Wreckage & Ruins

About Wreckage & Ruins

Welcome to Wreckage & Ruins! Each week we investigate disasters: man-made and natural, legendary last stands, medical mishaps, and everything in between. Each of the ruins unfold into a story, and we're here to understand why it happened and what came after.

Publisher

CC and Kitty

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Jan 2026

Latest episode

4 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

45 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Nov 2026

   Episode 45: The Greenbrier Resort Bunker

   For decades, the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, concealed a Cold War secret. Beneath its luxurious surroundings was a government bunker designed to provide an emergency relocation site for the United States Congress. Known as Project Greek Island, the facility was equipped with dormitories, communications equipment, meeting rooms, medical facilities, and supplies intended to help lawmakers continue working after a national catastrophe. Guests enjoying the resort had little reason to suspect what was hidden nearby. Then, in May 1992, reporting by The Washington Times and Ted Gup in The Washington Post brought the bunker into public view. The disclosure sparked a debate about security, government secrecy, and the public's right to know. By 1995, the facility's original government role had ended. CC and Kitty trace the Greenbrier's history, from its early days as a mineral-springs destination through World War II and into the fears that shaped American nuclear preparedness. Special thanks to Bill Conte, the Administrator of The Greenbrier History Group on Facebook who allowed us to use many of their photos for our social media posts for the episode. Please explore their page for more context, detail, and historic facts regarding the bunker, hotel, and the people who made it all possible! Listen to Wreckage & Ruins for more investigations into history, disasters, and the decisions that shaped them. Sources: https://www.greenbrier.com/discover-more/about-us/history/ (https://www.greenbrier.com/discover-more/about-us/history/) https://dla.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/wvwc/id/839/ (https://dla.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/wvwc/id/839/) https://www.cfr.org/education/learn/reading/why-did-world-war-ii-happen (https://www.cfr.org/education/learn/reading/why-did-world-war-ii-happen) https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_lebensraum_01.shtml (https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_lebensraum_01.shtml) https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_lebensraum_01.shtml (https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_lebensraum_01.shtml) https://affiliate.wcu.edu/tuckasegeevalleyhistoricalreview/spring-2020/friends-of-necessity-the-effects-of-the-1939-german-soviet-nonaggression-pact/ (https://affiliate.wcu.edu/tuckasegeevalleyhistoricalreview/spring-2020/friends-of-necessity-the-effects-of-the-1939-german-soviet-nonaggression-pact/) https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/lend-lease-act (https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/lend-lease-act) https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-greenbrier-goes-to-war.htm (https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-greenbrier-goes-to-war.htm) https://dorothydraper.com/history/ (https://dorothydraper.com/history/) https://conelrad.blogspot.com/2010/12/greenbrier-revisited.html (https://conelrad.blogspot.com/2010/12/greenbrier-revisited.html) https://ronnysalerno.com/queencitydiscovery/2018/01/charleston-greenbrier-resort-and-secret.html (https://ronnysalerno.com/queencitydiscovery/2018/01/charleston-greenbrier-resort-and-secret.html) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-town-that-kept-its-nuclear-bunker-a-secret-for-three-decades-180984107/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-town-that-kept-its-nuclear-bunker-a-secret-for-three-decades-180984107/) https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-GR32 (https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/WV-01-GR32) https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/greenbrier-bunker/ (https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/greenbrier-bunker/) https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bomb-interview/ (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bomb-interview/) https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1992/05/31/the-ultimate-congressional-hideaway/9e4dfe02-1de1-43b4-b26f-db92d0a090f5/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1992/05/31/the-ultimate-congressional-hideaway/9e4dfe02-1de1-43b4-b26f-db92d0a090f5/) https://www.greenbrier.com/activities/bunker-tours/ (https://www.greenbrier.com/activities/bunker-tours/)

2. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Episode 44: Bradford Sweets Poisoning

   Episode 44: Bradford Sweets Poisoning The Bradford sweets poisoning of 1858 began with a decision meant to make candy cheaper, and a pharmacy mistake that put arsenic into peppermint sweets. In October 1858, William “Humbug Billy” Hardaker sold sweets at a Bradford market stall. They looked unusual, but neither the seller nor his customers knew that arsenic trioxide had entered the batch. By the time authorities traced the contamination and warned the public, around 20 people had died and more than 200 others had become ill. CC and Kitty follow the trail from the sweets stall to the confectioner and the druggist, explain the Victorian practice of replacing sugar with cheaper substances, and examine what happened when the people involved faced manslaughter proceedings. The story also leads to the development of British food-adulteration law and tighter controls on the sale of poisons. With Halloween approaching, the episode contrasts the familiar fear of poisoned candy with a documented 19th-century disaster: not an intentional trick, but a deadly mistake involving an ordinary sweet. Listen to Wreckage & Ruins for weekly investigations of disasters, history, and the decisions behind them. Follow the show for more. SOURCES: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-67067171 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-67067171) https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween (https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween) https://www.cambridgeschool.com/es/the-origins-of-halloween.html (https://www.cambridgeschool.com/es/the-origins-of-halloween.html) https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lbqywl (https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lbqywl) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/030801882789801250 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/030801882789801250) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6190426/ (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6190426/) https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discovery/history-stories/the-story-behind-the-picture-eating-your-greens-victorian-style/ (https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discovery/history-stories/the-story-behind-the-picture-eating-your-greens-victorian-style/) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera) https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/about/index.html (https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/about/index.html) https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/poisoned-candy (https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/poisoned-candy) https://www.undercliffecemetery.co.uk/about/history/felix-marsh-rimmington/ (https://www.undercliffecemetery.co.uk/about/history/felix-marsh-rimmington/) https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-arsenic-rule-history (https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-arsenic-rule-history) https://hopp.uwpress.org/content/57/1-⅔ (https://hopp.uwpress.org/content/57/1-%E2%85%94) https://medium.com/@jchjcck/the-storied-career-of-arsenic-ee0c6990a62c (https://medium.com/@jchjcck/the-storied-career-of-arsenic-ee0c6990a62c) https://www.fda.gov/food/compliance-enforcement-food/economically-motivated-adulteration-food-fraud (https://www.fda.gov/food/compliance-enforcement-food/economically-motivated-adulteration-food-fraud)

3. 

   21 Oct 2026

   Episode 43: Funeral Home Disasters

   Funeral home scandals strike at a level of trust most families never expect to question. In Colorado, approximately 190 human remains were discovered at Return to Nature Funeral Home. In Chicago, investigators found 56 bodies at South Chicago Chapel. Decades earlier, the David Sconce crematory scandal exposed serious misconduct in California's funeral industry. CC and Kitty examine these funeral home disasters, from improper storage and cremation practices to criminal convictions, civil lawsuits, and the lasting damage experienced by families. With years of experience working in funeral service, both hosts understand the responsibilities behind the profession. They discuss how the industry handles identification, cremation, and the care of human remains, while separating the actions of individuals involved in these cases from the professionals working to uphold ethical standards. The episode also includes firsthand stories from CC and Kitty, including a cemetery-name misunderstanding and a funeral singalong that went unexpectedly wrong. Some investigations discussed are ongoing, and allegations are distinguished from established legal findings. Content warning: Includes graphic discussions of human remains, decomposition, and funeral-service experiences. Listen to Wreckage & Ruins with CC & Kitty for more disaster investigations and overlooked history. Sources: SOURCES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F1iCoc2CTE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F1iCoc2CTE) https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/judge-orders-new-inspection-of-funeral-home-where-decomposing-bodies-were-found/3993569/ (https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/judge-orders-new-inspection-of-funeral-home-where-decomposing-bodies-were-found/3993569/) https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/plant-green-cremations-glenwood-raided-police/ (https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/plant-green-cremations-glenwood-raided-police/) https://www.gentlewater.com/water-cremation-services (https://www.gentlewater.com/water-cremation-services) https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/bodies-recovered-from-colorado-funeral-home (https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/bodies-recovered-from-colorado-funeral-home) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/05/colorado-funeral-home-ruling (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/05/colorado-funeral-home-ruling) https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/return-nature-funeral-home-owners-plead-guilty-federal-court (https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/return-nature-funeral-home-owners-plead-guilty-federal-court) https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2025/06/27/colorado-springs-funeral-home-operator-sentenced-gruesome-fraud-scheme (https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2025/06/27/colorado-springs-funeral-home-operator-sentenced-gruesome-fraud-scheme) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-30-me-1105-story.html (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-30-me-1105-story.html) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-05-08-ga-3534-story.html (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-05-08-ga-3534-story.html) https://time.com/archive/6712441/crime-stealing-from-the-dead/ (https://time.com/archive/6712441/crime-stealing-from-the-dead/) https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/05/09/Couple-son-accused-of-selling-body-parts/7841579153600/ (https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/05/09/Couple-son-accused-of-selling-body-parts/7841579153600/) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-27-me-892-story.html (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-27-me-892-story.html) https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-original-three-part-documentary-series-mortician-debuts-june-1 (https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-original-three-part-documentary-series-mortician-debuts-june-1) https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-06-01/the-mortician-hbo-review (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2025-06-01/the-mortician-hbo-review) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_23-cv-02711/pdf/USCOURTS-cand-3_23-cv-02711-0.pdf (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-cand-3_23-cv-02711/pdf/USCOURTS-cand-3_23-cv-02711-0.pdf)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Contact Wreckage & Ruins

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Lore

• 

  Morbid

• 

  Crime Junkie

• 

  Park Predators