1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcomed. Aaron Mankey's Cabinet of Curiosity is a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: iHeart 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 --> 00:00:21,600 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 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. No one mistakes a super soaker for a 7 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: real firearm. The bright colors and unique shape of the 8 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: water gun clearly illustrate its use as a harmless weapon 9 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: of fun, not war, except for one part, the pump. 10 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: You see, water guns like the super Soaker weren't the 11 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: first firearms to have air pumps. Back in seventy nine, 12 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,639 Speaker 1: Italian gunsmith and inventor Bartolomeo Gerardoni had devised a new 13 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: kind of weapon, but rather than rely on gunpowder and 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: a spark to propel a bullet, his creation used something 15 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: a little less explosive air. The Girardoni air rifle could 16 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: hold up to twenty rounds in its tube shape magazine, 17 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: which was affixed to the side of the barrel, and 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: loading the chamber was a lot easier than it had 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: been with conventional rifles. There was no pouring any powder 20 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: or tamping down any wadding. All someone had to do 21 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: was tip the muzzle forward, then pushed the spring loaded slider. 22 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: It would scoop up a ball and push it into position. 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: When it came time to shoot, the round would eggs 24 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: ait the rifle with eight p s I behind it. 25 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: Hunters loved it because it was much quieter than a 26 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: normal rifle and it didn't start all the animals, and 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: because there was no gunpowder residue to deal with, it 28 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: didn't need to be cleaned as often either. Several guns 29 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: were provided to the Habsburgs during the Austro Turkish War 30 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: in the seventeen eighties and nineties. However, not every soldier 31 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: was capable of wielding such a weapon, so they were 32 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: reserved for two rolly and snipers. Unfortunately, the rifles were 33 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: all but wiped up by the time that Napoleonic Wars 34 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: came to be. The French abhorred it due to its 35 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: lack of smoke, and Napoleon himself ordered any Austrian caught 36 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: with one to be killed. But somehow one of these 37 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: air rifles landed in the possession of Merryweather Lewis of 38 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: Lewis and Clark fame. There are numerous mentions of it 39 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: in his journal, but he didn't use it to hunt 40 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: or attack the native populations. Instead, it was just a 41 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: show piece. It's hard to believe, but Louis often brought 42 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: out the rifle to demonstrate for the native people's and 43 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: their leaders. They had seen guns before, carried on the 44 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: shoulders of fur traders entering their lands, but this was 45 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: something different. During one incident, a rogue tribal member had 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: stolen Lewis and Clark's last horse. Looking to get it back, 47 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: Louis confronted them. The sue expected trouble and drew back 48 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: their bowstrings arrows aimed at the explorers and his men. Now, 49 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: Louis didn't want to kick off a war between his 50 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: people and the tribes. His orders had been to observe 51 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: and report back on the indigenous populations, of course, while 52 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: also helping them understand that their lands were being taken 53 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: away from them. So he pulled out the rifle, which 54 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: caught the eye of the Sioux leader, Black Buffalo. Louis 55 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: held it up and aimed it at a cottonwood tree 56 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: a hundred yards away. He pulled the trigger four times, 57 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: one after the other in rapid succession. Four small rounds 58 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: fired straight out, pop pop, pop, pop, but no smoke, 59 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: no recoil. The Sioux whispered among themselves as they lowered 60 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: their bows. Black Buffalo was enthralled they had just witnessed magic. 61 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: Louis was smart enough to keep the device of mystery 62 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: from the Sioux. He never let them see how it worked, 63 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: and led them to believe that it would never run 64 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: out of AMMO. But the real question is where had 65 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: he gotten it? After all, the Garadoni air rifle had 66 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: been taken out of commission years earlier. Well, historians believe 67 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: that Louis had been given the rifle by President Thomas Jefferson. 68 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: Jefferson had served as a United States Minister to France 69 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: in seventy five and had most likely acquired the firearm 70 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: during one of his many tree rips. Louis had been 71 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: appointed his secretary in eighteen o one and was hand 72 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: chosen by Jefferson for the expedition. Unfortunately, the Garadoni air 73 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: rifle was not long for this world. For one, it's 74 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: firing mechanism was far too fragile and required an expert 75 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: gunsmith to make repairs. They were also too expensive to 76 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: manufacture and mass. No government would pay to supply an 77 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: entire army with air rifles when they could use the 78 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: tried and true guns at the time for a fraction 79 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: of the price. It may not have revolutionized warfare, but 80 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: Bartolomeo Gardoni's air rifle did help shape the American West, 81 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: and it didn't have to kill a single person to 82 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: do it. Born in Bradford, England, in Maurice Wilson rarely 83 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: did what people expected him to. For example, his father 84 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,840 Speaker 1: owned a wool mill and the men the family worked 85 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: there when they came of age. However, Wilson did not 86 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: join his father and brothers as intended. Instead, he enlisted 87 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: with the British Army two fights in World War One 88 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: when he turned eighteen. He was a capable fighter and 89 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: was eventually promoted to captain. In April of nineteen eighteen, 90 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: he managed to hold a machine gun post by himself 91 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: against an army of enemy Germans. The ordeal earned him 92 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Sadly, 93 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: his army career came to an end a few months 94 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: later when he was hit by a machine gun fire 95 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 1: and sent home. Wilson was plagued by chronic arm pain 96 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: for the rest of his life, and he was left 97 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: with a nagging question about what to do with the 98 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: rest of his life. He got married in England and 99 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: then moved to New Zealand when he met someone new. 100 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: After several years spent building a life there, Wilson sailed 101 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: to Vancouver, Canada and traveled around North America for a while. 102 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: He was a wanderer, a restless soul in search of 103 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: meaning in his life. His travels eventually brought him back 104 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: home to England, where he had hoped to recenter himself. Unfortunately, 105 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: his time in the war and the effects of his 106 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: nomadic lifestyle had also caught up with him. Suffering from 107 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,239 Speaker 1: rapid weight loss, lethargy, and a bad cough, Wilson fled 108 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: to Mayfair in London. He met a man who had 109 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: allegedly cured his own illness, along with the illnesses of 110 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: over one people, through prayer and fasting. Five weeks later, 111 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: Wilson emerged completely healed and with a new lease on life. 112 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: The experience had changed him and he wanted to share 113 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: it with the world, and to do that he came 114 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: up with a bold new idea. As he put it, 115 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 1: I'll perform some task so hard and so exacting that 116 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: it could only be carried out by someone aided with 117 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: divine help. He'd been in Germany, resting after his five 118 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: week intensive healing when it hit him. While reading the newspaper, 119 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: he stumbled upon an article about George Mallory's failed attempt 120 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: to scale Mount Everest back in ninet. Mallory had been 121 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: interviewed by The New York Times one year earlier. When 122 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: asked why he wanted a climates he responded, because it's 123 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: there as good a reason as any, I guess. Maurice 124 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: Wilson sure thought so. But after reading the article, Wilson 125 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: believed that he could be the first person to summit Everest. 126 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: It would be the perfect demonstration of his newfound faith 127 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: in prayer and fasting. But he couldn't do it the 128 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: same way Mallory had eight years prior. For one, Nepal 129 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: was off limits without help from the British government. He 130 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: also needed money to plan the trip, higher climbers and 131 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: buy supplies. He thought that he could do it better, 132 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: faster and cheaper than those who had tried before and failed, 133 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: and so Wilson came up with the bright idea to 134 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: fly himself to Everest instead. His plan was foolproof, well 135 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: to him, at least to everyone else it was proof 136 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: that he was a fool. After departing England, he would 137 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: fly himself to the mountain and land his plane about 138 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: fourteen thousand feet up from the base. With most of 139 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: the distance already covered, He would then climb his way 140 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: to the top alone. There was just one problem. Wilson 141 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: couldn't fly a plane, but he didn't let a silly 142 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: thing like experience stop him from pursuing his dream. Instead, 143 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: he bought a three year old de Haviln gypsy moth 144 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: biplane named the ever Rest that's rest with a w R. 145 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: He then learned how to fly it just well enough 146 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: to earn a pilot's license, and I mean barely. After 147 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: an engine failure that resulted in three weeks of repairs 148 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: in the aircraft, Wilson finally set up for Nepal in 149 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: May of nineteen thirty three. He made several refueling stops 150 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: in France and Italy. It was even arrested in Tunisia, 151 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: but he kept going. He even ignored the bureaucrats who 152 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: told him that he couldn't fly over Nepal or Persia. 153 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: Nothing was going to stop Wilson from reaching the summit, 154 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: not even having his plane impounded in Italy. Authorities forbade 155 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: him from entering Tibet, even on foot, so he stayed 156 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: in Darjeeling during the winter as he got to work 157 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: on a new scheme. With the help of three sherpas, 158 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: Wilson dressed up as a Buddhist monk and snuck into 159 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: a Tibetan monastery in April of nineteen thirty war. It 160 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: was situated right at the base of Mount Everest. From 161 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: there he made it to Camp two on the East 162 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: Rungbuck Glacier, having dumped many of his supplies along the way. 163 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: Wilson set up his tent two miles below Camp three 164 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: on April twenty one, which was his birthday. He was 165 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: also just shy of the North call a past that 166 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: had been carved by glaciers, which sat between Mount Everest 167 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: and the Tibetan mountain chong Su. He recorded the day 168 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: in his journal, writing it's the weather that's beaten me, 169 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: that damned bad luck. Sadly, his luck didn't change. He 170 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: was forced to return to the monastery to heal from 171 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 1: a twisted ankle and snow blindness. A little over two 172 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: weeks later, he returned to the mountain, reaching Camp three 173 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: in only three days, but he refused to stop, leaving 174 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: his sherpas behind. Wilson continued to climb. They begged him 175 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: to go back to the monastery. It wasn't safe to 176 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: go on, but he couldn't return and confirm everyone's doubts 177 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: about him. His Sherpaz waited for him to return for 178 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: about a month, but he never made it back to 179 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: the monastery. Maurice Wilson's body was found one year later. 180 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: Journal inte Its final entry was dated May thirty one 181 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 1: of nineteen thirty four. It read, off again, gorgeous day, 182 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: A promising start, but I guess the weather had turned. 183 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 184 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 185 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,599 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 186 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership 187 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 188 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast book series and television show, 189 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: and you can learn all about it over at the 190 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: World of lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious. 191 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: Ye