In sea lore, phantom ship sightings foretold of some disaster. In the following report from 1922, crew on the Reliance spotted a phantom ship before striking a reef. Three members of the crew drowned in the accident, and the survivors were able to share to add to the lore surrounding phantom ships.
Tell of “Phantom Ship”
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – Superstitious survivors of the wrecked tug Reliance arrived with a tale of a phantom ship.
They assert it crossed their bow shortly before the Reliance smashed on a reef off North Lizard Island.
The phantom, they said, was sighted off Gargantua shortly after dark.
Within two hours the Reliance had struck Lizard reef, and three of her crew, including John McPherson, first to sight the phantom ship, were drowned.
Source: The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.), 21 Dec. 1922.
