1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: is an open book, all of these amazing tales are 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. The sea had become 5 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: as calm as glass, although I like the way the 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: captain of the ship described it better as level as 7 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: a parlor carpet. He later wrote, smooth and featureless, and 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: because this was the ocean and not some small lake, terrifying. 9 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: It had started on August two of n four, just 10 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: as the sun was setting, a darkness began to drown 11 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: out the daylight. A lookout on board the British steamship 12 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: known as the Mohican spotted a bright light on the horizon, 13 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: no bigger than a speck. As they watched, though, it 14 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: grew larger and larger, which is when they realized that 15 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: it was moving toward them over the surface of the 16 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: water like a ship, except well, when it arrived it 17 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: turned out to be a cloud of fog, larger than 18 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,479 Speaker 1: their own vessel. It was unlike any fog they had 19 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: ever seen, though, because this stuff was glowing. Some of 20 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: the words they used were metallic and phosphorescent. To the 21 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: people on board, it seemed as if the entire ship 22 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: was on fire, but there was more. The steamer stopped 23 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: moving the moment the fog arrived inside. The navigator's compass 24 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: began to spin wildly, as if it were hooked up 25 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: to a small motor on the main deck. Sailors ran 26 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: about trying to figure out why the ship had stopped, 27 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: and when they checked on the large iron chains of 28 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: the anchor, they discovered that they were frozen to the 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: ship's metal deck. The sailors were terrified and ran back 30 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: and forth across the deck to inspect the ship. All 31 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: they could see, though, was fog. Pale, metallic, glowing fog. 32 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: Captain Urkhart tried to calm them, but it was all 33 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: just too much. The hair on the backs of their 34 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: necks was standing on end, and their bodies felt odd 35 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: and unsettled. According to the captain, everything fell silent on 36 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: the ship, with no engine running. The constant hum was gone, 37 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: but at the same time, the cloud of fog had 38 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: a way of muffling all other sounds, sort of like 39 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: that silence that happens during a gentle winter storm. It 40 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: was so quiet that it almost felt claustrophobic, as if 41 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: they were all wrapped in a pale blanket and were 42 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: slowly being smothered. And then half an hour after it arrived, 43 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: the fog moved on. The sailors watched it roll over 44 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: them until it was finally off their ship completely. Then, 45 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: just as it had begun, the glowing cloud of fog 46 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: just sort of drifted away, growing smaller as it distanced 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: itself from the Mohican, and then it was gone. No 48 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: one was sure what had happened back then, and to 49 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: be honest, no one is sure today. Perhaps it was 50 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: nothing more than an odd atmospheric anomaly, or maybe it 51 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 1: was something born of the sea, like the pent upstatic 52 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: charge you get when you rub a balloon on your head. 53 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: Something created that cloud of glowing fog. That much is clear, 54 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: but exactly how will forever remain a mystery. The truth 55 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: it seems it's more than a little foggy. John Sullivan 56 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: was known as the Boston Strong Boy. Born in eighteen 57 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: fifty eight to Irish immigrants, John grew up in the 58 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: South End of Boston. His parents wanted him to become 59 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: a priest, but during his first year of college, he 60 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: discovered two things. He loved to play baseball, and he 61 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: was really good at it. Sullivan dropped out of college 62 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: around eighteen seventy five and entered the world of professional baseball, 63 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: a journey that lasted about eight years. According to him, 64 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: That was about the time he switched over to a 65 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: new sport, boxing. He started out as part of a 66 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: boxing tour. He and five other men traveled the country 67 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: by train, stopping almost every day in a new place 68 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: to fight each other and sometimes even a local volunteer. 69 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: The tour lasted two hundred and thirty eight days, during 70 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: which time they participated in one nine five matches in 71 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: one hundred thirty six different places. Sullivan knocked out eleven 72 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: opponents during the tour. Now keep in mind this was 73 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: the late eighteen eighties. Sullivan sometimes fought bare knuckled, meaning 74 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: his opponents weren't always given the benefit of a padded 75 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: glove to the face. Then again, neither was Sullivan. That's okay. 76 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,799 Speaker 1: Though he loved the sport and was considered the best 77 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: in the world during his time, and over the course 78 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: of his decade long career, he was only ever knocked 79 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: out once, which is how he lost his final match 80 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: in eighteen ninety two. In fact, which is sort of 81 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: true but not really. Yes, Sullivan was only officially knocked 82 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: out once, but someone else had laid the Boston strong 83 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: Boy out cold shortly before he retired. That fighter was 84 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: named Donahue. Donahue helped run a boxing school out of 85 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. But in eighteen ninety two, 86 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: Sullivan had been participating in a small theater tour where 87 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: he boxed with others on stage in front of large crowds, 88 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: and a friend introduced him to Donahue. The thing is, 89 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: Donahue wasn't actually a boxer, but working in a boxing 90 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: school was a great way to pick up all the 91 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: tricks of the trade, sort of like how kids learned 92 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: things from their parents just by watching and practicing what 93 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: they see. Donahue, it turned out, was a quick study. 94 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: One night during this touring boxing exhibition, Sullivan called out 95 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: from the stage that he would beat any man who 96 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: came on stage. If he failed, he would pay them 97 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: a reward. But of course Sullivan never failed. He was 98 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: the Boston strong Boy after all. Most of the time 99 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: Sullivan would hit them once and they would fall over 100 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: and not get back up, but Donahue changed all of that. 101 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 1: They actually managed to last two full rounds before things 102 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: got interesting in the third when Sullivan caught Donahue with 103 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: a powerful blow to the face. But Donahue, unlike all 104 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: the other contestants that night, refused to go down. Instead, 105 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: all of that pain and rage became a sort of 106 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:03,239 Speaker 1: rocket fuel ready to explode. With a savage scream, Dona 107 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: Hue lashed out and connected with the champions jaw. For 108 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: a brief instant, it looked as if nothing would happen. Then, 109 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: like a tall pine hit with the lumberjack's axe, the 110 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: Boston strong boy silently toppled over, hitting the canvas with 111 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: a sick thud. He was out. Cold boxers get knocked out. 112 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: We all know that, and while it's unusual for Sullivan 113 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: to have gone a decade without that happening to him 114 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: during an official match, we might be able to accept 115 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: that there were other moments when it could have taken place. 116 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: This theater match in was just that rare moment. Few 117 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: would ever be able to claim that they had seen 118 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: the champion felled by another fighter. The folks in this 119 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: audience became members of an elite crowd that night, because 120 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: of the knockout, sure, but also because of something else. 121 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: Like I mentioned before, Dona Hue wasn't a boxer. Amateurs 122 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: aren't supposed to be able to level a professional like that. 123 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: Could it have been a lucky punch, sure, but that 124 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: still wouldn't change the most surprising detail of all. John L. Sullivan, 125 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: the Boston Strong Boy, had been knocked out by a woman, 126 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: Mrs Hessey Donahue. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour 127 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 128 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 129 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky 130 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 131 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 132 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 133 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: over at the World of Lore dot com. And until 134 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.