Phantoms of the Sea
Wednesday February 13, 2008 8:32 AM
Countless legends that go centuries back have prompted the release of far too many cheesy movies on the topic of ghost ships. Then of course, there's always The Flying Dutchman, captained by a man doomed to travel the seas forever. This ghost ship should be a genre all by itself when you look at how many books, cartoons and movies play off of the legend. So many that you probably don't even know the original story. You do know this: The Flying Dutchman can sometimes be seen on the horizon, emitting a strange light, and it signals doom for whoever can see it. Nautical folklore is swarming with talk of phantom vessels. When it comes to the legends as old as these, however, there's no way of knowing where the truth rests.
Even so, sightings of alleged ghost ships persist. Is there something legitimite behind these sightings or are they just fantastical stories that make good fodder for storytellers and movie scripts?
First of all, we have to look at the definition of a ghost ship. A ghost ship can be classified as follows: the apparition of a sea vessel that had previously sunk or met some other miserable end, a ship that disappears and no trace is ever seen again, or an abandoned ship with no crew. Not to be confused with real ships inhabited by ghosts — that's a whole other story. Although not all three classifications of ghost ships can be deemed paranormal, they tend to be called ghost ships anyhow.
Some really compelling sightings of sea vessel apparitions come out of the area of the Great Lakes. Several ships, such as the Western Reserve, the W.H. Gilcher and the Erie Board of Trade have all been spotted in or near the Great Lakes. All three ships sunk in different lakes during the late 1800s. There are still reports of sightings and actually, they're quite common. However, they're impossible to verify until someone takes a picture in which a vessel can be identified.
Then there are the ships that just disappear and are never seen again — no bodies, no trace of debris or sunken wreckage. In 1872 the S.S. Iron Mountain left Vicksburg, Mississippi and steamed up the Mississippi River. It was carrying a cargo of cotton and molasses bound for Pittsburgh and was towing barges. Another ship found the barges later in the day but the ship had vanished.
A slightly different type of ghost ship also gets reported, but these kinds probably have earthly explanations — we just haven't figured some of them out yet. In present and past decades, crews have come across another sea vessel entirely abandoned, with gear, food and belongings in place as if the missing crew were going to appear at any moment — except they never do. Left floating and abandoned, these vessels could be the victim of modern-day pirates. Strangely enough, however, laptops and valuables have sometimes been found on board. So where did everyone go? Many times we never find out.
It's probably safe to say that most alleged ghost ships are somewhere at the bottom of an ocean, lake or river and these wrecks just haven't been discovered yet. Cases of missing crews have to be explained on a case-by-case basis.
Comments (3)
Look, I really don't mean to nit-pic, but you guys need to check more than your spelling. You need to check your wording. Below, I have copied the final sentence of the fourth paragraph above.
"However, they're impossible to verify until somehow takes a picture in which a vessel can be identified." If you don't believe me, scroll up and look at it. It will look so much more professional if you catch your own mistakes. Following, you will find what I have assumed what it was supposed to say, or at least what made sense. "However, they're impossible to verify until someone takes a picture in which a vessel can be identified."
Posted by Pamela A. Talbot | February 15, 2008 9:03 AM
Posted on February 15, 2008 09:03
Typo fixed. Crisis averted.
Posted by Andrew | February 15, 2008 11:50 AM
Posted on February 15, 2008 11:50
"The Flying Dutchman can sometimes be seen on the horizon, emitting a strange light, and it signals doom for whoever can see it."
Perhaps this was an ancient mariner's myth to explain the phenomenon known as "Green Flashes," which occur on the horizon - especially at sea - during sunset. Right before the sun disappears completely, a green flash is seen. The explanation for this is that the the atmosphere refracts the sunlight, scattering it's colors. As the sun descends, this colors disappear one by one, leaving the final color, green, visible for only a brief moment before the sun disappears entirely.
Posted by Cullan | February 15, 2008 5:38 PM
Posted on February 15, 2008 17:38