1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. While it might define logic, oftentimes the surest 7 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: path to military victory is the least obvious one, and 8 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: sometimes that path isn't even on the battlefield. Knowing the 9 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: odds were stacked against the American colonies and the Revolutionary War, 10 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: George Washington and Benjamin Talmidge relied on another facet of 11 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: war to try to turn the odds in their favor, espionage. 12 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: In fact, they created an entire spiring. It may well 13 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: have won the war for them, and from seventeen seventy 14 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: eight to seventeen eighty this spir ring was instrumental in 15 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: keeping Americans in control of their own destiny, known as 16 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: the Culper Ring. This approach was so secret that George 17 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:17,199 Speaker 1: Washington himself ordered Talmadge to keep him in the dark 18 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: as to who the actual operatives were, all the better 19 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: to protect their identities. Of course, thanks to the Culper Codebook, 20 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: historians have since been able to decipher the messages that 21 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: were sent between various parties involving and keeping American intelligence 22 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 1: a few steps ahead of the British Army. It used 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: a numerical code system for common words, and once those 24 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: numbers were cracked, the story unfolded. For instance, seven to 25 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: seven referred to New York City, two to three meant gold, 26 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: and three five five meant lady. But three fifty five 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: may have meant much more than that. It may well 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: have referred to one specific lady, a lady who was 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: herself an American spy. It wouldn't be the first time 30 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: a woman had been overlooked by the enemy. Take, for instance, 31 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,559 Speaker 1: a major leak sprung by British Major John Andre while 32 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: speaking of an impending attack on the Americans. Andre didn't 33 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: think twice about speaking freely in front of a housewife 34 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: named Lydia Dara, who listened intently and then relay the 35 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: news to George Washington. Andrea interrogated everyone in the house 36 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: after the leak came to light, everyone that is, except Lydia. 37 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: After all, surely all women held the same beliefs as 38 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 1: their husbands right. The lady of the Culbra ring, though 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: this Agent three is still unknown to this day, but 40 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: it's believed that she was a member of a high 41 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: ranking loyalist family in New York City, a hotbed of 42 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: British activity during the war. There she would have had 43 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: access to all the chatter of British nobility in the colonies. 44 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: And that's when the biggest intelligence breakthrough of the war surfaced, 45 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: thanks largely to the efforts of three fifty five, ever 46 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,399 Speaker 1: overlooked in the company of her enemy, you see, will 47 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: reports right up with the British in the South. On 48 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: their return to New York City, the reports began coming 49 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: from an unnamed operative in the field. These reports claimed 50 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: that an American general was in cahoots with the British 51 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: and covering for Major John Andrea's comings and goings, and 52 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: the intelligence was clear about who that was. Benedict Arnold 53 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: was a traitor to the revolutionary cause, and this revelation 54 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: came by most accounts from Agent threeft. After all, most 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: other Culpra spies had already fled New York City by 56 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 1: that point, avoiding the heat from British counter intelligence. Yet 57 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: This breakthrough finding led to the arrest and execution of 58 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: Major John andre And, while Benedict Arnold escaped. The turning 59 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: point had well turned. In the aftermath of this massive 60 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: plot unraveling, the British began sweeping up anyone they even 61 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 1: remotely suspected. According to some reports, this may have included 62 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: Agent three fifty five, who was held aboard the prison 63 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: ship the HMS Jersey. There she gave birth to a 64 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: son and soon died amidst horrid conditions. Correspondence among the 65 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: Copra spy ring largely dried up after her death, leading 66 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: more credibility to the belief that it was the still 67 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,839 Speaker 1: anonymous Agent three who was at the heart of it all. 68 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: Robert Townsend, the head of the Culpa ring at the time, 69 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 1: fell into a depression. Rumor has it that he was 70 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: romantically involved with Agent three, although with all the secrecy 71 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: surrounding their group, it isn't likely that we could ever 72 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: prove that. Whatever the case, Agent three and her fellow 73 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: spies learned a valuable lesson during their service. You never 74 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: know what you might hear when people think no one 75 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: is listening, whether it's searching the ocean's depths, or climbing 76 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: the tallest mountains. There are certain individuals who feel an urge, 77 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: a hung to push themselves to the extreme. They aren't 78 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: satisfied behind a desk or standing on the sidelines. They 79 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: feel a calling to challenge what's possible by accomplishing the impossible. 80 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Perhaps none more than Donald Campbell. Campbell was born in Surrey, England, 81 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: on March twenty three, nineteen twenty one, to a speed 82 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: demon of a father, Sir Malcolm Campbell, had been a 83 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,119 Speaker 1: Grand Prix racer and speed record holder on both water 84 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: and land. It seems his son was destined to follow 85 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: in his footsteps. Instead, Donald tried to join the Air 86 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: Force at the start of World War Two, but was 87 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: denied entry due to about of rheumatic fever when he 88 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: was younger. Instead, he supported the war effort by working 89 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: as an engineer on military vehicles. After the war was over, 90 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: a New Year's Eve of nineteen forty eight, Campbell's life 91 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: took a drastic turn. His father suffered a series of 92 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: strokes and passed away unexpectedly. He was only sixty three 93 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: at the time, still relatively young, but he'd led a 94 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: much longer life than most others in his line of work. 95 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: After his father's death, Donald joined up with his father's 96 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: chief engineer, Leo Villa, and the two continued Sir Malcolm's 97 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: work in setting speed records on land and water. Campbell 98 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: started in nineteen forty nine by racing his father's old powerboat, 99 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: the Bluebird K four. The K four was a hydroplane 100 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: which would glide across the water once it reached top speeds, 101 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: and as American racers started beating his father's existing records, 102 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: Campbell knew that he'd have to make some changes if 103 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: he hoped to compete, So he modified the K for 104 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: to reduce drag on the water, and in nineteen fifty 105 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: one he managed to reach one hundred seventy miles per hour. 106 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: If only his success had lasted on one unfortunate attempt 107 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: to break the record, The Bluebird K four was destroyed, 108 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: and it wasn't long before another racer had moved the 109 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: record up again. Campbell now had to beat one hundred 110 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: seventy eight miles per hour. He and Leo got to 111 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: work on a new Bluebird, one made of metal and 112 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: powered by a jet engine. Dubbed the Case seven. His 113 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 1: new hydroplane proved to be a roaring success. Between nineteen 114 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: fifty five and nineteen sixty four, Campbell set a whopping 115 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: seven world records and reached speeds as high as two 116 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty six miles per hour. Now, he might 117 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: have had one eye on the water, but he also 118 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: had his other eye back on land. Several years earlier, 119 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: a racer named John Cobb had set a land speed 120 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: record of three hundred and ninety four miles per hour, 121 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: and Campbell was determined to beat it. He had a 122 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: new vehicle design called the Bluebird Proteus c N seven. Naturally, 123 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: it was blue colored, and in order to achieve speeds 124 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: as high as five hundred miles per hour, it was 125 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: shaped like a flattened submarine. It was his pride and joy, 126 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: a testament to British engineering, and the thing that would 127 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: zoom him out from behind his father's shadow. Campbell ran 128 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: some low speed tests in Sussex before transporting the c 129 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: N seven to the salt flats of Utah, where it 130 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: would really stretch its legs. But it was on the 131 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: sixth attempt when the car stretched a little too far 132 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: and crashed after reaching a blistering three hundred and sixty 133 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: miles per hour. Campbell survived with a fractured skull and 134 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: some bumps and scrapes, but the c N seven was totaled. 135 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: A new vehicle was built and in July of nineteen 136 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: four Donald headed to Australia where he set a new 137 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: record of four hundred and three point one miles per hour. 138 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: It was arousing success and well deserved after so many 139 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: failed attempts, but he still wanted to push things further, 140 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: and to do that he had to build a car 141 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: with a different kind of propulsion. Enter the Bluebird Mock 142 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: one point one, otherwise known as the rocket car. It 143 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: was designed to reach a top speed of eight hundred 144 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: and forty miles per hour with the help of two 145 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: Bristol Siddeley rocket engines. Just building the car and telling 146 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: people about it wasn't enough. He wanted to get the 147 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: word out by setting another record With the Bluebird Case seven, 148 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: he put in a Bristol Orpheus jet engine capable of 149 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: delivering forty pounds of thrust. After about of bad weather 150 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: and some unsuccessful tries in Lancashire, Campbell finally got his opportunity. 151 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: On January worth of ninety seven. He brought the Case 152 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: seven out to the middle of the lake and aimed 153 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: it towards the southern end. The engine fired and the 154 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: Bluebird took off like well a rocket seventy three ten. 155 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: Campbell couldn't be stopped. Literally. The first run had gone well, 156 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: and he wanted to go again, immediately, refusing to refuel 157 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: or wait for things to cool down. The Bluebird blazed 158 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: a trail across the water a second time, heating upwards 159 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,320 Speaker 1: of three hundred and twenty miles per hour. But something 160 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: was wrong. The engine went out on this run, and 161 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: the vehicle touched down on the water, nose pointed downward, 162 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: and went into a full sumersault. The Case seven broke 163 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: apart as it skipped along the surface of the water. 164 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 1: Campbell was killed in the incident, and his body was lost. 165 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: It took thirty years for divers to find and recover 166 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: both the Bluebird and Campbell's remains from the lake. He 167 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: was still wearing his coveralls. Donald Campbell set out to 168 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: prove he was as brave and as daring as his 169 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: father before him, and he did. Sadly, he led his 170 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: success cloud his judgment, and he paid the ultimate price 171 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: for it. Sometimes when you feel the need for speed, 172 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: that's when you should stop and smell the roses before 173 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: they're left on your grave. I hope you've enjoyed today's 174 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free 175 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by 176 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by 177 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I 178 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 179 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: book series, and television show, and you can learn all 180 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: about it over at the World of Lore dot com. 181 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.