Mr.Heyvin's Blog

SS Watertown

2009-01-18T13:05:00.000+07:00

In December of 1924, an oil tanker named the S.S. Watertown sailed from California toward the Panama Canal in route to New Orleans. While they were sailing, James Courtney and Michael Meehan, crew members of the vessel, were cleaning a cargo tank in the ship’s hold. In a freak accident, the two men were overcome by gas and oil fumes and died. On December 4, as was the custom of the time, the sailors were buried at sea off the Mexican coast. This was not the last that the remaining crew members were to see of their dead shipmates. The next day, “before dusk, the first mate reported seeing the faces of the two men in the waves off the port side of the ship. They remained in the water for about 10 seconds, and then faded.” For several days thereafter, the “phantom-like” faces of the sailors were clearly seen by other members of the crew in the sea foam created by the ship as it sailed.

On arrival in New Orleans, the ship's captain, Keith Tracy, reported the strange events to his employers at the Cities Service Company. It was suggested that he try to photograph the “eerie” faces if they appeared again. Captain Tracy purchased a camera before the next voyage. When the faces appeared in the water again, Captain Tracy took six photos, and then locked the camera and film in the ship's safe. The crew reported seeing the faces of the deceased seaman several more times, but their appearance became less and less frequent.

The SS Watertown departed and continued its scheduled voyage to New York City. When
the film was processed in New York, five of the exposures showed nothing but sea foam.
The sixth one showed the ghostly faces of the doomed seamen. The negative was checked for fakery by the Burns Detective Agency, which found no sign of tampering. After
a third voyage, the ship's crew was changed and there were no more reports of sightings
of the ghastly duo.

The story of the entire event didn’t appear until ten years later, after it was found in the journal of the shipping company. The negative of the photograph being lost by the passage of time, made it impossible to re-verify the image as authentic. Was this just a figment of some superstitious sailor's imagination? Was this some cruel joke? Is it possible that the sightings were induced by mass hysteria? Was the sighting of the ghostly pair just an optical illusion? Many individuals in the search of paranormal ghost phenomenon are reporting to have similar experiences. Evidence may be mounting?

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Ourang Medan

2009-01-18T13:02:00.000+07:00

In February 1948, distress calls were picked up by numerous ships near Indonesia. The SOS calls came from the Dutch freighter SS Ourang Medan. The signals claimed, "All officers including captain are dead lying in chartroom and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead." This message was followed by indecipherable Morse code then, "I die."

Within hours of the first distress signals, the first rescue ship arrived on the scene. Upon arrival, the rescue vessel tried to hail the Ourang Medan but there was no response to their hand and whistle signals. A boarding party was sent to the ship and what they found was astonishing. All the crew and officers of the Ourang Medan were dead, their eyes open, faces looking towards the sun, arms outstretched and a look of terror on their faces. Even the ship's dog was dead, found snarling at some unseen enemy. When nearing the bodies in the boiler room, the rescue crew felt a chill though the temperature was near 110°F.

The decision was made to tow the ship back to port. As the ship was prepared to be towed, smoke began rolling up from the hull. The rescue crew left the ship and barely had time to cut the tow lines before the Ourang Medan exploded and sank.

What happened the the crew of the Ourang Medan? Was it a UFO? Some other paranormal event that scared everyone to death? There is some speculation that the Ourang Medan was carrying illegal chemical weapons (this was post WWII). Could something they were secretly transporting leaked, killing everyone aboard?

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

MV Joyita

2009-01-18T12:51:00.000+07:00

The MV Joyita was a wooden ship built in 1931 as a luxury yacht. It was commissioned by
the US Navy as a patrol boat during WWII, serving in the South Pacific.

On October 3, 1955, the Joyita left Samoa for the Tokelau Islands. The Joyita was carrying
cargo of medical supplies, lumber and foods, along with 9 passengers and 16 crew. She
never reached port, so a search crew covered 100,00 square miles in search of the Joyita to
no avail.

The Joyita was found on November 10th, 600 miles away from her planned route. No trace
of the cargo, crew or passengers were ever found on the partially submerged vessel. The
ghost ship's radio was tuned to the international marine distress channel.

It has been theorized in books that the Joyita most likely was attacked by pirates or
Japanese fishing boats possibly conducting illegal activity. If so, the crew and passengers
were murdered and the cargo stolen.

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Mary Celeste

2009-01-18T12:42:00.000+07:00

Launched in 1860 under the name Amazon, the Mary Celeste started her ill fated life. In the 10 years before she was to become the Mary Celeste, the ship was involved in several accidents and went through several owners. She was sent to the New York salvage auction where she was purchased for $3,000. After extensive repairs, she was christened Mary Celeste.

The new captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, and young daughter, along with 8 crew members departed New York on November 7, 1872 bound for Genoa, Italy. The cargo consisted of 1700 barrels of raw American alcohol.

On December 5, 1872, the ship Dei Gratia came upon the Mary Celeste floundering on the sea. The captain of the Dei Gratia knew Captain Briggs and was surprised to see the ship derelict as Briggs had a reputation as an excellent captain. Men from the Dei Gratia boarded the abandoned Mary Celeste to determine what was going on.

The ship was found in good seaworthy condition. It appeared as though the crew had left in a great hurry. They discovered that the chronometer and sextant were missing. There was water between the decks and the Galley was in bad shape. The stove was knocked out of place and cooking utensils were strewn about. There were no lifeboats aboard the ship and everything was soaked. A rope was found hanging over the side of the ship trailing in the water.

The crew from the Dei Gratia managed to get the Mary Celeste into port. When the cargo was unloaded, they found 9 of the barrels of alcohol empty.

What happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste? Some feel that the cargo became unstable and that the captain decided to trail behind the ship in the lifeboat until such time that it was safe to board. However, for some reason, the ship outdistanced the lifeboat leaving the crew helpless on the sea.

Another theory involves foul play. However, no evidence was ever found to prove that. Still other think that the ship was caught in the middle of a seaquake. And still others claim the crew was eaten by sharks during a swim.

Whatever the reason, the story of the Mary Celeste stills fascinates people. Something about the image of a ship sailing alone, the crew and captain missing..... without a trace.

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Jian Seng

2009-01-18T12:34:00.000+07:00

An abandoned tanker, the Jian Seng was found in 2006 by an Australian coast watch
airplane in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Australian customs vessel Storm was dispatched at
night.

The following morning, a small boat was launched to board the drifting Jian Seng. No one
was found on board. Its point of origin unknown, documents recovered later indicated it was
the Jian Seng; but the ship's name had been painted over.

The Jian Seng had a large supply of rice in its cargo hold, used to possibly re-supply fishing
vessels out at sea. Its engines, however, were inoperable and Australian officials concluded
it had been adrift for some time. As the Jian Seng had been stripped of anything of value, it
was surmised that it perhaps broke loose from being towed to a ship scrap yard.

The Jian Seng was later towed to deep waters and sunk as an artificial reef, because its
owner was never located.

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Flying Dutchman

2009-01-18T12:28:00.000+07:00

The story of the Flying Dutchman is probably the best known ghost ship. The ship was sailing around the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of Africa) when it encountered a bad storm. Because of the captain's refusal to sail for safe harbor, the ship was lost and the captain and crew doomed to sail the seas forever. Richard Wagner wrote a play based on a legend that says the Captain is allowed to go ashore every seven years in order to redeem himself by winning the hand of a maiden.

On January 26, 1923, four seamen sighted what is believed to be the ghost ship The Flying Dutchman. At 12:15 A.M. they noticed a strange light. Looking through binoculars they were able to make out what looked like a ship's hull. The ship was luminous with 2 masts. Instead of sails, it appeared as if there was a thin mist where the sails would be. As the ghost ship neared the sailors' vessel, it suddenly disappeared.

It is said that the appearance of the Flying Dutchman is an omen of disaster and that it is seen most often during stormy weather.

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Baychimo

2009-01-18T12:21:00.000+07:00

A cargo steamer was built in Sweden, in 1914 for Hudson's Bay Company. The Baychimo

was used for trading pelts for provisions from the Inuit people along the Victoria Island
Coast of the Northwest Territory - where it became a ghost ship of note.

Heading home with a cargo load of fur in October of 1931, The Baychimo became trapped
in ice. The ship was briefly abandoned, but it broke free from the ice and was re-boarded
by its crew. The Baychimo became stuck in ice again a few days later, and most of the
crew were airlifted to safety. Only fifteen crew remained, awaiting the ship to break free
from the ice. As they stayed in a nearby wooden shelter, a blizzard struck and the ship
disappeared in the storm. The crew concluded that the Baychimo must have sunk somehow
during the storm.

The Baychimo was seen a few days later, 45 miles away, and was tracked down. The
cargo was removed, and the ship again was abandoned due to its "un-sea-worthiness."
The Baychimo continued to float on the sea on its own for 38 years, and was seen many
times. Several times it was boarded, but either bad weather or the lack of necessary
equipment to salvage the Baychimo, kept it a ghost ship. The Baychimo was last seen
stuck in the ice of Beaufort Sea in 1969, and has not been seen since.

(angelsghosts.com & google.com)

Ghost Ships part 1 - The Beginning

2009-01-17T12:51:00.000+07:00

Brian Taylor of Seattle, Washington sent this incinerator face ghost picture from a fishing boat...

"The pictures were taken from the inside of an incinerator on a fishing boat in the Bering sea. I was in
charge of running the incinerator and was just messing around with my camera to take a few pictures of
the flames inside. One of the pictures is normal and the other one I cut and zoomed in on the area in
question. It is pretty freaky looking to me and all my ship mates."

(angelsghosts.com)