00:17:00,887 --> 00:17:03,723 is 22-year-old engineering student, Joachim Neumann, 315 00:17:03,823 --> 00:17:06,259 and his girlfriend, Christa Gruhle. 316 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,263 While Joachim had escaped to West Berlin a year earlier, 317 00:17:10,363 --> 00:17:12,832 Christa was not so lucky. 318 00:17:12,932 --> 00:17:16,503 Now Joachim resolves to bring his girlfriend to the West, 319 00:17:16,603 --> 00:17:19,773 but it won't be easy. 320 00:17:19,873 --> 00:17:23,309 Standing between them is the world's most imposing barrier-- 321 00:17:23,410 --> 00:17:26,212 the Berlin Wall. 322 00:17:26,312 --> 00:17:28,848 The Berlin Wall was erected as a way 323 00:17:28,948 --> 00:17:31,251 to stop the people escaping. 324 00:17:33,653 --> 00:17:36,156 The wall stands 12 feet tall, 325 00:17:36,256 --> 00:17:38,491 completely encircles West Berlin, 326 00:17:38,591 --> 00:17:42,595 and is patrolled 24 hours a day by armed guards in towers, 327 00:17:42,696 --> 00:17:45,331 like this one on display 328 00:17:45,432 --> 00:17:47,701 at the Allied Museum. 329 00:17:49,703 --> 00:17:52,539 Trying to climb over the wall would be suicidal, 330 00:17:52,639 --> 00:17:55,408 so Joachim hatches a cunning plan. 331 00:17:55,508 --> 00:17:58,211 He'll dig a tunnel beneath it. 332 00:17:58,311 --> 00:18:01,548 Others have tried and failed to go under the wall, 333 00:18:01,648 --> 00:18:05,552 but the lovestruck student is undeterred. 334 00:18:05,652 --> 00:18:09,222 This was gonna take everything he had in him. 335 00:18:11,324 --> 00:18:14,327 Joachim recruits a team of fellow engineering students 336 00:18:14,427 --> 00:18:16,830 to help with the dig. 337 00:18:16,930 --> 00:18:20,100 For months, they burrow a passageway beneath the wall. 338 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,737 Finally, in February 1963, 339 00:18:23,837 --> 00:18:25,805 the tunnel is ready. 340 00:18:28,274 --> 00:18:31,044 But when they send word to their loved ones in East Berlin, 341 00:18:31,144 --> 00:18:33,380 something terrible happens. 342 00:18:35,615 --> 00:18:38,284 East Germany's secret police, the Stasi, 343 00:18:38,385 --> 00:18:41,254 intercept the messages and uncover their plot. 344 00:18:41,354 --> 00:18:45,425 The Stasi were alerted to the existence of the tunnel, 345 00:18:45,525 --> 00:18:47,927 and the whole plan is ruined. 346 00:18:48,028 --> 00:18:50,296 For her involvement in the scheme, 347 00:18:50,397 --> 00:18:53,033 Christa is arrested and sentenced to 16 months 348 00:18:53,133 --> 00:18:55,335 in an East German prison. 349 00:18:55,435 --> 00:18:58,071 So will this couple ever be reunited? 350 00:19:03,910 --> 00:19:06,713 It's 1963 in West Berlin. 351 00:19:06,813 --> 00:19:10,350 Engineering student Joachim Neumann is trying to rescue 352 00:19:10,450 --> 00:19:13,386 his girlfriend, Christa, from the Communist East. 353 00:19:13,486 --> 00:19:16,723 He has dug a tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall. 354 00:19:16,823 --> 00:19:19,793 But before he can save her, 355 00:19:19,893 --> 00:19:21,795 the plot is discovered, 356 00:19:21,895 --> 00:19:24,531 and Christa is thrown into an East German jail. 357 00:19:24,631 --> 00:19:27,534 So how will this couple be reunited? 358 00:19:31,438 --> 00:19:34,140 Undeterred, Joachim decides to dig another tunnel 359 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,110 while he waits for Christa to be release from prison. 360 00:19:37,210 --> 00:19:40,113 Since the old passageway's location is now known 361 00:19:40,213 --> 00:19:43,583 to the Stasi, the team looks for a new place to dig, 362 00:19:43,683 --> 00:19:46,319 and before long, they discover 363 00:19:46,419 --> 00:19:48,621 what seems to be an ideal spot-- 364 00:19:48,722 --> 00:19:52,258 an empty bakery just a few feet from the Berlin Wall 365 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,661 on the West side. 366 00:19:54,761 --> 00:19:56,796 The baker was abandoned, so it was the perfect place 367 00:19:56,896 --> 00:19:58,398 to hatch the plan. 368 00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:03,503 In April 1964, Joachim and his team 369 00:20:03,603 --> 00:20:06,239 start digging their tunnel in the bakery's basement. 370 00:20:06,339 --> 00:20:09,876 For five months, they inch their way 371 00:20:09,976 --> 00:20:12,379 underground to East Berlin. 372 00:20:14,581 --> 00:20:16,483 And this time, when the tunnel is ready, 373 00:20:16,583 --> 00:20:19,085 the team sends coded messages to their loved ones 374 00:20:19,185 --> 00:20:22,822 to keep their message hidden from the East German secret police. 375 00:20:22,922 --> 00:20:26,626 The Stasi were notorious for having some of the best spies in the world. 376 00:20:30,030 --> 00:20:33,933 On October 3, 1964, after darkness falls, 377 00:20:34,034 --> 00:20:37,437 Joachim's crew descends into the tunnel. 378 00:20:37,537 --> 00:20:41,641 If they fail this time, there will be no second chance. 379 00:20:41,741 --> 00:20:44,978 If Neumann is discovered, it's likely that he will be shot on sight. 380 00:20:45,078 --> 00:20:47,113 He doesn't know what's going to happen. 381 00:20:50,950 --> 00:20:52,852 After several minutes of crawling, 382 00:20:52,952 --> 00:20:56,189 Joachim emerges in East Berlin. 383 00:20:59,292 --> 00:21:01,528 Christa is there. 384 00:21:04,164 --> 00:21:06,166 The couple hurries back into the tunnel 385 00:21:06,266 --> 00:21:08,468 and crawls to freedom in West Berlin. 386 00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:13,340 He would've been utterly overwhelmed with emotion. 387 00:21:16,910 --> 00:21:19,346 Fifty-seven other East Berliners also escape 388 00:21:19,446 --> 00:21:22,816 before the passageway is discovered by the Stasi. 389 00:21:22,916 --> 00:21:25,752 It's the biggest escape in Berlin Wall's history. 390 00:21:28,855 --> 00:21:31,191 Joachim and Christa are eventually married. 391 00:21:31,291 --> 00:21:34,127 Joachim goes on to receive his engineering degree, 392 00:21:34,227 --> 00:21:36,229 and years later, 393 00:21:36,329 --> 00:21:39,966 he becomes famous for overseeing the construction of a different tunnel. 394 00:21:40,066 --> 00:21:43,136 This one goes under the English Channel, 395 00:21:43,236 --> 00:21:45,572 linking France and Great Britain-- 396 00:21:45,672 --> 00:21:48,575 the Chunnel. 397 00:21:48,675 --> 00:21:52,278 On November 9, 1989, 398 00:21:52,379 --> 00:21:55,515 the border between East and West Berlin is reopened, 399 00:21:55,615 --> 00:21:58,451 marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. 400 00:22:02,555 --> 00:22:04,791 Today, a watch tower from the Berlin Wall 401 00:22:04,891 --> 00:22:07,594 is on display at the Allied Museum in Berlin. 402 00:22:07,694 --> 00:22:11,931 It recalls the subterranean quest to reunite 403 00:22:12,032 --> 00:22:14,300 a pair of long-lost lovers. 404 00:22:17,737 --> 00:22:19,873 Independence, Missouri. 405 00:22:19,973 --> 00:22:22,509 This city, named for the Declaration of Independence, 406 00:22:22,609 --> 00:22:25,111 was the childhood home of Harry S. Truman, 407 00:22:25,211 --> 00:22:28,214 so it's no surprise that it's also home 408 00:22:28,314 --> 00:22:31,317 to an institution that celebrates the 33rd president-- 409 00:22:31,418 --> 00:22:35,155 the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum & Library. 410 00:22:38,725 --> 00:22:41,628 On display is the china used 411 00:22:41,728 --> 00:22:44,230 during Truman's state dinners, 412 00:22:44,330 --> 00:22:47,567 the gold seal of the President of the United States, 413 00:22:47,667 --> 00:22:51,304 designed by renowned French jeweler, Cartier, 414 00:22:51,404 --> 00:22:54,274 and a fireplace mantel 415 00:22:54,374 --> 00:22:56,209 from the White House that was removed 416 00:22:56,309 --> 00:22:58,745 during a renovation in 1952. 417 00:23:02,082 --> 00:23:04,284 But amid the grand décor 418 00:23:04,384 --> 00:23:07,587 is a small and seemingly insignificant volume. 419 00:23:07,687 --> 00:23:11,891 The artifact has a maroon cover inlaid with golden text. 420 00:23:11,991 --> 00:23:15,228 And written across the top are the words, 421 00:23:15,328 --> 00:23:17,364 "Freedom to Serve." 422 00:23:20,100 --> 00:23:22,369 This unassuming book recalls a horrific 423 00:23:22,469 --> 00:23:25,071 wartime disaster and a little-known hero's 424 00:23:25,171 --> 00:23:27,974 tireless fight against inequality. 425 00:23:28,074 --> 00:23:30,677 This is the story of bravery, 426 00:23:30,777 --> 00:23:32,912 solidarity, 427 00:23:33,013 --> 00:23:35,515 and the unwavering quest for justice. 428 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:42,322 It's 1944. 429 00:23:42,422 --> 00:23:44,924 Millions of American servicemen are fighting 430 00:23:45,025 --> 00:23:47,127 in the Second World War. 431 00:23:47,227 --> 00:23:50,430 Among them is 23-year-old Joe Small, 432 00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:53,733 a seaman first class at the Port Chicago naval base 433 00:23:53,833 --> 00:23:56,102 in Northern California. 434 00:23:56,202 --> 00:23:58,304 Joe Small was a natural born leader. 435 00:23:58,405 --> 00:24:01,007 He is somebody who comes from humble beginnings. 436 00:24:01,107 --> 00:24:03,643 He is interested in serving the nation. 437 00:24:06,946 --> 00:24:09,616 Small is a member of an African American unit 438 00:24:09,716 --> 00:24:12,786 assigned to a critical and dangerous task. 439 00:24:12,886 --> 00:24:16,289 The unit's job is to load explosive and ammunition 440 00:24:16,389 --> 00:24:19,025 onto the ships heading to the Pacific Theater. 441 00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:21,327 This is very dangerous work 442 00:24:21,428 --> 00:24:23,063 and really important work 443 00:24:23,163 --> 00:24:25,198 to support the war efforts for World War II. 444 00:24:28,501 --> 00:24:30,437 On the evening of July 17th, 445 00:24:30,537 --> 00:24:32,572 Small is resting in his bunk 446 00:24:32,672 --> 00:24:34,974 when suddenly 447 00:24:35,075 --> 00:24:38,478 he's rocked by the sound of a massive explosion. 448 00:24:38,578 --> 00:24:41,214 He runs out to the docks and discovers 449 00:24:41,314 --> 00:24:43,316 a horrific scene. 450 00:24:45,085 --> 00:24:47,087 Bodies, glass, and shrapnel 451 00:24:47,187 --> 00:24:49,322 litter the port, 452 00:24:49,422 --> 00:24:51,958 and fire rages from one of the docked ships. 453 00:24:52,058 --> 00:24:54,227 It's just mass hysteria. 454 00:24:54,327 --> 00:24:56,596 The explosion just completely wiped out anything 455 00:24:56,696 --> 00:24:58,631 that was surrounding the barracks. 456 00:24:58,732 --> 00:25:03,036 Initially, Small and the other personnel on the base 457 00:25:03,136 --> 00:25:05,605 believe they've been attacked by the Japanese. 458 00:25:10,410 --> 00:25:13,713 But after the fire is quelled, 459 00:25:13,813 --> 00:25:16,916 it becomes clear the explosion didn't come 460 00:25:17,017 --> 00:25:20,020 from enemy bombs-- it seems that in the rush 461 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:22,322 to load ammunition onto a ship, 462 00:25:22,422 --> 00:25:25,291 a case was somehow mishandled and dropped, 463 00:25:25,392 --> 00:25:27,927 causing it to explode. 464 00:25:28,028 --> 00:25:31,231 It triggered a chain reaction that ignited all the artillery 465 00:25:31,331 --> 00:25:33,733 in the ships and on the dock. 466 00:25:33,833 --> 00:25:37,771 The tragedy killed 320 servicemen. 467 00:25:37,871 --> 00:25:40,707 This was the deadliest war-related disaster 468 00:25:40,807 --> 00:25:43,009 on American soil. 469 00:25:46,312 --> 00:25:50,016 The Navy claims the explosion was an unavoidable accident, 470 00:25:50,116 --> 00:25:52,152 but Small disagrees. 471 00:25:52,252 --> 00:25:55,021 He believes it could've been prevented. 472 00:25:55,121 --> 00:25:58,358 At the time, the Navy is segregated. 473 00:25:58,458 --> 00:26:01,594 Most of the victims were African American servicemen, 474 00:26:01,695 --> 00:26:04,664 and many African American units do not receive 475 00:26:04,764 --> 00:26:07,033 the same level of training and instruction 476 00:26:07,133 --> 00:26:09,969 as their non-African American counterparts. 477 00:26:10,070 --> 00:26:12,372 Joe Small really wanted to be given proper training. 478 00:26:12,472 --> 00:26:14,874 They're working under some really harsh conditions. 479 00:26:17,844 --> 00:26:20,213 Small vows to do whatever it takes 480 00:26:20,313 --> 00:26:22,816 to avoid another catastrophe, 481 00:26:22,916 --> 00:26:25,418 so he approaches his superiors and asks 482 00:26:25,518 --> 00:26:28,355 for his unit to receive the correct level of training, 483 00:26:28,455 --> 00:26:31,257 but the military brass refuses. 484 00:26:31,358 --> 00:26:34,060 The gentlemen are put back to work on another ship dock 485 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,029 without having training. 486 00:26:36,129 --> 00:26:39,432 Joe Small decided this had all gone way too far. 487 00:26:39,532 --> 00:26:43,069 What will this determined serviceman do? 488 00:26:49,609 --> 00:26:53,179 It's 1944, Northern California. 489 00:26:53,279 --> 00:26:56,182 An explosion at the Port Chicago naval base 490 00:26:56,282 --> 00:26:59,519 has tragically taken the lives of hundreds of servicemen. 491 00:26:59,619 --> 00:27:01,888 The underlying cause of the blast-- 492 00:27:01,988 --> 00:27:04,958 inadequate safety training-- but now, a sailor 493 00:27:05,058 --> 00:27:07,827 named Joe Small is about to change everything. 494 00:27:10,964 --> 00:27:14,868 Undeterred, Small organizes 50 of his fellow sailors 495 00:27:14,968 --> 00:27:17,871 in an attempt to get proper training for the unit, 496 00:27:17,971 --> 00:27:20,807 and on August 9th, they go on strike. 497 00:27:20,907 --> 00:27:24,144 Joe Small and his comrades had everything to lose. 498 00:27:24,244 --> 00:27:27,480 Naval officials consider this to be a mutiny. 499 00:27:27,580 --> 00:27:30,884 The men are immediately arrested... 500 00:27:33,553 --> 00:27:36,256 but their story is soon picked up by the press. 501 00:27:36,356 --> 00:27:40,093 Small and his men are dubbed the Port Chicago 50. 502 00:27:40,193 --> 00:27:44,264 Reports of the tragedy and dangerous work conditions 503 00:27:44,364 --> 00:27:46,900 horrify the public. 504 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,968 The navy likely didn't expect it, 505 00:27:49,069 --> 00:27:50,937 but there's a public outcry. 506 00:27:53,573 --> 00:27:55,508 As public pressure mounts, 507 00:27:55,608 --> 00:27:58,611 the navy releases Small and his fellow sailors, 508 00:27:58,712 --> 00:28:01,981 and officials agree to revisit their training policies. 509 00:28:02,082 --> 00:28:04,784 They begin to rethink labor conditions, 510 00:28:04,884 --> 00:28:07,787 and this really spurs a large movement in naval history. 511 00:28:07,887 --> 00:28:11,758 In February 1946, 512 00:28:11,858 --> 00:28:14,761 less than two years after the Port Chicago disaster, 513 00:28:14,861 --> 00:28:18,965 the navy becomes the first branch of the military to desegregate. 514 00:28:19,065 --> 00:28:22,135 Then, in 1948, 515 00:28:22,235 --> 00:28:25,605 President Harry S. Truman signs an executive order 516 00:28:25,705 --> 00:28:29,409 that officially ends segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces. 517 00:28:29,509 --> 00:28:33,580 The Port Chicago 50 can be looked at as a foundation 518 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,882 for the early Civil Rights Movement. 519 00:28:39,152 --> 00:28:41,154 Today, a report on the integration 520 00:28:41,254 --> 00:28:43,490 of the Armed Forces is on display 521 00:28:43,590 --> 00:28:46,292 at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum & Library 522 00:28:46,393 --> 00:28:48,595 in Independence, Missouri. 523 00:28:48,695 --> 00:28:51,231 It's a small reminder of the bold sailors 524 00:28:51,331 --> 00:28:53,933 who proudly served their country. 525 00:28:57,704 --> 00:29:01,608 The treacherous waters off North Carolina's Hatteras Island 526 00:29:01,708 --> 00:29:04,144 have caused countless shipwrecks, 527 00:29:04,244 --> 00:29:07,947 earning it an ominous moniker-- the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 528 00:29:08,048 --> 00:29:11,718 So it's only fitting that this island community is home 529 00:29:11,818 --> 00:29:15,355 to an establishment dedicated to this nautical nightmare, 530 00:29:15,455 --> 00:29:18,692 the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. 531 00:29:22,195 --> 00:29:24,097 The collection includes 532 00:29:24,197 --> 00:29:26,599 the original 1854 glass lens 533 00:29:26,700 --> 00:29:29,169 from the tallest lighthouse in the U.S., 534 00:29:29,269 --> 00:29:32,138 a bell from an American lightship that was sunk 535 00:29:32,238 --> 00:29:34,541 during the first World War, 536 00:29:34,641 --> 00:29:37,877 and an enigma machine used for sending coded messages 537 00:29:37,977 --> 00:29:40,747 that was salvaged from a German U-boat. 538 00:29:43,750 --> 00:29:46,619 But in the midst of these time-worn artifacts, 539 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,689 is a pristine piece of fine art. 540 00:29:49,789 --> 00:29:53,059 The object is made of a reinforced oak panel. 541 00:29:53,159 --> 00:29:55,628 It has a brown background 542 00:29:55,729 --> 00:29:58,631 and portrays a young woman dressed 543 00:29:58,732 --> 00:30:01,101 in a very fine white dress. 544 00:30:04,270 --> 00:30:06,373 This portrait played a key role 545 00:30:06,473 --> 00:30:09,609 in unlocking a centuries-old missing persons case. 546 00:30:09,709 --> 00:30:12,445 This is the story of the bonds of family, 547 00:30:12,545 --> 00:30:14,581 a mysterious disappearance, 548 00:30:14,681 --> 00:30:17,050 and an unexpected discovery. 549 00:30:22,722 --> 00:30:25,925 Early January 1813, New York City. 550 00:30:26,026 --> 00:30:28,661 Aaron Burr is a former vice president 551 00:30:28,762 --> 00:30:31,631 whose political career ended in scandal. 552 00:30:31,731 --> 00:30:34,200 Aaron Burr served under President Jefferson 553 00:30:34,300 --> 00:30:37,337 and was best remembered, unfortunately, 554 00:30:37,437 --> 00:30:41,574 for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804. 555 00:30:45,145 --> 00:30:47,313 But the disgraced politician is also 556 00:30:47,414 --> 00:30:49,916 a devoted family man, and the apple of his eye 557 00:30:50,016 --> 00:30:53,153 is his 29-year-old daughter, Theodosia. 558 00:30:53,253 --> 00:30:56,790 The relationship between Theodosia and her father was extremely close. 559 00:30:56,890 --> 00:30:59,459 Burr's beloved daughter is en route 560 00:30:59,559 --> 00:31:01,895 to see him for a visit-- she's traveling 561 00:31:01,995 --> 00:31:05,165 from Charleston, South Carolina, on board a passenger schooner 562 00:31:05,265 --> 00:31:07,567 named the Patriot . 563 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:11,571 He anxiously awaits her arrival on the docks. 564 00:31:11,671 --> 00:31:14,908 But as the hours tick by, 565 00:31:15,008 --> 00:31:17,811 the Patriot fails to arrive, 566 00:31:17,911 --> 00:31:20,313 and Burr and others in New York 567 00:31:20,413 --> 00:31:22,649 begin to get nervous. 568 00:31:22,749 --> 00:31:25,485 They started saying, okay, well, it should've been here by now. 569 00:31:25,585 --> 00:31:29,255 The next day, Burr returns to the dock, 570 00:31:29,356 --> 00:31:32,359 but there's still no news of the ship. 571 00:31:35,495 --> 00:31:39,299 As the days pass, Burr becomes increasingly frantic. 572 00:31:39,399 --> 00:31:42,969 Burr immediately sent agents out to investigate. 573 00:31:43,069 --> 00:31:45,972 They came back and reported nothing. 574 00:31:49,642 --> 00:31:51,711 Speculation about the fate of the Patriot 575 00:31:51,811 --> 00:31:53,980 runs rampant. 576 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,916 With the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain 577 00:31:57,017 --> 00:31:59,919 still underway, some people believe the Patriot 578 00:32:00,020 --> 00:32:03,523 may have been secretly sunk by a British warship, 579 00:32:03,623 --> 00:32:06,159 but others theorize that 580 00:32:06,259 --> 00:32:08,895 there's a much simpler explanation-- 581 00:32:08,995 --> 00:32:11,698 the ship was hit by a storm and sank, 582 00:32:11,798 --> 00:32:14,367 taking everyone on board down with it. 583 00:32:14,467 --> 00:32:17,303 There are no definitive answers to exactly what happened. 584 00:32:19,906 --> 00:32:22,208 The disappearance of his beloved Theodosia 585 00:32:22,308 --> 00:32:24,978 leaves Aaron Burr stricken with grief. 586 00:32:25,078 --> 00:32:28,314 Burr dies in 1836, 587 00:32:28,415 --> 00:32:31,551 never knowing what happened to his daughter. 588 00:32:31,651 --> 00:32:36,322 So what really befell the passengers of the Patriot ? 589 00:32:42,962 --> 00:32:45,899 In 1813, a schooner called the Patriot 590 00:32:45,999 --> 00:32:48,268 was en route from Charleston to New York 591 00:32:48,368 --> 00:32:50,603 when it vanished without a trace. 592 00:32:50,704 --> 00:32:54,174 On board was well-heeled socialite Theodosia Burr, 593 00:32:54,274 --> 00:32:57,911 the daughter of former Vice President Aaron Burr. 594 00:32:58,011 --> 00:33:00,780 So what really happened to the missing ship? 595 00:33:03,950 --> 00:33:06,920 1869, North Carolina. 596 00:33:07,020 --> 00:33:09,923 Nearly six decades after the disappearance of the Patriot , 597 00:33:10,023 --> 00:33:13,193 a doctor named William Pool 598 00:33:13,293 --> 00:33:16,363 is on vacation in the town of Nags Head. 599 00:33:16,463 --> 00:33:18,932 One day, he's summoned to the home of 600 00:33:19,032 --> 00:33:22,002 an ailing local woman named Mrs. Polly Mann. 601 00:33:22,102 --> 00:33:25,238 As he tends to the woman in her modest house, 602 00:33:25,338 --> 00:33:28,341 he's struck by a large and elegant oil painting. 603 00:33:28,441 --> 00:33:31,177 He notices 604 00:33:31,277 --> 00:33:33,446 this portrait on the wall, 605 00:33:33,546 --> 00:33:35,715 which is clearly out of place. 606 00:33:35,815 --> 00:33:38,785 Mrs. Mann explains that her late husband 607 00:33:38,885 --> 00:33:41,888 scavenged the painting over 50 years earlier 608 00:33:41,988 --> 00:33:44,257 from an abandoned ship that washed up 609 00:33:44,357 --> 00:33:46,993 along the shore of the Outer Banks. 610 00:33:47,093 --> 00:33:49,329 Dr. Pool is astounded. 611 00:33:49,429 --> 00:33:53,033 He wonders if the ship could be the infamous, long-lost schooner, 612 00:33:53,133 --> 00:33:55,235 the Patriot . 613 00:33:55,335 --> 00:33:58,371 He immediately recognized the significance of 614 00:33:58,471 --> 00:34:00,774 the portrait that he saw. 615 00:34:02,942 --> 00:34:05,612 The woman in the portrait bears a striking similarity 616 00:34:05,712 --> 00:34:08,081 to the schooner's most famous passenger-- 617 00:34:08,181 --> 00:34:10,350 Theodosia Burr. 618 00:34:10,450 --> 00:34:13,687 Everything seemed to fit-- all the timelines came together. 619 00:34:13,787 --> 00:34:17,257 So the doctor makes an unusual offer-- 620 00:34:17,357 --> 00:34:20,660 he'll waive his fees in exchange for the painting, 621 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,763 and the cash-strapped Mrs. Mann agrees. 622 00:34:27,233 --> 00:34:29,736 Dr. Pool decides that he will make it his mission 623 00:34:29,836 --> 00:34:32,372 to prove his theory that the painting came 624 00:34:32,472 --> 00:34:34,708 from the shipwrecked Patriot . 625 00:34:34,808 --> 00:34:37,777 He just became obsessed with trying to find out 626 00:34:37,877 --> 00:34:39,446 if he was right. 627 00:34:39,546 --> 00:34:42,082 He reaches out to surviving members of Burr's family 628 00:34:42,182 --> 00:34:44,651 to see if they recognize the woman in the portrait. 629 00:34:44,751 --> 00:34:46,853 Sure enough, they do. 630 00:34:46,953 --> 00:34:49,622 They recognized that there was a strong resemblance 631 00:34:49,723 --> 00:34:52,459 to pictures they had of Theodosia. 632 00:34:52,559 --> 00:34:54,594 But a question remains-- 633 00:34:54,694 --> 00:34:56,996 what happened to Theodosia and the other passengers 634 00:34:57,097 --> 00:34:59,099 aboard the Patriot ? 635 00:34:59,199 --> 00:35:02,068 The answer seems to come 636 00:35:02,168 --> 00:35:05,905 in 1880 when an intriguing newspaper article is published. 637 00:35:06,006 --> 00:35:09,576 In it is a death bed confession of a pirate 638 00:35:09,676 --> 00:35:11,811 named Old Frank Burdick. 639 00:35:11,911 --> 00:35:15,415 Burdick claims that he and a band of ruthless buccaneers 640 00:35:15,515 --> 00:35:18,218 hijacked the Patriot , looted the ship, 641 00:35:18,318 --> 00:35:20,587 and killed all the passengers. 642 00:35:23,223 --> 00:35:25,592 Mr. Burdick claimed that he had forced Theodosia 643 00:35:25,692 --> 00:35:27,660 to walk the plank. 644 00:35:27,761 --> 00:35:30,030 According to the article, when the pirates plundered 645 00:35:30,130 --> 00:35:32,799 the ship, they found little use for one item, 646 00:35:32,899 --> 00:35:35,101 which they left behind-- 647 00:35:35,201 --> 00:35:38,171 an oil portrait depicting a beautiful woman in white. 648 00:35:41,107 --> 00:35:43,410 So is the mystery of what happened to the Patriot 649 00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:45,879 finally solved? 650 00:35:45,979 --> 00:35:48,181 Many historians, including those 651 00:35:48,281 --> 00:35:50,650 at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, 652 00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:54,020 consider this version of events too outlandish to be true. 653 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:56,523 The Patriot was a small craft. 654 00:35:56,623 --> 00:35:58,992 If it gets caught in a very heavy storm, 655 00:35:59,092 --> 00:36:00,827 it is going to go down, 656 00:36:00,927 --> 00:36:03,029 and I think that's probably what happened. 657 00:36:06,533 --> 00:36:08,568 Today, a reproduction of the painting 658 00:36:08,668 --> 00:36:10,737 believed to depict Theodosia Burr 659 00:36:10,837 --> 00:36:14,207 is on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum 660 00:36:14,307 --> 00:36:16,576 in Hatteras, North Carolina. 661 00:36:16,676 --> 00:36:19,045 It recalls a famous dueler's daughter 662 00:36:19,145 --> 00:36:22,515 and the mystery of a ship that vanished forever. 663 00:36:27,587 --> 00:36:29,656 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is home 664 00:36:29,756 --> 00:36:32,592 to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, 665 00:36:32,692 --> 00:36:35,295 and the Betsy Ross House, 666 00:36:35,395 --> 00:36:38,498 so it's only fitting that the City of Brotherly Love 667 00:36:38,598 --> 00:36:41,668 is also home to a new institution dedicated 668 00:36:41,768 --> 00:36:44,170 to the nation's founding-- 669 00:36:44,270 --> 00:36:47,107 the Museum of the American Revolution. 670 00:36:49,909 --> 00:36:53,813 Its 118,000 square feet of exhibit space 671 00:36:53,913 --> 00:36:57,217 features a teapot made in 1766 672 00:36:57,317 --> 00:37:01,154 to celebrate the repeal of the unpopular Stamp Tax, 673 00:37:01,254 --> 00:37:03,556 a gunpowder horn 674 00:37:03,656 --> 00:37:06,292 used by an American rifleman, 675 00:37:06,393 --> 00:37:09,596 and a knife blade once owned by a continental soldier. 676 00:37:14,067 --> 00:37:16,936 And among these historic relics is a set of artifacts 677 00:37:17,037 --> 00:37:19,773 that's tied to the father of this country. 678 00:37:19,873 --> 00:37:23,710 These items are made from sterling silver. 679 00:37:23,810 --> 00:37:26,279 Each artifact 680 00:37:26,379 --> 00:37:28,448 is about four inches tall. 681 00:37:28,548 --> 00:37:31,351 The inscription on them connects them to 682 00:37:31,451 --> 00:37:33,586 the Revolutionary War. 683 00:37:33,687 --> 00:37:36,690 These cups recall a powerful leader 684 00:37:36,790 --> 00:37:39,359 who was saved by man's best friend. 685 00:37:39,459 --> 00:37:41,561 This is a story of General Washington, 686 00:37:41,661 --> 00:37:43,930 a little dog, and war. 687 00:37:46,733 --> 00:37:49,169 October 1777. 688 00:37:49,269 --> 00:37:51,004 Fire! Fire! 689 00:37:51,104 --> 00:37:53,873 More than a year after declaring independence, 690 00:37:53,973 --> 00:37:57,077 the rebellious Americans are struggling in their war 691 00:37:57,177 --> 00:37:59,145 against the British. 692 00:37:59,245 --> 00:38:01,281 Under the command of General William Howe, 693 00:38:01,381 --> 00:38:03,950 the Redcoats have captured the American capital, 694 00:38:04,050 --> 00:38:06,052 Philadelphia. 695 00:38:06,152 --> 00:38:08,288 Now General George Washington and his troops 696 00:38:08,388 --> 00:38:10,557 are retreating from the city. 697 00:38:10,657 --> 00:38:13,093 Defeat seems imminent. 698 00:38:13,193 --> 00:38:15,695 They were within hours or days 699 00:38:15,795 --> 00:38:18,998 of the entire revolution collapsing. 700 00:38:19,099 --> 00:38:22,202 With winter approaching, Washington knows 701 00:38:22,302 --> 00:38:24,871 his soldiers need to rest and regroup, 702 00:38:24,971 --> 00:38:27,807 so he wants to march his men more than 20 miles 703 00:38:27,907 --> 00:38:30,210 to an encampment at Valley Forge, 704 00:38:30,310 --> 00:38:32,979 but the trek is risky. 705 00:38:33,079 --> 00:38:36,816 Moving thousands of troops and an arsenal of heavy artillery 706 00:38:36,916 --> 00:38:39,052 will be slow going. 707 00:38:39,152 --> 00:38:41,221 The move will leave the Americans vulnerable 708 00:38:41,321 --> 00:38:43,256 if the British attack again. 709 00:38:43,356 --> 00:38:45,859 It might result in an enormous number 710 00:38:45,959 --> 00:38:47,994 of deaths, people being captured, 711 00:38:48,094 --> 00:38:50,430 so very high stakes. 712 00:38:50,530 --> 00:38:52,899 So what will Washington do? 713 00:38:59,072 --> 00:39:01,508 It's 1777. 714 00:39:01,608 --> 00:39:04,044 General George Washington's army is pinned down 715 00:39:04,144 --> 00:39:06,880 near Philadelphia-- if the Redcoats attack, 716 00:39:06,980 --> 00:39:09,215 they could deliver a crushing blow 717 00:39:09,315 --> 00:39:11,418 to the cause of American independence, 718 00:39:11,518 --> 00:39:13,319 but Washington is about to get help 719 00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:15,555 from an unlikely source. 720 00:39:17,257 --> 00:39:19,192 As the general considers his options, 721 00:39:19,292 --> 00:39:21,428 one of his soldiers notices something odd-- 722 00:39:21,528 --> 00:39:24,364 a small dog wandering around their camp. 723 00:39:27,767 --> 00:39:30,003 A closer inspection of the animal's collar 724 00:39:30,103 --> 00:39:32,505 reveals something extraordinary. 725 00:39:32,605 --> 00:39:35,742 The K9 belongs to Washington's counterpart, 726 00:39:35,842 --> 00:39:38,511 the commander of the British forces, 727 00:39:38,611 --> 00:39:41,047 General William Howe. 728 00:39:41,147 --> 00:39:43,416 So you've captured General Howe's dog-- 729 00:39:43,516 --> 00:39:45,352 what do you do? 730 00:39:48,288 --> 00:39:50,023 Washington believes the animal presents 731 00:39:50,123 --> 00:39:52,125 a unique opportunity. 732 00:39:52,225 --> 00:39:55,562 He suspects he can use the dog to gain critical intel 733 00:39:55,662 --> 00:39:57,831 on the state of Howe's troops 734 00:39:57,931 --> 00:40:01,468 and maybe even learn whether the British are about to attack. 735 00:40:01,568 --> 00:40:05,238 Washington is intently trying to gather information 736 00:40:05,338 --> 00:40:07,707 about his opponent, so every way 737 00:40:07,807 --> 00:40:10,410 of gathering intelligence was absolutely critical 738 00:40:10,510 --> 00:40:12,579 to the war effort. 739 00:40:14,848 --> 00:40:17,250 Washington dispatches one of his most trusted aides 740 00:40:17,350 --> 00:40:19,819 to return the dog to its master. 741 00:40:19,919 --> 00:40:22,822 The aide brings it to the British camp 742 00:40:22,922 --> 00:40:26,826 and delivers the animal to General Howe in person. 743 00:40:26,926 --> 00:40:29,829 The general is thrilled 744 00:40:29,929 --> 00:40:32,098 by the return of his beloved pup. 745 00:40:34,534 --> 00:40:36,236 But what Howe doesn't know 746 00:40:36,336 --> 00:40:38,371 is that the aide is gathering as much information 747 00:40:38,471 --> 00:40:40,840 as he can about the British forces. 748 00:40:40,940 --> 00:40:44,177 When the aide returns to Washington, 749 00:40:44,277 --> 00:40:47,147 he reports that Howe's army plans to set up 750 00:40:47,247 --> 00:40:49,749 winter quarters in Philadelphia. 751 00:40:49,849 --> 00:40:53,920 This means the British are not planning to attack again before springtime. 752 00:40:54,020 --> 00:40:56,856 General Howe was being cautious 753 00:40:56,956 --> 00:40:59,192 about overcommitting himself 754 00:40:59,292 --> 00:41:01,594 and possibly losing the campaign 755 00:41:01,695 --> 00:41:04,064 by pushing a little too hard. 756 00:41:04,164 --> 00:41:06,232 Armed with this intel, 757 00:41:06,332 --> 00:41:08,601 Washington leads a safe retreat to the winter encampment 758 00:41:08,702 --> 00:41:10,603 at Valley Forge, 759 00:41:10,704 --> 00:41:14,541 and Howe misses his chance to destroy the American forces. 760 00:41:14,641 --> 00:41:17,811 The following spring, rested and restored, 761 00:41:17,911 --> 00:41:20,547 Washington's men go on to win a series of victories 762 00:41:20,647 --> 00:41:23,516 that turn the tide of the Revolutionary War. 763 00:41:26,086 --> 00:41:28,988 Today, these camp cups, 764 00:41:29,089 --> 00:41:32,192 used by General Washington in his private battle tent 765 00:41:32,292 --> 00:41:34,994 in Valley Forge, are on display 766 00:41:35,095 --> 00:41:37,397 at the Museum of the American Revolution 767 00:41:37,497 --> 00:41:39,466 in Philadelphia. 768 00:41:39,566 --> 00:41:41,434 They're a testament to a Founding Father 769 00:41:41,534 --> 00:41:44,270 who was helped out by a four-legged friend. 770 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:49,242 From a shipwrecked socialite 771 00:41:49,342 --> 00:41:51,578 to a tunnel of love. 772 00:41:51,678 --> 00:41:53,747 A revolutionary dog 773 00:41:53,847 --> 00:41:56,182 to a South Dakota twister. 774 00:41:56,282 --> 00:41:59,586 I'm Don Wildman, and these are the mysteries at the museum.