Since the invention of the camera, photographers have used their skills to capture stunning
images that document amazing events in history.
However, perhaps the most interesting of these images are the ones that depict something
that cannot be easily explained.
These creepy and disturbing photos have both intrigued and baffled mystery seekers for
ages, leaving them with more questions than answers.
5.
S.S. Watertown Ghosts
In December of 1924 the S.S. Watertown, a United States Tanker ship carrying crude oil,
left from its New Orleans, Louisiana Port and headed for California.
Captained by veteran sailor Keith Tracy, the ship and its crew had successfully navigated
the journey through the Panama Canal many times.
Sadly for two of the sailors, this trip would be their first, and their last aboard the
Watertown, after a tragic accident claimed their lives.
It would not, however, be the last time the sailors were seen by the crew.
On December 4th, James Courtney and Micheal Meehan were assigned to clean one of the empty
cargo tanks in the ship's hull.
Armed with cleaning supplies, the pair descended the tank’s metal ladder and began the routine
task of scrubbing the interior of its walls.
Without proper ventilation however, fumes began to fill the enclosed area, quickly overwhelming
James and Michael.
A short time later, other members of the crew went to check on the sailors when they discovered
them unconscious and unresponsive inside of the tank.
James was found lying across Michael, indicating that Michael had succumbed to the fumes first.
It is believed that in an attempt to drag Michael to the ladder, James had also fallen
victim to the toxic fumes and fell unconscious a few moments later.
The sailors were declared deceased and, as was tradition, given a burial at sea.
The following day, however, the ship's first mate reported seeing the two sailors among
the waves alongside the ship.
Over the next few days, other crew members, including the captain, reported the same bizarre
sightings of James and Michael, stating the pair were always seen about 40 feet away from
the ship, and roughly 10 feet apart.
When the ship docked in New Orleans, Captain Tracey reported the two deaths as well as
the unusual sightings of the pair to the company that owned the vessel.
Unconvinced by the story, the company asked for proof of such a bizarre event.
Having none, the captain ordered his first mate to purchase a Kodak camera to capture
the event should it happen again.
Watertown again left its port and headed for California.
It wasn’t long before the apparitions of the dead sailors were again spotted in the
water.
This time however, Captain Tracy was ready and snapped six photographs of the mysterious
figures.
Once the ship completed its delivery and returned once again to New Orleans, he sent the photos
to New York to be processed.
Five of the six photos appeared to show nothing more than the ocean, however the sixth photo
was different.
In the black and white image, two men are clearly visible bobbing amongst the waves
near the ship.
According to the captain and crew, these mysterious figures floating in the water were identical
to the deceased sailors.
10 years after the photograph was originally developed, it was published in a shipping
journal called The East Coast Journal.
Intrigued by the creepy photo, many set out to discover its origins and to disprove its
authenticity.
Unfortunately by the time its existence was made known, both the captain and many of the
original crew members of the ship had since passed away.
With the original image and its negative lost, and the only people to witness the bizarre
event gone, the mystery of the unexplained photograph may never be solved.
4.
The Luna Park Demon
Located in Sydney, Australia, Luna Park opened its gates in 1935.
Modeled after the popular Coney Island amusement park in New York, Luna Park offered family
friendly activities to its patrons such as carnival style games, deep fried foods, and
rides.
One of these rides, the ghost train, was particularly popular amongst Luna Park visitors.
The rollercoaster style attraction carried its passengers through a “haunted” building
and along a track complete with plenty of drops, twists, and turns to entice thrill
seekers of all ages.
On the evening of June 9th, 1971 disaster struck when the ghost train amusement ride
caught fire, killing 7 people.
Among the victims were John Godson and his two young sons, Craig and Damion.
The Godson family were on the last day of a planned family vacation when they decided
to visit Luna Park.
As the evening began to come to a close and their tickets dwindled, Craig and Damion decided
they wanted to ride the ghost train one more time before leaving.
With their father in tow, the family boarded the train while Jenny, the children’s mother,
stayed behind to get some ice cream.
Screams were not an uncommon sound heard coming from the ride, so when shrieks were heard
coming from within the attraction's haunted building they were initially ignored.
It wasn’t until smoke and flames began to billow from the building, that employees realized
there was something very wrong.
Sadly, when Jenny returned, she learned that her husband and two children were amongst
the seven people who had tragically perished in the fire.
Jenny Godson would later develop a film role from the family’s vacation.
Among those photos, is the last photo ever taken of Damion Godson.
In the photo Damion can be seen standing next to a man dressed in a bizarre costume.
According to Jenny, the photo was taken just prior to the accident when the man had silently
approached the family before placing his hand on Damions shoulder.
Believing the man was simply an actor, Jenny snapped the photo.
It was later learned, however, that there were no actors in employment at the park that
day.
Some believe he was nothing more than a street performer, others compare the unusual man’s
appearance to that of Moloch, a deity associated in biblical sources with child sacrifice.
Whatever the case may be, both the cause of the fire, and the identity of the mysterious
horned man remain unknown.
3.
The Lady of the Dunes/Jaws Extra
On July 26th, 1974, a 12-year-old girl in Provincetown, Massachusetts was out walking
the family dog at Race Point Dunes when she made a startling discovery.
Just yards from the road, the decomposed remains of a woman lay on an oversized beach blanket.
Authorities were immediately alerted of the discovery, and after a brief investigation
the case was ruled as homicide.
The woman was found lying face down on the undisturbed beach blanket missing several
teeth, both hands, and a forearm.
One side of her skull had been crushed.
Her ultimate cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head.
The woman had long auburn hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, was approximately 5’
6” tall, and weighed around 145 pounds.
Found underneath the woman’s body was a pair of wrangler jeans, and a blue bandanna.
The woman however had no identification on her person.
The inability to ID the woman resulted in her becoming a Jane Doe known as The Lady
of the Dunes.
Over the years the woman’s body was exhumed several times for DNA comparisons, however
these attempts to identify her have proven unsuccessful.
In 2015, a new theory caught the public's eye when Joe Hill, son of horror author Steven
King, informed police that the unknown woman may have appeared as an extra in the movie
“Jaws.”
During a scene in the movie depicting a Fourth of July beach party, a woman bearing a striking
resemblance to The Lady of the Dunes dressed in wrangler jeans and a blue bandanna similar
to those found with the unidentified woman’s body can be seen standing amongst other extras
on the beach.
While this theory has never been proven, both The Lady of the Dunes as well as the woman
in the photograph from the movie remain unidentified.
2.
The B-17 Ghost Bomber
On November 23rd 1944, soldiers stationed at a US allied base in Cortonburg, Belgium
were caught off guard when an American B-17 bomber plane began to descend over the base.
With no reports of a scheduled landing from such a plane, the airbase crew watched with
bated breath as the 35,000 pound war machine clumsily rocketed towards them with its landing
gear down.
The plane clumsily touched down, hitting one wing on the ground destroying one of the plane's
engines before touching down approximately 100 feet from the anti-gunners position at
the airbase.
Soldiers watched for nearly 20 minutes expecting the crew to disembark from the disabled aircraft
and explain the situation any minute.
However, when no one emerged, army Major John Crisp decided to investigate.
He and several airmen carefully approached the bomber, cautious of who might be aboard.
However when they opened the plane's door, they were astounded to find nobody inside.
Evidence such as food wrappers and a flight log found in the cockpit indicated that someone
had recently been inside, however all of the parachutes appeared to still be in place.
The bizarre report was passed through the chain of command who in turn investigated
the unexplainable incident.
Using the airplane's tail number, the names of the pilot and crew of the bomber were quickly
learned.
All 10 crew members and the pilot were found safe and sound stationed at a base in Belgium.
According to them, they had been part of a squadron of b-17’s that were carrying out
bombing missions in eastern Germany when the plane suddenly experienced a malfunction.
Unable to maintain a proper altitude the pilot ordered the crew to toss any unnecessary weight
from the plane.
However, as their rapid descent continued, one of the airplane's engines took a direct
hit from an anti-aircraft gun.
Left with no other option, the pilot engaged the plane's autopilot and ordered the crew
to bail out near Brussels, Belgium.
How the plane was able to navigate its way to an allied base, and safely land, with no
crew aboard, remains unknown.
1.The Moving Mannequins of the John Lawson House
The John Lawson house, located in New Hamburg, New York is one of the oldest structures in
town.
Built by John Lawson sometime in the 1840’s the Victorian style home is beautifully designed
with arched windows, corbelled chimneys, and intricate bracketed cornice.
However, aside from the beautiful architecture, the house is also known for something else.
And that something, is mannequins.
On any given day, a trio of female mannequins could be found placed in various positions
around the properties front porch.
Life sized, the mannequins sported clothing, wigs, and a vast array of accessories that
were constantly changing.
People have reported seeing them holding things like towels, birdcages, books, and tools.
Their vintage wigs and outfits change daily as well, depending on the time of the year.
This in itself is bizarre enough, however what really makes these mannequins extra creepy
is the fact nobody knows where they came from, why they were there, or who changed their
clothing.
Locals claimed that when inclement weather occurred, the mannequins disappeared, yet
no one has ever seen anyone move them.
According to neighbors, on certain nights a faint glow could be seen coming from one
of the house’s curtained windows, but other than that, there were never any signs of life
at the home.
Some believe the mannequins could have been a nod to several tragic events that occurred
in the town.
In 1871, a 25 car freight train derailed and was struck by an oncoming train, killing 22
people aboard.
Then, six years later, a massive fire raged through the town, burning the majority of
the structures to the ground.
The John Lawson house, however, was left untouched by the flames, as was the home directly across
the street.
The mannequins could often be found looking in the direction of the crash site, less than
200 feet from the home, or towards the abandoned home across the road.
The mannequins made their debut in the early 2000s and continued to appear until 2016.
That year the home was sold and the mannequins simply vanished, leaving locals with more
questions than answers.
Over the years many people have tried to solve the mystery, but to no avail.
Records indicate the home was sold twice during the years the mannequins were active, however
from all accounts the home remained vacant during this time.
Whatever the case may be, the person responsible has never come forward, and the mystery of
the moving mannequins remains unsolved.