| Team Members Gigi (Orbservations) Brandy (Orbservations) Kelly (Orbservations) Christina (GHOTS) Russ (GHOTS) Bruce (GHOTS) Equipment 4 Guassmaster Radio Shack microphone array and low frequency microphones 8 Infrared Cameras 2 DVR with 4 night vision cameras Various digital voice recorders – Olympus 6 Thermometers Laser Temp probe Kestral Pocket Weather Station Flir Thermal Imaging Camera |
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Setting
Julia Tutwiler Library
Who is Julia Tutwiler
by: Martha Shirley
Born August 15, 1841, Tuscaloosa, AL
Died March 24, 1916, Birmingham, AL
Julia Tutwiler, or "Miss Julia" began her academic career in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1876 when she joined the Tuscaloosa Female College faculty.1 She was appointed, in 1881, as the co-principal of Livingston Female Academy. In 1890 she became President and remained in that position until 1910. Miss Tutwiler was instrumental in getting women admitted to The University of Alabama and with establishing the Alabama Girls Industrial Institute, which is now the University of Montevallo. Miss Tutwiler was truly dedicated to education in Alabama and the advancement of women. In addition to the many important activities she was involved in, she wrote children's stories and "Alabama", the State Song.2
To learn more about Miss Julia, visit the Alabama Room here in the Julia Tutwiler Library and browse through some of our books, including Dr. Lyon's Julia Tutwiler, Anne Gary Pannell's Julia S. Tutwiler and Social Progress in Alabama, or Mildred Griffin Yelverton's, They also served: twenty-five remarkable Alabama Women.
While you are visiting you can see Miss Tutwiler's portrait in a place of honor here at the library. It is believed by many that if you are in the library late at night, and are very quiet and still, you might just get to meet this great lady!
On October 30, Ghost Hunters of the South joined Orbservations in a joint effort to investigate the Julia Tutwiler Library on the campus of the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Alabama. Georgia Frye, and Paula Merritt (of the Meridian Star Newspaper), Scotty Ray, Debbie, and Carson (from the radio stations Miss 101 and Q95) were present along with Dr. Alan Brown to take part in the investigation work.
During our preliminary walkthrough we able to detect high EMF levels coursing through the lower offices of the library from an unshielded elevator power grid and book magnetizer used for the security system. Increased EMF levels can be dangerous in high doses, and can contribute to many difficulties if not monitored. In addition to creating health issues, it has also been linked to heightened psychic activity, and enhanced awareness of paranormal phenomenon.
We were able to collect a variety of video anomalies as well as a large number of EVP's from various locations around the library. Below are link to the EVP's we were able to collect, video clips are located in the photo gallery. Since all computers have different sound variable, please download the EVP's and play them back on your system. For optimal sound quality, use headphones when listening to them, many of the responses are difficult to understand due to being soft.
Equipment Placement
Both DVR systems were focused throughout the upstairs of the library, with 2 cameras each in the wheelchair room and the study. Video cameras were placed through out.
The microphone array was placed in the
wheelchair room since very audible noises had been heard in prior visits
by the Orbservations team.
Readings
EMF – ambient EMF were too high to be useful. Due to unshielded
wiring throughout the building. Levels ranged from 150 to 300mG
Temperature was 65-70 degrees with no major fluctuations. All cold
and warm spots were validated with the kestral to determine air flow.
Photographs resulted in many captures.
EVP resulted in several captures.
Subjective Input
Christina and Kelly became quite emotional through the
investigation to the point at times where they would cry and feel
tremendous sorrow.
One attendant, winner of the radio station give-a-way, mentioned feeling an almost unyielding fear and at one point was paralyzed to it. He was later calmed down by Russ and Gigi as they tried to dissuade what ever was bothering him.
Other members of the investigation also mentioned a feeling of sorrow.
Data Collection
Image is from a Pentax *ist digital SLR and shows a fog to the right side of the room.
We tried touching the staple handle to make it hot from our touch, but we were unable to make the stapler turn color.
The cast iron held the ambient air temperature due to it's large size
and the heat dissipated easily. EVP
can you give me a
sign.mp3 (listen at around the 12 second time frame)
cry or something.mp3(listen
at around the 3.5 second time frame)
do you have a name.mp3
(listen at around the 3 second time frame)
lady sighing and movement in empty room.mp3(listen at around the 2
second time frame) lady
sighing.mp3(above but louder and cropped) mama.mp3(after
the investigator talks, around the 2 second time frame)
rather
run a library - we'll see.mp3(listen at around the 8 second time
interval)
unknown noise.mp3(things that go bump in the night) Conclusion We believe that ongoing
investigations should be conducted at this library and in-depth research
should be considered.
This is a thermal capture of a cast iron stapler. Panning the thermal imager around we noticed the handle was changing colors, as we watched it, we saw that it began heating up. Notice the chairs in the background, you can see that they are red, people were sitting in the chairs prior to us entering the room.
This shows how heat lingers after a person leaves. We we started
in the room, the stapler was green in color which meant it was at the
ambient air temperature.
I believe that the Ghost Hunters of the South and Orbservations are
in agreement that there is paranormal activity in this building.
Ghost Hunters of the South believes that the strong emotions that the
investigators and attendants felt were caused by the intense
electromagnetic fields produced by the unshielded wiring and electric
grid of the elevator.