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Demon Island
墨書 Inktalez
On Earth, there exists a terrifying prison that houses the most dangerous criminals, surrounded by icy waters concealing fearsome sharks. It is considered an escape-proof cage, known as the highly secure "Demon Island" prison.
Just how frightening is it?
Initially, Demon Island was called Alcatraz Island, located east of the Golden Gate Bridge. This small island, composed of rock, was originally built as a military fortress by the U.S. Army. However, after a massive earthquake struck San Francisco in 1906, many prisoners went missing while Alcatraz Island remained intact.
Consequently, the local government decided to convert it into a prison, housing all serious offenders there, which led to its nickname "Demon Island."
As a prison within a prison, its outer walls are 0.6 meters thick, and it is divided into three levels with over 300 cells. All cell doors are made of iron plates that offer no privacy, and the only exit is a heavy iron door weighing 2 tons.
Additionally, there is a 4-meter-high fence surrounding the cell block, topped with barbed wire.
Moreover, there are six watchtowers on the outer layer, manned by armed guards who monitor the area 24 hours a day. The island is enveloped by cold, bottomless seawater, deterring any would-be escapees.
Despite this, three serious escape attempts have occurred here.
In 1937, just three years after Devil's Island Prison was completed, two inmates decided to challenge this impregnable fortress and targeted the work area where prisoners labored.
They used stolen tools and spent weeks sawing through two steel bars in their window before jumping out of their cells. They then smashed open a small wooden door next to the barbed wire with a wrench and used discarded old tires as cushions to slide down a 6-meter-high cliff.
At the same time, they brought along two oil barrels as flotation devices and leaped away from Demon Island.
They chose to act during foggy weather so that when alarms were raised and searches conducted, searchlights could not spot them.
However, according to the investigators' analysis, it was impossible for the two escapees to swim out of the area.
In such harsh conditions, not only is it easy to lose one's sense of direction, but the fluctuating terrain also creates many unpredictable currents in the water.
Additionally, the presence of sharks in the sea made survival chances minimal.
Although their bodies were never found, investigators firmly believed that the two had died, and thus the case was hastily closed.
Two years later, in 1939, five more prisoners decided to escape.
They took advantage of the one hour of outdoor time each day and traded with other inmates to obtain a steel saw.
Then, around 3 AM, while the guards were distracted, they first sawed through the iron doors of their cells and then made their way to the gym across the hall, where they used the same method to saw through the iron windows.
The five climbed out of their cell block through the windows and successfully crossed the barbed wire after avoiding the guards' line of sight.
To increase their chances of success, they decided to split into three groups and escape in different directions.
The first group of two chose to use discarded wood on the beach to construct a raft for crossing the sea; another group of two searched for tools on a different beach; while the last prisoner acted alone and jumped directly into the water, intending to swim to San Francisco.
When guards began searching for them, they quickly discovered the whereabouts of these five individuals. Three surrendered due to exhaustion, while the other two attempted to continue swimming but were ultimately shot by guards. In the end, four were returned to their cells, and one died from severe injuries.
Over the next 23 years, 20 prisoners attempted various escape methods, all of which ended in failure.
Until an escape incident in 1962, this prison, known as the world's strictest, lost its reputation forever.
Initially, three inmates created a fake head using stolen soap and hair after lights out, which they used to cover themselves during the guards' inspections. They then dug through a ventilation shaft beneath the sink and escaped through the internal pipes.
Investigators later discovered that the toilets at Devil's Island Prison were flushed with seawater, allowing the three inmates to smear toilet water on the walls every day for three years.
Concrete absorbs seawater and expands like a sponge, eventually causing cracks in the entire wall structure. Once the walls became weak, they used stolen spoons to break through their cell.
At the same time, to create escape tools, the three inmates cleverly blocked the guards' view with a bedsheet while cleaning on the top floor, claiming it was to prevent dust from falling into the prison.
Over the next six weeks, they took turns climbing to the top floor's storage room at night. Using an engineering magazine, they successfully crafted life jackets and a lifeboat from 50 raincoats and glue found there, transforming an accordion into an inflatable pump. Ultimately, they vanished into the vast night.
Regardless of how prison officials analyzed their chances of survival, the successful escape of these three inmates became a fact.
Less than a year after the Demon Island escape incident, the federal government announced the closure of this prison.
To this day, there is no official conclusion about whether those three who escaped died on their way or successfully completed their escape; perhaps only they know the truth of what happened.
Today, Demon Island is no longer a prison but has transformed into a tourist attraction.
It retains scenes from when it was a prison, allowing visitors to truly feel the despair experienced by inmates held there at that time.
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