Washakorie's Curse

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Title Saga of the Sanpitch Vol 28
Subject Pioneers
Description Stories and poems about early Southern Utah Pioneers
Publisher Snow College
Date 1996
Type Text
Format image/jpeg
Language eng
Rights Management Snow College
Holding Institution Snow College
ARK ark:/87278/s6m043j1
Setname snowc_sts
Date Created 2005-03-01
Date Modified 2005-03-01
ID 326790
Reference URL

Page Metadata

Title Washakorie's Curse
Description and was the site of many celebration. Students marched into the school at the start of the day and after lunch and recess to the playing of a piano in the hall of the main floor. Strangely, the piano would often be heard playing at odd hours, both day and night, with no one around. The music was not recognized, but was somber and ominous. The piano was finally moved to the music room on the second floor, and the weird music stopped. On March 24, 1992, a double tragedy occurred in the boiler room of the school. The custodian, Knute Terkelsen, had gone to the boiler room and did not return. The principal, Elmer Johansen, went looking for him and also did not return. On checking the boiler room, a teacher found the bodies of both men at the bottom of the boiler room stairs. They had been electrocuted by faulty wiring on a light bulb. The light had been used many years without incident. Many people then remembered Washakorie's curse. Following the deaths of the two school employees, the school bell began to act strangely. The bell would mysteriously toll, day or night, whenever a person in town would pass away. People would joke that their bell was about to be rung whenever they were ill. No reason for the weird ringing could be found, and the ringing was dismissed as a natural phenomenon, like the wind or children throwing rocks. Then, during World War II, it was noticed that the bell would ring although no one in town had apparently passed away. Then, someone noticed that the ringing coincided with the death of a Mt. Pleasant soldier, even though news of the tragedy had not yet reached the family of the fallen serviceman. The ringing suddenly stopped in August of 1945. after the war ended. No further incidents were ever reported. The fire escape was a twisting slide, with access at the second and third floors. Most students found the fire drill exciting. Those on the third floor would go scooting down, and those on the second floor would try to jump in between. Usually two sixth grade boys would be at the bottom of the slide to catch and steady the students plummeting down. A small number of students, however, found the drill to be an ominous experience. Many claimed that the boys at the bottom took on a strange and fearful image . as if they were going to snatch a student and run away. Some students said they appeared to be old and swarthy, with long unkept hair and penetrating eyes. A few students became so terrified that they would be escorted down the inside staircase rather than be sent down the slide. 113
Format image/jpeg
Identifier 122_Washakorie's Curse.jpg
Source Saga of the Sanpitch Vol 28
Setname snowc_sts
Date Created 2005-02-23
Date Modified 2005-02-23
ID 326781
Reference URL