For more than 60 years, people in New Bedford have pleaded for the return of the Charles W. Morgan, which began its life in the Whaling City back in the mid-19th century. Now, the spirit of the world's most famous whaling ship might also long for a return home.The Morgan, one of Connecticut's top tourist attractions at Mystic Seaport, appears to be inhabited by the spirit of "Gerald," a 19th-century seaman who still works on the ship as he did more than 100 years ago.
The Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group, which has been using a scientific approach to investigate claims of the paranormal for more than two decades, has received numerous reports about spirit activity on the Morgan through the years. When the group received three similar reports from three different groups that described an encounter with a spirit aboard the ship, it decided to investigate.
When the research group checked out the claims, investigators had a haunting feeling that they weren't alone on the great vessel.
Director Andrew Laird had an encounter with a spirit during the group's investigation, although he didn't know it at the time. "We had security guards that were helping us out, and Dr. Laird approached someone who he thought was a security guard, near the midmast," group member Maggie Florio said. "The guard didn't respond to him; he just walked toward the midmast but never appeared around the other side."
She added that in more than 20 years of investigating the paranormal, this is only the second time Dr. Laird has seen an apparition.
A fellow "sensitive" with the group, Renee Blais, is the one who felt the presence of Gerald. A search of the Morgan crew lists on the Mystic Web site did not turn up anyone with the first or last name of Gerald, although the site indicates that there are crew lists from six voyages that have yet to be discovered.
Read the full story at the link provided: