Читать книгу Spooked in Seattle - Ross Allison - Страница 25

The thirty-fifth floor of the tower is home to The Chinese Room, which is also the observatory deck. The room is finely decorated with gifts of furniture and a hand-carved ceiling from the Empress of China. This also includes the famous Wishing Chair. Legend has it that if an unmarried woman who wants to be married sits in this chair, she will be married within a year. The legend came true for Smith’s daughter, who married in the Chinese Room herself a year after visiting the tower.

Security guards have experienced odd things happening throughout the night while standing watch over the building. The old elevators would be called to floors when no one is in the building. Noises of doors closing and things moving have been heard on empty floors. While watching the security monitors, they have seen shadowy figures appear on the screens. They have also reported having sudden cold breezes fly by them when doing their rounds. Other employees have seen a woman roaming the Chinese Room. She will walk into rooms and never be seen again, sometimes vanishing in front of their eyes. The ghost is believed to be the daughter of L.C. Smith himself. At one time there was an exhibit honoring Bertha Landes, Seattle’s first female mayor. While the event was going on, many claimed to see her spirit overlooking the exhibit.

See also: Harvard Exit Theatre in Capitol Hill

PIONEER SQUARE HOTEL

77 Yesler Way

This historic landmark started out as the Hotel Yesler of Henry Yesler fame. Completed in 1914, it was not until the mid-1990s that the Best Western chain bought the hotel. They restored the building and opened it as The Pioneer Square Hotel, currently the only hotel in the Pioneer Square Historic District. Stories have it that after the hotel fell on hard times and became inhabited by prostitutes and other lower-class citizens during the 1970s, the building was transformed into a “flophouse.” At this time, one of the owners made agreements with some of the homeless to collect their social security checks in exchange for permanent residency in the hotel. Little did people know that if transients died while in his care, he neglected to report the deaths and continued to collect their checks. How he got away with this crime for some time was that he hid these deaths by burying the bodies in the basement of the hotel.

Employees say they don’t like to be alone in the basement. Many have heard odd noises, seen a dark figure lurking about, and have watched objects move without assistance. One employee stated that while alone in the basement a box slid across the floor all on its own. In addition to the weird happenings in the basement, maids have reported that TVs will turn on and off on their own. In fact, guests have had to unplug TVs because they will continue to act up throughout the night by turning on and switching channels.