Fellowship

Summary

Cabinet of Curiosities: "Fellowship" (October 28, 2025) – Detailed Episode Summary

Overview

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, titled "Fellowship", Aaron Mahnke leads listeners through two extraordinary tales: the harrowing survival of Betty Lou Oliver in a catastrophic elevator accident, and the origin of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary journey through the fellowship he formed with friends as a young man. Both stories illuminate the resilience and transformative power of connection, whether in the face of disaster or through bonds that inspire legendary achievements.

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Story One: Betty Lou Oliver & The Empire State Elevator Disaster

(Timestamps: 01:10–05:52)

Key Discussion Points:

• Setting the Scene:
  On July 20, 1945, Betty Lou Oliver, a 20-year-old elevator operator, looks forward to a future with her fiancé after the end of WWII, unaware that her life is about to change drastically.

• Catastrophe Strikes:
  While on duty, Betty’s elevator is struck by catastrophe. After hearing a crash and feeling the elevator shake, "the top part of the cab burst open, the metal splitting like paper. Flames erupted all around her, flash burning her skin before extinguishing. And then she was falling." (Aaron Mahnke, 01:44)

• The Cause:
  The chaos was caused by a B25D bomber, piloted by William Franklin Smith, Jr., that mistakenly crashed into the 79th and 80th floors of the Empire State Building due to heavy fog. One of the engines crashed into Betty’s elevator shaft, severing the cables and causing her free-fall.

• Survival Against the Odds:
  Betty plunged 80 stories—over 1,000 feet—in an elevator, earning "the Guinness world record for longest fall survived in an elevator." (Aaron Mahnke, 04:45) Her survival is attributed to the coiled elevator cables beneath the shaft and air compression in the narrow shaft, which slightly cushioned the impact.

• Miraculous Recovery:
  Though she sustained severe injuries—broken neck, back, pelvis, and legs—doctors performed innovative surgeries. Betty made a full recovery and ultimately returned to Arkansas with her fiancé, living a long, happy life.

• Aftermath & Legacy:
  The incident led Congress to pass a law allowing victims to sue the government for damages, and remains "the highest story fire that New York City firefighters have ever successfully contained." (Aaron Mahnke, 05:00)

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• On the accident:
  "She cried out as the damaged elevator began hurtling toward the ground, quickly clearing floor after floor. Her mind raced. She didn’t understand what was happening... Her eyes went wide and she screamed." (Aaron Mahnke, 01:58)

• On survival:
  "Experts, including members of the TV science show Mythbusters, agree that Betty survived the fall because...the broken elevator cables coiling at the bottom of the shaft cushioned her fall, and the narrow nature of the shaft creating air pressure that would have also slowed the cab." (Aaron Mahnke, 04:40)

• Closing reflection:
  "The accident was ultimately just a curious chapter in her life, but it’s a good reminder that every day could be your last and that if danger ever comes your way, hold on tight, and you might just survive." (Aaron Mahnke, 05:39)

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Story Two: Fellowship and the Making of J.R.R. Tolkien

(Timestamps: 07:28–11:16)

Key Discussion Points:

• Schoolboy Societies in 1911 Birmingham:
  In a relatable look at student life, Mahnke notes how "students love sorting themselves into clubs and cliques...Finding friends with the same interests can make things significantly more endurable." (Aaron Mahnke, 07:29)

• The Tea Club and Barrovian Society (TCBS):
  Four ambitious schoolboys—Robert, Geoffrey, Christopher, and John—formed a literary fellowship over tea at Barrow Stores, dreaming of artistic greatness. They "would be named the Tea Club and Barovian Society. Every member would put the letters TCBS at the end of their signature as a way of signifying how important this bond was to them." (Aaron Mahnke, 07:50)

• The Impact of War:
  World War I interrupts their lives. All four enlist—only Christopher and John return. The society becomes a coping mechanism during the horrors of war, and their friendship endures loss.

• Legacy of the Fellowship:
  John works to publish a fallen friend’s poetry, goes on to become an Oxford professor, and founds another influential literary club. His expertise in mythology and ancient languages lays the groundwork for modern fantasy.

• The Birth of a Legend:
  The “John” in this story is revealed as J.R.R. Tolkien. Inspired by his formative companionships, he writes The Hobbit and, later, The Lord of the Rings, "a work of epic literature that redefined fantasy for all time. All because of a dream that he first conceived while illicitly smuggling tea into the library with his school friends." (Aaron Mahnke, 10:49)

• Enduring Friendships:
  The episode closes with a reflection on how, even as we grow apart from childhood friends, their impact shapes our destinies:
  "These days, it’s a lot harder to stay in touch with our classmates...But that doesn’t mean we stop thinking about those early days and foundational friends. After all, you never forget your first fellowship." (Aaron Mahnke, 11:10)

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• On the origins of TCBS:
  "Sometimes they would smuggle tea into their school library in order to drink while studying. In homage to this behavior, the group would be named the Tea Club and Barrovian Society." (Aaron Mahnke, 07:50)

• On the creation of The Hobbit:
  "Inspired by his love of fairy stories, he wrote a book for children which would be published in the 1930s, and perhaps you’ve heard of it. It was called the Hobbit." (Aaron Mahnke, 10:20)

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Structuring Insights & Episode Tone

Aaron Mahnke delivers these tales with his signature mix of curiosity, empathy, and wonder. The narrative style is warm and personal, blending historical detail with human experience, and closing with reflections designed to inspire and intrigue.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|------------| | Betty Lou Oliver Story Begins | 01:10 | | Betty Survives the Elevator Fall | 04:45 | | Story Reflection and Closing | 05:39 | | Tolkien’s Schoolboy Club | 07:28 | | TCBS Coping with War | 08:29 | | Only Two of Four Return | 09:30 | | John Publishes Geoffrey’s Poems | 09:48 | | “John” Revealed as J.R.R. Tolkien | 10:17 | | Concludes with “You never forget your first fellowship” | 11:10 |

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Conclusion

Cabinet of Curiosities – Fellowship transports listeners through remarkable true stories, united by themes of survival, belonging, and the creative spark born from human connection. Whether facing unimaginable peril or finding one’s fellows over clandestine cups of tea, the episode reminds us, as Mahnke puts it, “you never forget your first fellowship.”

Transcript

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[Erin Menke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

[Aaron Mahnke]

Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Erin Menke]

It was 9:40am on July 20th of 1945. Betty Lou Oliver, a 20 year old elevator operator, sat anxiously in her elevator car within the Empire State Building. The day had only just started, but it couldn't go fast enough. As far as she was concerned, she wanted this whole summer to disappear behind her. The war in Europe was finally over and her fiance, Oscar had called earlier that month to let her know that he was coming home soon. Betty could leave the stuffy elevator behind and she and Oscar could move back to their hometown in Arkansas to enjoy their life together. But everything was about to change. Betty delivered some passengers to the 80th floor and then sat and waited as the door closed closed. She hummed a song to herself thinking about Oscar when she suddenly heard a massive crashing sound above her. The whole elevator shook before Betty had time to think, the top part of the cab burst open, the metal splitting like paper. Flames erupted all around her, flash burning her skin before extinguishing. And then she was falling. She cried out as the damaged elevator began hurtling toward the ground, quickly clearing floor after floor. Her mind raced. She didn't understand what was happening. Had the elevator broken? Where did the flames come from? Was it some accident? Had the Germans or Japanese decided to restart the war? Her eyes went wide and she screamed in terror as her body began to float up off the floor. The cab was moving that fast. All she could think to do was grab the railing on the side of the elevator and pull herself in close to the wall. She kept falling, falling and falling until the moment of impact finally happened. The elevator smacked against the bottom of the shaft, cracking the floor every the force of the impact sent Betty flying to the opposite side of the cab. She felt a terrible cracking sensation all up and down her back and neck. She slumped to the floor, limp, unable to move. Pain enveloped her. Minutes passed. All seemed silent. And then voices. Panicked sounds pierced the cab, Followed by the intense groaning of the metal doors as they were pulled apart with heavy equipment. When the firefighters entered, they were astonished to see Betty's broken body. They called for medics, who quickly came to her side. They checked her pulse and discovered that she was alive. Betty was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors discovered that she had broken her neck, back, pelvis, and both legs. They used multiple innovative, risky surgeries to repair the damage and bring her back from the brink of death. But what had caused this incredible accident? That morning, decorated air force pilot William Franklin Smith, Jr. Had been flying a B25D bomber on a mission with two passengers to Newark, New Jersey. But the sky was full of heavy fog, and he got lost, taking a wrong turn. His altitude was half of what it should have been, which soon brought him smack DAB into the 79th and 80th floors of the empire state building. The plane exploded on impact, Setting both floors ablaze. William, his two passengers, and the 11 people inside the building were killed. One of the plane's engines flew off, Falling several feet away and crashing into a penthouse art studio. But the other engine flew across the 78th floor, where it entered the elevator shaft, Severing the cables of Betty's elevator and exploding the top of her cab. As a result, she fell 80 stories, or 1,000ft, giving her the Guinness world record for longest fall survived in an elevator. This also remains the highest story fire that New York City firefighters have ever successfully contained. Experts, including members of the TV science show mythbusters, agree that Betty survived the fall because of two factors. The broken elevator cables coiling at the bottom of the shaft cushioned her fall, and the narrow nature of the shaft creating air pressure that would have also slowed the cab. Still, it was barely enough. Betty's injuries were horrific. Congress responded by passing a law that actually allowed victims of the crash to sue the government for damages. Betty spent months in the hospital, but miraculously made a full recovery. She was able to return to Arkansas with Oscar, where they enjoyed a long life with many children and grandchildren. The accident was ultimately just a curious chapter in her life, but it's a good reminder that every day could be your last and that if danger ever comes your way, hold on tight, and you might just survive.

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[Erin Menke]

If there's any universal truth about school life, it's that students love sorting themselves into clubs and cliques as young people navigate the annoyances and frustrations of schoolwork. The finding friends with the same interests can make things significantly more endurable. Whether these clubs were official or not, in 1911 Birmingham, a group of nine British schoolboys found a club of their own. The four core members of this group were named Robert, Geoffrey, Christopher, and John. They were all ambitious young men who wanted to become poets, writers and artists, and frequently found themselves drinking tea together at Barrow stores near the school, where they would discuss the plans for their lives. And these were the usual things that schoolboy dreams are made of. Grand hopes for the future. Dreams of artistic success and changing the world. There was a maverick streak to this group. Sometimes they would smuggle tea into their school library in order to drink while studying. In homage to this behavior, the group would be named the Tea Club and Barovian Society. Every member would put the letters TCBS at the end of their signature and a way of signifying how important this bond was to them. Even when they split off to go to college, reunions between Robert, Jeffrey, Christopher and John would continue. By the time they met in 1914, John was even beginning work on a piece of fiction that he had hopes for until the larger world derailed everyone's ambitions. World War I broke out in Europe and soon all four boys were training to fight. Christopher joined the Navy. Jeffrey and Robert enlisted in the Army. The final one to join was John, although he continued to send his poems to friends as he went through basic training. They deployed in 1915, and during the war the TCBS would become a coping mechanism for the boys. Jeffrey wrote while fearing the worst for his unit that the death of one member would not destroy the tcbs. His friends were the Immortal Four. Of the so called Immortal Four, only two would return home at the end of the war. Geoffrey and Robert both died during the Battle of the Somme, while Christopher and John survived. John worked hard to ensure that Geoffrey's poems would be published posthumously, collecting them and writing a preface for them himself. Christopher would go on to become a naval instructor, but John remained dedicated to the craft of prose and poetry. When he became a professor at Oxford, he founded another literary club among the professors, which would come to be known by its own name. But he never forgot his companions from the TCBS and named his children after them. John's prominence in literary circles grew over the following years. An expert on mythology and ancient languages, he contributed to new translations of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, exploring the ins and outs of British literature with a keen eye of an academic and the passion of an amateur. Not long after, inspired by his love of fairy stories, he wrote a book for children which would be published in the 1930s, and perhaps you've heard of it. It was called the Hobbit. And after the Hobbit, he worked for almost 20 years to produce his masterpiece, the Lord of the Rings, a work of epic literature that redefined fantasy for all time. All because of a dream that he first conceived while illicitly smuggling tea into the library with his school friends. These days, it's a lot harder to stay in touch with our classmates. Life gets busy, work takes us hundreds or thousands of miles from home, and the careers we build or the lives we live often feel like we're moving on more than building up. But that doesn't mean we stop thinking about those early days and foundational friends. After all, you never forget your first fellowship.

[Aaron Mahnke]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works, I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.

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In a good way.

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He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy.

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