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The Queen Mary...
The Most Haunted Ship that ever
sailed the Oceans!
by Pamela Apkarian-Russell
10-15-02
Every year 1.5 million tourists go to visit the Queen Mary.
Docked in Long Beach, California, she now lures many different types of
people for a myriad of reasons. There are those who like to lodge in the
many rooms that are now part of the hotel, and of course, take advantage
of the shopping and the restaurants. Those who love ships or are history
buffs enjoy wandering around and loosing themselves in the many passages
and frankly checking out to see if the old gray ship is as elegant as she
used to be. Then there are those who go for the ghosts.
Launched in Clydebank, Scotland in 1934 by John Brown
& Co. Ltd. Her tonnage was 80,774. Her dimensions 975’ x 118’. Keel
to masthead 234 feet, foremost funnel 70 feet high from dock level from
keel to top of funnel 180 feet high. She had two masts and three funnels.
They began building her in August of 1930 but the depression was on and
work was suspended in December of 1931and not resumed again until April
of 1934. On Sept. 26th, 1936 she was finally launched. And on May 27th
1934 began her maiden voyage to New York from South Hampton. Before the
War she was supposed to have weighed 77,482 tons. One can go on and on
about the dimensions and beauty of this ship that was built of rare wood
gathered from around the world and decorated with art that made it a museum
in itself. However, these are easy to look up in the many books that were
written about her. Truly a queen, she was much photographed. Posters, postcards,
and all types of souvenirs are available - even a boxed plastic model that
one had to put together. The tins and menus are fairly easy to find at
antique shows and shops. Many still have fond memories of traveling across
the Atlantic on this very Deco ship.
The Queen Mary’s life story is very interesting, beginning
with her naming. When permission was asked of King George to name the ship
after one of the greatest Queens of England, he thought they were referring
to his wife Queen Mary and that is why she is named thus and not Victoria!
All Cunard ship names ended in “ia” until the Queen Mary.
On the day she was launched Lady Mabel Fortescue-Harrison,
a prominent astrologer of that era, made a statement, which though it seemed
strange at the time, has proved to be very true. “Most of this generation
will be gone, including myself, when this event occurs. However, the Queen
Mary, launched today, will know its greatest fame and popularity when she
will never sail another mile and never carry another passenger.” Using
ocean liners for hotels was a concept that no one at that time had ever
contemplated let alone during the 60 years she crossed and recrossed the
ocean.
There are 49 reported deaths on the Queen Mary, with the
first happening when she was being built. In the shipyard a young crewman,
during a routine watertight door drill, was crushed to death in doorway
#13 in the depths of the engine room. He was bearded, wearing blue coveralls,
and is often seen walking the length of Shaft Alley. He is one of the more
active and often seen ghosts. There are different types of ghosts, and
some that we refer to as non-ghosts but are residual memory, which is when
something is reenacted over and over as if a movie was being played.
These are not as interesting as the young sailor who wanders
about and seems quite curious about what is happening aboard ship.
During World War II the Queen Mary was requisitioned and
turned into a troop ship until Aug of 1947 when she resumed being an ocean
liner once again. Because she was the fastest ship on the seas and because
Hitler had a bounty of $250,000 and an iron cross ready to be awarded to
the U-boat captain that achieved the dubious honor of sinking her, she
followed a zigzag pattern to keep from being torpedoed. Those were the
days when she was known as the Grey Ghost and battleships were painted
a lovely shade of gray to make it harder for them to be seen. The elegant
darling of the Jet Set became the means of transporting thousands of men
to the front The H.M.S. Curacao that was escorting the Queen Mary, went
off course across the Queen Mary’s bow and was sliced in two. Only 101
men of a crew of 439 survived the disaster. There was no way the collision
could be avoided and this was wartime and orders were orders, which meant
the Queen Mary could not stop for any reason, beside she had also, sustained
damage and needed to get to port.
Forty years later an audio recorder was left running during
the night after the crew of a television documentary had left. This was
the exact spot the two ships had collided. The tape was played back the
next day and distinct sounds of pounding could be heard. This spot has
had many reports of voices, blood curdling screams and banging. Was this
the last moments of the crew pounding and screaming to get out of the Curacao
as she sank to her watery grave? Why this one spot? Why just these particular
noises? During the war years many men died aboard the Grey Ghost but no
one knows for sure just how many troubled souls there are that have not
completely left the decks, corridors and work areas of the ship.
Today there is a small shop specializing in Queen Mary
items in the main hall and shopping area. One can begin a collection of
Queen Mary books right there in the shop. Many of the areas where ghostly
sightings occur have been closed off to the public. In order to see the
steam room and the swimming pool areas you must go on a ghastly little
tour, which is like a third, class haunted house with the audio level so
high one thinks ones ear drums will split. The noise alone is enough to
make any ghost go running for cover.
The captains’ tour however, which unfortunately doesn’t
take you to places like the pool, fills you in on the art and architecture
of the ship and some interesting tidbits of history. For example, Liberace
traveled on the Queen Mary quite frequently and though he was in first
class he would go down to the third class lounge and play the piano for
them. No first class passengers were allowed to attend his concerts there.
He was a gracious and glitzy gentleman and a great entertainer who cared
enough to make the passage for the third class passengers a trifle less
tedious.
When we entered the cabin tea and dance room I was immediately
drawn to the far right corner of the room, as there was an almost magnetic
pull from this area. Is this where the beautiful young girl would sway
to the music of the orchestra as she half hid amongst the shadows? Who
was she and why is she there? Is she waiting for someone? Perhaps, it is
the music that keeps her there.
There are many ghosts on this ship and so many sightings
by multiples of people that … but then… just because so many people swear
it is the truth…judge for yourself. There is something about the Queen
Mary that draws the veil between worlds so thin that even skeptics in full
light of day have seen people in period clothing moving about, past them,
through them, touching them, and disappearing where there was no area to
conceal themselves. Why is the Lady in White seen so often and why have
certain rooms been closed off because of constant apparitions? I certainly
would like to book into B308. Wouldn’t you?
Nicolle is one of the guides on the Queen Mary and loves
her job but is very frightened of ghosts. She has had two encounters, which
she was kind enough to share with me and the three folk artists that I
was with. “She had long brown hair and she was very tall. I was walking
down the corridor and saw the Lady in White in front of a door as if she
were about to enter it. I prayed she wouldn’t turn and look at me. I knew
she was a ghost as her feet were well above the ground. I fled down the
corridor shaking with fear.”
“The other time was 6:00 AM in the Promenade Café when
I was hostess there. The pantry on the right had a Hispanic man with a
mustache and he was washing dishes. He just disappeared when I opened the
saloon door and saw him. I don’t like to tell people as I’m afraid they
won’t believe me and it makes me scared all over again.”
Richard Daniels is a security man on the Queen Mary. Linda
and I had gotten lost and separated from Mathew and Madeline. We asked
him for directions and then I asked him if he been working on the Queen
Mary for long. “Since 1980,” he told me. I then asked if he could spare
me a few moments of his time to tell of any incidents that had occurred
to him. He told us as he walked his rounds. “The print-out said the room
was unoccupied but when the maids went to open the door the chain was on
from the inside and they could hear someone taking a shower. One maid stayed
at the door while the other came to fetch me. I knocked on the door again
and could here the shower going and then it being switched off. I then
got out my key and unlocked the door. The room was steamy and the bed was
wet like someone had recently sat upon it. There was no one in the room
and no one could have gotten past the two maids who were standing in the
door way of B 308.” Another time he was called to room A167 where a Professor
from Leeds University had just seen the Lady in White pass through. There
isn’t a connecting door to that room. In Room A027 a lady was staying there
with her baby. The stroller moved and she saw a figure moving. She cried
out, “Don’t hurt my baby!” grabbed her baby, and ran out of the room. I
was called in. She was really rather upset.”
Those are just a few of the many sightings and if you don’t
want to collect ghost stores you can just collect the ephemera of a ship
with the validity of the accuracy of a prophesy which continues to grow.
I want to thank both Richard Daniels and Nicolle for being
so kind and helpful in the true tradition of the Queen Mary when she catered
to every whim of her passengers.
About the Author: Pamela Apkarian-Russell has an antique shop specializing in postcards, ephemera and holiday items, and is always interested in purchasing items for her shop on Route 10 in Winchester, NH or for her private collection. An author of 9 (going on 10) books, and publisher of the Trick or Treat Trader, she writes for magazines/newspapers internationally. Email:halloweenqueen@ cheshire.net or call 603-239-8875 or visit herwebsite at http://adam.cheshire.net/~halloweenqueen/home.html