Newspaper Clipping of the Day

In 1963, life got all wet for Francis Martin and his family. One night, the Methuen, Massachusetts household was watching television when they suddenly saw water coming from the wall. They heard a “popping noise,” like a firecracker, and the spurts increased, emitting about a quart at a time.

Engineers and the fire department inspected the house carefully, but the streams of water continued. The home became so flooded that the family was forced to take shelter at the home of Mrs. Martin’s mother in nearby Lawrence. No sooner had they arrived, that water began spewing from the walls and ceiling of this house, as well.

Perhaps the strangest detail is that when the walls were pried open, they were found to be dry on the inside. A check of the crawl space above the house showed that there were no leaks in the roof, and no sign of any moisture.

But the water kept flowing.

When the Martins returned to their home, they shut off the water, drained the pipes, and did everything they could think of to air out the place. But nothing stopped the mysterious deluge. And, of course, no one could even begin to explain how the waterworks followed them to Lawrence.

The "water demon," as the Martins came to call the phenomenon, gradually lessened on its own to the point where it disappeared for good, but no explanation for this aquatic slice of The Weird was ever found.