Most Haunted Places in America: Sloss Furnaces

It was 1882 when the town of Birmingham, Alabama saw the construction of Sloss Furnaces and started producing pig iron. Col. James Withers Sloss, noted as one of Birmingham’s founders decided to build this gigantic furnace to help the industrial age come into its own.

Due to the high demand and production schedule, most of the furnace workers had to live on the grounds, so that they could be called back to work at a moment’s notice. They were paid via company script, meaning a check that was good exclusively at the company store, to buy company merchandise, and it was at company prices.

Their employees were forced to perform backbreaking work and very lengthy hours at the plant. Not to mention the high heat that rose to temperatures of up to 120 degrees in the summer and fatigue that was a constant threat. Those trials though were somewhat bearable, unless you were working on the graveyard shift.

Those who worked on the graveyard shift had to contend with James Robert Wormwood, also known as “Slag”. Slag obsessed over increasing production on his shift. Slag simply did not care whether or not his crew got hurt, ill or so tired that accidents happened. A crew of about 150 men worked under Slag’s slave driving techniques to keep the Furnace at top performance. There were 47 accidents and fatalities on Slag’s shift out of the total of 60 for the time Sloss’ was running.

One night, while Slag was checking out an upper section of one of Sloss’ tallest blast furnaces in October 1899, he suddenly fell off of a catwalk and into a vat of boiling ore. There were no remains of Slag in the furnace, he was incinerated in seconds. It is unclear what may have happened, was he tired and lost footing and fell or were his men involved in the “accident”?

Once Slag was no longer there to over work his crew with such brutal conditions over night work stopped, although, Slag’s spirit unmistakably still tries to control the goings on at the Sloss Furnace during his prior shift at the plant.

There have been accounts of weird lights flying around and whistles going off by themselves. Some old hallways and staircases creak to unseen footsteps. At times there is a phantom mist that drifts down the catwalks to the main floor.

Numerous people who have taken a tour the facility swore they have heard an angry male voice order them back to work, and some have actually seen a visage of a badly burned man gesticulating at them.

There have been many accounts of physical paranormal activity as well. Employees as well as tourists have received abrupt shoves from behind once they are at the top of a stairway. One of the security guards for Sloss claims that he was pummeled by a badly burnt enraged creature.

With all the deaths associated with the Sloss furnaces it is no wonder this most haunted place in America is a paranormal hot spot. There have been apparitions sited, lots of odd noises and voices heard as well as physical confrontations. Most of these are paranormal events are attributed to Slag.

Today Sloss Furnaces are a National Historic Landmark and the only blast furnace from its era being preserved and a historic industrial landmark. In 1983 it opened as a museum and open daily. If you ever visit the Furnace, you may want to try and stay clear of Slag.

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