1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Aviation history is populated with tales of success. 7 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: There was the Right Brothers fabled first flight, to Charles 8 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: Lindbergh's solo trip across the Atlantic. Every triumph pushed the 9 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: limits of what we thought was possible. Limburgh may have 10 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: been the first to complete a transatlantic flight on his own, 11 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: but there were others who had attempted it before him. 12 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: Two pilots, John Alcock of England and Arthur Brown of 13 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: Scotland managed to fly their Vickers Vimmy bomber from Canada 14 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: to Ireland in nineteen For some though, that distance wasn't 15 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: far enough. That same year, a New York hotel owner 16 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,919 Speaker 1: named Raymond Orte came up with a contest. He offered 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand dollars to anyone who could fly NonStop 18 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: from New York City to Paris within the next five 19 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: years well, five years came and went without a winner, 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: although many did try. Prescoire Coli from France certainly did, 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: though it hadn't gone as planned. Colli had been a 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: pilot during World War One, and with his buddy Paul Tarrascan, 23 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: the two set out to win the Orte Prize. The 24 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: only difference was that they were going to fly from 25 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: Paris to New York instead. Unfortunately, they hit some serious 26 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: turbulence along the way. Coolie's plane went up in flames, 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: burning Tarrascan and putting him on the sidelines. So Coolly 28 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: gave his pilot role to a young ace named Charles Nagaire. 29 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: Nota was going to make the trip by himself, but 30 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: decided to use Coolly as his navigator. At the request 31 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: of playing designer Pierre Louvasser, Coolie and Naja Sair collaborated 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: with Louivisier's team on a new aircraft, the Louivisier b 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: L eight biplane. It featured a wooden fuselage to allow 34 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: it to land and floats on water. Its unique cockpit 35 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 1: was open on top and wide enough for both men 36 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: to sit next to each other. The plans three fuel 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: tanks were large enough to carry just over a thousand 38 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: gallons of gasoline in total, plenty for the trip they 39 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: had planned. By April of ninety seven, the p L 40 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: eight was ready for testing. Naja Sare performed several short 41 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: flights around France, reaching altitudes as high as sixteen thousand feet. 42 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: Everything seemed in fine order, and after several weeks it 43 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: was time for the two men to set their world record. 44 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: The morning of May eighth of ninety seven, Coolie and 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: Naja Sare strapped into their bright white b L eight 46 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: biplane nicknamed Louis ou Blanc or the White Bird, all 47 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: gassed up and ready to go, and as it turned out, 48 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: that amount of fuel combined with their body weight made 49 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: for one pretty heavy aircraft, so they ditched the undercarriage 50 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: and after a few bumps, took off for the US. 51 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: They're planned route had the pilots flying over England and Ireland, 52 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: then arching down through New England until finally touching down 53 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: in New York right in front of the Statue of Liberty. 54 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: All in all, it should have taken about forty hours 55 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: from start to finish. The White Bird was spotted by 56 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: many across Europe, including a British submarine commander who caught 57 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: side of it just twenty nautical miles south of the 58 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: Isle of Wight. As the hours passed, spectators started gathering 59 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: in Battery Park, Manhattan to watch the white bird make 60 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: its water landing near the Statue of Liberty. Some even 61 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: claim to have seen it flying over nearby Long Island. 62 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: Papers in France jumped on the news, publishing stories about 63 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: Cooley and nase Sare's successful voyage. They made history as 64 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: the first people to complete a NonStop transatlantic flight. There 65 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: was just one problem. The plane hadn't actually landed. Despite 66 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: being seen along the East and cboard, the White Bird 67 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: never made it to New York. A man named Anson Barry, 68 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: who had been living in Maine at the time, told 69 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: a reporter that he'd heard a struggling aircraft overhead on 70 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: May nine, but he never actually saw it. The clouds 71 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: and fog overhead had instructed his view. One theory was 72 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: that a passing squall had taken down the plane, while 73 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: others thought Najas and Cooley had landed in Canada and 74 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: were now living amongst the native population. Over the years, 75 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: investigators and enthusiasts tried locating the crash site. Some even 76 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: found plane wreckage, though none of it was explicitly tied 77 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: to the White Bird. Had the two men succeeded, they 78 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: would have completed the first true transatlantic flight from Paris 79 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: to New York, and their victory would have discouraged another 80 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: aviator from trying the same thing. U S Mail pilot 81 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: Charles Lindbergh was going to abandon his shot at the 82 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 1: Orte Prize after hearing about COOLi and Najare. But twelve 83 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: days after they took off from France, Lindburgh departed from 84 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: New York in the spirit of St. Louis. It landed 85 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 1: in Paris after a thirty three and a half hour flight. 86 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: The white Bird nor its pilots were never found. It's 87 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: been called the everest of aviation mysteries, one that no 88 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: one has been able to summit in the ninety four 89 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: years since it happened. Somewhere out there are the remnants 90 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: of a white wooden bird, one that flew too close 91 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: to the sun and paid the ultimate price. The Chinese 92 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 1: philosopher Laotsu once said nothing is softer or more flexible 93 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: than water, yet nothing can resist it, and he wasn't 94 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: wrong when a hurricane strikes, it's not the wind we 95 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: have to worry about so much as the storm surge. 96 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: Rising water levels can result in massive flooding and devastation. 97 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: In two thousand five, Hurricane Katrina caused a storm surge 98 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: so large the ensuing floods turned much of New Orleans 99 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: into a river, damaged the city's main roads, and killed 100 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: over eight hundred people. One years earlier, a tropical cyclone 101 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: in Australia caused a storm surge measuring forty two feet. 102 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: Hundreds died, thousands of fish, sharks, and dolphins were discovered 103 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: miles inland far from shore. The wind was so strong 104 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: it drove rocks into tree trunks, and countless shipwrecks have 105 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: shown us that when the ocean's churn, all it takes 106 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: is one rogue wave to bring down a ship and 107 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: its crew. Forever. Water nurtures, it gives life, it quenches 108 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: our thirst, and yet it also has the power to destroy, 109 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: much like it did in Bopaul, India in two thousand nineteen. 110 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: Bopaul is a city located in the state of Mada, Pradesh, 111 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: about fourteen hour drive north of Mumbai. It's been the 112 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: birthplace of politicians, authors, athletes, and movie stars. It was 113 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: also the site of a may your industrial disaster in 114 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four, when a gas leak at a pesticide 115 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: plant killed thousands of people, but bou Paul has turned 116 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: itself around since then. The city, which boast a population 117 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: of almost two million, is home to numerous educational and 118 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: research facilities. It was also named India's cleanest state capital 119 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: city for three consecutive years. And just like much of India, 120 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: both Paul is prone to a phenomenon that occurs during 121 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: the months of June through September called monsoon season. During 122 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: monsoon season, a region can receive as much as ninety 123 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: percent of its annual rainfall amounts in only a short 124 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: few months. The monsoons also triggered dangerous floods capable of 125 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: wiping out buildings, streets, and even killing people. In two 126 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: thousand nineteen, however, the rains were nowhere to be found. 127 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: A drought had struck Boau Paul and locals were desperate. 128 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: Without rain, crops would not grow and famine was set 129 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: to plague the region. But rather than wait for Mother 130 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: Nature's help, Bopaul residents saw a different solution to jump 131 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: start their rainy season. They conducted a ritual known by 132 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: different names in the Hindu culture, but in beau Paul 133 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: it was called the Manduca Paranaia. Manduca translates to frog, 134 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: and paranaia means wedding, literally a frog wedding. During the ritual, 135 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: a male frog and a female frog are selected by 136 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: the people in town. The male is named Varuna, after 137 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: the god of water, while the female is dubbed Barsha, 138 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: meaning rain. The frogs are then dressed in ceremonial attire 139 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: before they are married by a priest. Prayers are sung 140 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: and the event is treated much like human wedding, after 141 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: which a large feast is held and the frogs are 142 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: placed in water for their honeymoon escape. The hope is 143 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: that the union of the two amphibians will please Indra, 144 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: the Hindu god of rain, and will end the draft. 145 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: So on July nineteenth, two frogs from beau Paul entered 146 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: into holy matrimony as a way to stave off an 147 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: impending famine, and it worked almost immediately. Bopaul accumulated nearly 148 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: sixty seven inches of rain in September alone right after 149 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: the wedding. Their previous record had been said in two 150 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: thousand and six, when rainfall amounted to a total of 151 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: sixty six inches. Unfortunately, the frog wedding worked a little 152 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: too well. Waters filled the streets, cars were brought to 153 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: a standstill, Homes and businesses were flooded. It seemed as 154 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 1: though there was no end in sight to the damage, 155 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: and more rain was coming. A group of volunteers decided 156 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: to do something to stop it. Using to clay frogs 157 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: as proxies for the original couple, the volunteers held a 158 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: ceremonial divorce. They chanted mantras and physically separated the frogs 159 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: to symbolize the end of their brief marriage. The rains 160 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: ended just a few weeks later. Curious you better believe it. 161 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 162 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 163 00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 164 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Mankie in partnership 165 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 166 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, 167 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: and you can learn all about it over at the 168 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: World of Lore dot com and until next time, stay curious, 169 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: ye