Wreckage & Ruins

CC and Kitty
  • 5.0 (8)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Wreckage & Ruins! Each week we investigate disasters: man-made and natural, legendary last stands, medical mishaps, and everything in between. Each of the ruins unfold into a story, and we're here to understand why it happened and what came after.

  1. 3D AGO

    Episode 15: Andersonville Prison

    CC and Kitty discuss Andersonville Prison, also known as Camp Sumter, which became the Confederacy’s most infamous prison camp and the deadliest landscape of the Civil War. Disease, overcrowding, poor sanitation, exposure, and malnutrition pushed the death toll to nearly 13,000. Andersonville still stands as a memorial to American prisoners of war and a reminder of what captivity looked like when systems collapsed and human beings were left to die in plain sight. REFERENCES: https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00cham/page/n9/mode/2up https://www.nps.gov/ande/index.htm https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/escapefromandersonville.htm https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/gettysburg  https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2021/09/the-maps-of-andersonville-prison/ https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3527804/dod-wont-stop-looking-until-all-powmias-are-home/

    59 min

  2. APR 1

    Episode 14: Cocoanut Grove Fire

    On November 28, 1942, Boston’s Cocoanut Grove nightclub became the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. More than 1,000 people were inside a venue approved for far fewer when fire broke out in the basement Melody Lounge. CC and Kitty trace what happened, why escape failed, why the official cause remained unknown, and how the disaster changed fire safety forever. SOURCES: https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/ https://bostonfirehistory.org/fire-alarm/running-cards/ https://www.wcvb.com/article/80th-anniversary-cocoanut-grove-nightclub-fire-boston-massachusetts/42079566 https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/fall/cocoanut-grove https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/king-charles-solomon-bostons-answer-al-capone/

    40 min

  3. MAR 25

    Episode 13: Abandoned Supermarkets

    A Fort Worth grocery store closed in 1999, and the food inside was left behind. What followed was a public-health cleanup involving odor complaints, disputed timelines, and a biohazard response. Then CC and Kitty trace two similar cases: a University City Seafood City cleanup in 2023 and a North Bay butcher-shop cleanup that hauled away more than eight tonnes of spoiled meat. Sources:https://lostmediawiki.com/Mexia_Supermarket_(partially_lost_footage_of_abandoned_Texas_grocery_store;_1999) https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/09/20/u-city-cleans-up-rotten-fish-abandoned-market.html https://www.reddit.com/r/FortWorth/comments/1iphqn3/in_the_summer_of_1999_the_mexia_supermarket_in/ https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/09/20/u-city-cleans-up-rotten-fish-abandoned-market.html https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/lawsuits-smells-flies-seafood-supermarket-university-city/63-96188034-bf1c-4f10-a211-775355db8f4f https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/seafood-city-supermarket-cleanup-expected-completed-today/63-6105f675-ecfe-47a3-aab5-03cc5543ec3d https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/bavarian-meat-products-cleanup-1.6527477 https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/small-business/more-than-meats-the-eye-at-shuttered-festering-butcher-shop-5552309

    45 min

  4. MAR 18

    Episode 12: Aberfan

    In October 1966, a coal spoil tip collapsed above the Welsh village of Aberfan and tore into Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes. The disaster killed 144 people, including 116 children. CC and Kitty trace the warning signs, the rescue, the tribunal findings, and the bitter fight over what came after. Sources: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/case-studies/aberfan-1966-landslide-case-study/ https://historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/aberfan-no-end-of-a-lesson/ https://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/GlamEast/MerthyrVale.htm https://mountainsmoving.org/evidence/merthyr-vale-colliery/#:~:text=The%20mine%20changed%20hands%20from,It%20was%20erected%20in%202015. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47 https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/mining-and-mineral-resources/mining-debris-buries-welsh-village https://www.felinfach.com/pages/aberfan-disaster?srsltid=AfmBOoru-9KepyPnrQ7aWCcjgbdBEHaa0cZUIBDtxPWSa39F69vaRcvI https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

    43 min

  5. MAR 11

    Episode 11: The King Tut & Hope Diamond Curses

    King Tut’s tomb and the Hope Diamond are tied to two of history’s most famous curse legends. CC and Kitty follow the real timeline behind both stories: Tutankhamun’s 1922 tomb discovery, Lord Carnarvon’s death, the French Blue, Marie Antoinette, the McLeans, and the Hope Diamond’s strange trip to the Smithsonian. Rumor, coincidence, media frenzy, and bad luck all make an appearance. Note: Can you catch where I had to go back and edit one of CC's mistakes?! Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Diamond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_pharaohs https://postalmuseum.si.edu/hope-diamond-packaging

    46 min
  6. Episode 10: Surgery Might Have Been a Bad Idea

    MAR 4

    Episode 10: Surgery Might Have Been a Bad Idea

    The journey from the gruesome spectacles of the Renaissance anatomical theaters to the deadly, yet pivotal, era of Victorian surgery reveals a harrowing chapter in medical history.  The combination of rampant infection, blinding speed necessitated by agonizing pain, and a stubborn adherence to the flawed Miasma Theory made the operating theatre a place of terror.  SOURCES: Book:  Mystery of  the Exploding Teeth - Thomas  Morris Book: Quackery  - Lydia Kang, MD Book: The Butchering Art - Lindsey Fitzharris  Book: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/padua-oldest-permanant-anatomical-theater https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/joseph-lister-and-the-grim-reality-of-victorian-surgery https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8083913/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/miasma-theory https://bathmedicalmuseum.org/the-yankee-dodge-anaesthesia-in-bath/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3595629/ https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Heritage-centre/Learning/Biographies/Henry-Hill-Hickman-1800-1830 https://www.history.com/articles/ether-and-chloroform https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4920664/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4530413/

    42 min

  7. FEB 25

    Episode 9: Winter at Valley Forge

    The winter of 1777-1778 wasn't just regular suffering for Revolutionary soldiers, it was a complete disaster marked by disease, hunger, and the elements. CC and Kitty discuss how the Continental Army survived, and how discipline and training helped turn a failing force into one that could keep fighting. Sources: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/valley-forge https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/valley-forge-history-and-significance.htm https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/winter-valley-forge  Dr. Troy Harman, Penn State University

    44 min

  8. FEB 18

    Episode 8: Halifax Disaster

    In this episode, hosts Kitty and CC delve into the catastrophic Halifax Explosion of 1917, a tragic event that resulted from a collision between two ships in Halifax Harbor during World War I. The Mont Blanc, laden with explosives, collided with the IMO, leading to a massive explosion that devastated the city, killing approximately 1,900 people and injuring thousands more. Kitty provides a vivid recounting of the events leading up to the explosion, the immediate aftermath, and the long-term effects on the community, including the challenges faced by survivors and the systemic injustices that followed. The discussion also touches on the historical significance of Halifax and its strategic role during the war, as well as the lessons learned in maritime safety and urban planning that emerged from this disaster. Totally Unrelated Book that I liked, that is centered around First Nation Peoples and Nova Scotia: The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-6/the-great-halifax-explosion https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/culture/histoire-history/citadelles-4-citadels https://novascotia.com/listing/halifax-citadel-national-historic-site/ https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/the-world-s-largest-pre-atomic-explosion-halifax-harbour-1917/ https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/evenement-event/halifax-explosion https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5726964/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-sparked-health-reforms-1.4327875 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1955605/ https://www.redcross.ca/blog/2017/12/the-halifax-explosion-birth-of-canadian-red-cross-disaster-response https://historicnovascotia.ca/items/show/42 (Spanish Flu) https://fairviewhistoricalsociety.ca/monument-of-unidentified-dead/#:~:text=On%20one%20of%20the%20mass,time%20after%20the%20fatal%20blast. https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-halifax-explosion-105-years-on/ Subscribe for weekly disaster investigations. Follow and share: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/WreckageAndRuins

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to Wreckage & Ruins! Each week we investigate disasters: man-made and natural, legendary last stands, medical mishaps, and everything in between. Each of the ruins unfold into a story, and we're here to understand why it happened and what came after.

Information

  • Creator
    CC and Kitty
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CC and Kitty
  • Show Website
    Wreckage & Ruins

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