December 10, 2019 • 8 mins
Sometimes it's the story that's larger than life, and sometimes it's the location the stories are based on. Either way, they make for great additions to the Cabinet.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history
is an open book, all of these amazing tales are
right there on display, just waiting for us to explore.
Welcome to the cabinet of curiosities. To the last, I
(00:28):
grapple with the from hell's heart. I stab at thee
for hate's sake. I spit my last breath at the
These are the last words spoken by ahab Herman, Melville's
obsessed whaling captain, who spent years hunting the white whale
that took his leg. Moby Dick is a cautionary tale
about the price of fanaticism, how it can cloud our judgment.
(00:52):
But even though the book was already thirty years old
by the time some Scottish whalers found their own Moby Dick,
they didn't seem to let it stop them from suing
the animal for fame and fortune. Whalers from Dundee, major
whaling port on the eastern coast of Scotland, often hunted
in the Arctic. However, the winter months had brought in
cold that prevented them from sailing to their usual waters
(01:14):
up north, so instead they decided to hunt closer to home.
Their local newspaper had been reporting for weeks on a
whale sided in the area, first in the river, then
in a narrow inlet known as the Firth of Day.
Not long into their first trip, they spotted the humpback whale,
just the kind of animal that would net them a
small fortune once harvested for its blubber and bones. They
(01:36):
hurled harpoons at it, hoping to injure it enough so
they could tow it to shore, but the whale had
other plans. It towed to rowboats and two steamboats instead
for miles down the Scottish coast. The whalers worked until
morning trying to reel in the massive humpback, but it
eventually snapped the ropes on the harpoons and swam away.
(01:57):
Unbeknownst to the men on the boats. However, the whale
had taken on too much damage. One week later, some
fishermen found it floating just off the coast of Stonehaven,
toward the north of Scotland. They brought it ashore, where
a local anatomy professor named John Struthers took its measurements.
The whale that had led the men of Dundee on
an all night chase was forty ft long with eleven
(02:19):
and a half foot long flukes. This was one of
the largest whales ever captured on record. A windfall, to
say the least, but not in the way that they
had expected. Rather than strip it of its skin and
bones as with other whales, a local oil merchant named
John Wood paid to have the whale brought to his yard.
It took twenty six hours and twenty horses to card
(02:41):
it to Woods property. From there, he charged visitors a
small price to gaze upon the whale, like a kind
of sideshow curiosity. Over twelve thousand people paid to see
it on the first day. Of course, even though the
winter cold may have slowed the whales decay, it didn't
completely stop it. Three weeks later, the routing carcass was
(03:02):
stinking up the neighborhood and Dr Struther's returned to dissect
what was left. Would charge spectators to watch. Struthers removed
the whale skeleton, and when the dissection was done, the
whale's flesh was embalmed. Not one to give up on
his cash cow or cash whale in this instance, would
had the whole animal reassembled over a wooden frame so
(03:22):
that it could be toured all over Britain. The tay
whale traveled through Ireland, Liverpool, London and finally rested back
home in Dundee. For decades, the whale remained on display
for the folks of Dundee as well as visiting tourists
to see the creature that had taken a group of
sailors on an all night hunt. Today, the whale skeleton
is still on display in Dundee's McManus Museum, although its
(03:46):
skin has long since fallen away. It hangs from the
ceiling far from the waters at once swam as a
reminder of our brutal passed and that it doesn't take
a lost leg to drive one man's obsession. Some times,
all he's after is a quick buck. From nineteen thirteen
(04:16):
to nineteen forty, popular comic strip by Arthur Momon, also
known as Pop showed the unsuccessful exploits of a family
struggling to measure up to their wealthy neighbors. The strip,
titled keeping Up with the Joneses, inspired that popular saying
still used to this day to describe the endless pursuit
of a higher social status as compared to others. Although
(04:39):
the saying became popular while the strip was in circulation.
The name Jones was used as a comparative benchmark long
before that, going all the way back to the eighteen fifties.
In fact, a man named Whittaker Wright spent much of
his life keeping up with the Joneses around that time,
when he was living in both the US and England.
While living in Philadelphia in the eighteen eighties, Right made
(05:01):
his money as a promoter of silver mining companies in
Colorado and New Mexico. His goal was to get investors
to fund expeditions into the minds, presumably to harvest the
supposed silver inside. The shareholders for these companies didn't make
any money, but Right certainly took home a sizeable paycheck
With a small fortune to his name. He eventually moved
(05:22):
back to England, where he started the London and Globe Company.
This was another venture into mining, except this time it
dealt with stocks and bonds pertaining to the minds rather
than straight investments. By the eighteen nineties, Right had accumulated
enormous wealth for himself and his family, and he felt
it only proper to use that wealth to elevate his
status within the upper crust of English Society. The first
(05:47):
thing he bought was a yacht, which was one of
the fastest ever built at the time. Next, he purchased
two estates in Surrey, one named Lee Park and one
named South Park Farm. They were enormous properties and he
developed them into one massive estate known today as Whitley Park.
Whilly Park would become famous for its thirty two room mansion,
(06:08):
complete with its own observatory, personal theater, and a fifty
horse set of stables. There were also three man made lakes,
which got right into hot water with locals who didn't
appreciate the nine thousand acres of farmland that he drowned
when making them. Aside from the lakes, observatory, and theater,
Whitley Park also boasted its own race track known as
(06:29):
the Velodrome, as well as a hospital meant just for
Mr Wright and his loved ones. But the most unique
room in the house, and the one he was most
proud of, was the smoking room. The smoking rooms domed
ceiling was made almost entirely of glass. Outside right had
an aquarium constructed where guests could pass the time by
puffing on cigars while watching fish swim by. Visitors would
(06:52):
access the room by descending stairs that led down and
out of the main house and into the lake. That's right,
the lake. The roof aquarium outside of right smoking room
was actually one of the lakes, and the fish swimming
by lived inside it. The whole structure was built underwater.
Anyone looking out at the lake from the shore would
(07:12):
only see a statue of Neptune seemingly rising out of
the water. It was attached to the top of the dome,
and if there were people smoking down below, smoke would
often waft out from the statue's mouth, which acted as
a kind of ventilation shaft. Rights estate and his unique
eye for underwater architecture made him very popular among Victorian elites. However,
(07:34):
his shady business practices would soon catch up with him.
In nineteen o four, he was convicted of fraud for
funneling money from one of his companies to another that
had been on the verge of bankruptcy. Investors had been
duped out of their returns, and Right couldn't bear the
thought of spending seven years in prison. He passed away
just after the trial ended, and his estate was quickly
(07:55):
sold off. A man named Lord Piery bought it all,
which seemed kind of fitting. You see, Lord Pierry knew
all about oceanic architecture. In fact, he would go on
to play a huge role in building another large structure
that would eventually end up living beneath the waves, that structure,
the Titanic. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
(08:18):
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(08:40):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious. Yeah,
Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history
is an open book, all of these amazing tales are
right there on display, just waiting for us to explore.
Welcome to the cabinet of curiosities. To the last, I
(00:28):
grapple with the from hell's heart. I stab at thee
for hate's sake. I spit my last breath at the
These are the last words spoken by ahab Herman, Melville's
obsessed whaling captain, who spent years hunting the white whale
that took his leg. Moby Dick is a cautionary tale
about the price of fanaticism, how it can cloud our judgment.
(00:52):
But even though the book was already thirty years old
by the time some Scottish whalers found their own Moby Dick,
they didn't seem to let it stop them from suing
the animal for fame and fortune. Whalers from Dundee, major
whaling port on the eastern coast of Scotland, often hunted
in the Arctic. However, the winter months had brought in
cold that prevented them from sailing to their usual waters
(01:14):
up north, so instead they decided to hunt closer to home.
Their local newspaper had been reporting for weeks on a
whale sided in the area, first in the river, then
in a narrow inlet known as the Firth of Day.
Not long into their first trip, they spotted the humpback whale,
just the kind of animal that would net them a
small fortune once harvested for its blubber and bones. They
(01:36):
hurled harpoons at it, hoping to injure it enough so
they could tow it to shore, but the whale had
other plans. It towed to rowboats and two steamboats instead
for miles down the Scottish coast. The whalers worked until
morning trying to reel in the massive humpback, but it
eventually snapped the ropes on the harpoons and swam away.
(01:57):
Unbeknownst to the men on the boats. However, the whale
had taken on too much damage. One week later, some
fishermen found it floating just off the coast of Stonehaven,
toward the north of Scotland. They brought it ashore, where
a local anatomy professor named John Struthers took its measurements.
The whale that had led the men of Dundee on
an all night chase was forty ft long with eleven
(02:19):
and a half foot long flukes. This was one of
the largest whales ever captured on record. A windfall, to
say the least, but not in the way that they
had expected. Rather than strip it of its skin and
bones as with other whales, a local oil merchant named
John Wood paid to have the whale brought to his yard.
It took twenty six hours and twenty horses to card
(02:41):
it to Woods property. From there, he charged visitors a
small price to gaze upon the whale, like a kind
of sideshow curiosity. Over twelve thousand people paid to see
it on the first day. Of course, even though the
winter cold may have slowed the whales decay, it didn't
completely stop it. Three weeks later, the routing carcass was
(03:02):
stinking up the neighborhood and Dr Struther's returned to dissect
what was left. Would charge spectators to watch. Struthers removed
the whale skeleton, and when the dissection was done, the
whale's flesh was embalmed. Not one to give up on
his cash cow or cash whale in this instance, would
had the whole animal reassembled over a wooden frame so
(03:22):
that it could be toured all over Britain. The tay
whale traveled through Ireland, Liverpool, London and finally rested back
home in Dundee. For decades, the whale remained on display
for the folks of Dundee as well as visiting tourists
to see the creature that had taken a group of
sailors on an all night hunt. Today, the whale skeleton
is still on display in Dundee's McManus Museum, although its
(03:46):
skin has long since fallen away. It hangs from the
ceiling far from the waters at once swam as a
reminder of our brutal passed and that it doesn't take
a lost leg to drive one man's obsession. Some times,
all he's after is a quick buck. From nineteen thirteen
(04:16):
to nineteen forty, popular comic strip by Arthur Momon, also
known as Pop showed the unsuccessful exploits of a family
struggling to measure up to their wealthy neighbors. The strip,
titled keeping Up with the Joneses, inspired that popular saying
still used to this day to describe the endless pursuit
of a higher social status as compared to others. Although
(04:39):
the saying became popular while the strip was in circulation.
The name Jones was used as a comparative benchmark long
before that, going all the way back to the eighteen fifties.
In fact, a man named Whittaker Wright spent much of
his life keeping up with the Joneses around that time,
when he was living in both the US and England.
While living in Philadelphia in the eighteen eighties, Right made
(05:01):
his money as a promoter of silver mining companies in
Colorado and New Mexico. His goal was to get investors
to fund expeditions into the minds, presumably to harvest the
supposed silver inside. The shareholders for these companies didn't make
any money, but Right certainly took home a sizeable paycheck
With a small fortune to his name. He eventually moved
(05:22):
back to England, where he started the London and Globe Company.
This was another venture into mining, except this time it
dealt with stocks and bonds pertaining to the minds rather
than straight investments. By the eighteen nineties, Right had accumulated
enormous wealth for himself and his family, and he felt
it only proper to use that wealth to elevate his
status within the upper crust of English Society. The first
(05:47):
thing he bought was a yacht, which was one of
the fastest ever built at the time. Next, he purchased
two estates in Surrey, one named Lee Park and one
named South Park Farm. They were enormous properties and he
developed them into one massive estate known today as Whitley Park.
Whilly Park would become famous for its thirty two room mansion,
(06:08):
complete with its own observatory, personal theater, and a fifty
horse set of stables. There were also three man made lakes,
which got right into hot water with locals who didn't
appreciate the nine thousand acres of farmland that he drowned
when making them. Aside from the lakes, observatory, and theater,
Whitley Park also boasted its own race track known as
(06:29):
the Velodrome, as well as a hospital meant just for
Mr Wright and his loved ones. But the most unique
room in the house, and the one he was most
proud of, was the smoking room. The smoking rooms domed
ceiling was made almost entirely of glass. Outside right had
an aquarium constructed where guests could pass the time by
puffing on cigars while watching fish swim by. Visitors would
(06:52):
access the room by descending stairs that led down and
out of the main house and into the lake. That's right,
the lake. The roof aquarium outside of right smoking room
was actually one of the lakes, and the fish swimming
by lived inside it. The whole structure was built underwater.
Anyone looking out at the lake from the shore would
(07:12):
only see a statue of Neptune seemingly rising out of
the water. It was attached to the top of the dome,
and if there were people smoking down below, smoke would
often waft out from the statue's mouth, which acted as
a kind of ventilation shaft. Rights estate and his unique
eye for underwater architecture made him very popular among Victorian elites. However,
(07:34):
his shady business practices would soon catch up with him.
In nineteen o four, he was convicted of fraud for
funneling money from one of his companies to another that
had been on the verge of bankruptcy. Investors had been
duped out of their returns, and Right couldn't bear the
thought of spending seven years in prison. He passed away
just after the trial ended, and his estate was quickly
(07:55):
sold off. A man named Lord Piery bought it all,
which seemed kind of fitting. You see, Lord Pierry knew
all about oceanic architecture. In fact, he would go on
to play a huge role in building another large structure
that would eventually end up living beneath the waves, that structure,
the Titanic. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of
(08:18):
the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Manky
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(08:40):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious. Yeah,
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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