The Delta Queen, a historic stately riverboat that has been sailing the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers since 1927 is said to be one of America's spookiest vessels.
With reports of paranormal activity across her lifetime, this majestic vessel continues to entertain those seeking an adventure along these iconic waterways.
On a chilly December night in 1984, the Delta Queen Riverboat sat peacefully docked in New Orleans for repairs. But as first mate Mike Williams settled into slumber on board, he was abruptly awoken by an eerie sound in his ear - leaving him with no clues as to who or what had disturbed his sleep.
Because he also heard a door slam outside, he jumped from his bed and made his way out of his cabin to find out what exactly was going on, since he knew all the doors were locked.
The spooky occurrence continued when the man found himself mystified in front of the door to Cabin 109, which creaked open at his touch. Although no one else was around, he was sure he had heard a resounding slam shortly before, so he reacted with both curiosity and caution by stepping inside only to find that it was entirely vacant.
After a careful investigation further into the engine room, he discovered that water had begun to flood the lower level of the boat through an unexpected opening in the hull.
Had it not been for his quick intervention, this would have resulted in devastating consequences and could have potentially sunken the ship itself.
It’s true that the happening was no surprise to the captain, as he had heard about the haunting on the boat before. But only from hearing stories of paranormal activity on the steamboat, Mike was skeptical - until he encountered it for himself.
After hearing the voice and the door slam that guided him to the damage, Mike had no doubt that the legendary stories of ghosts on board were true!
It had been revealed to the captain that the legendary steamboat hauntings had a historic origin.
Mary Greene, who captained the vessel in the 1940s, passed away while residing inside this spooky cabin - adding to its eerily mysterious reputation.
While the former boat leader did pass away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 79, she was emotionally invested in the ship while she was alive, so her ghostly apparitions were interpreted as her way to protect the steamboat even beyond the grave.
The paranormal events started not long after Mary Greene’s passing in 1949.
Soon after, some individuals sought to honor her legacy while others chose a different path - they established a saloon aboard the Delta Queen.
In doing so, these daring few challenged the convention that Mrs. Greene established years ago by bringing alcohol on board. The former captain was completely against drinking.
Minutes after the first alcoholic cocktail was served on board the riverboat, disaster struck when a barge collided with this mighty vessel and decimated the saloon.
The employees of the Delta Queen were shocked to discover that the barge that hit them bore the name of the deceased lady: Captain Mary B.
The crew was convinced that this was Ma Greene’s way of expressing her disapproval of the saloon, but little did they know this was just the start of strange paranormal activity that would soon surface aboard their vessel.
Another mysterious event unfolded on the boat one evening in June 1985.
Myra Fruge, an employee of the vessel on duty that night, received an eerie call from an elderly woman needing assistance. She claimed that she was cold and needed a blanket to keep warm.
Without hesitation Ms. Fruge dispatched her colleague Mike Williams to Cabin 109 where she believed the unidentified caller was staying - yet when he arrived there no guest could be found!
While Mike was rushing over with the blanket, as Myra was gazing at the deck, a misty figure stared at her from the deck, prompting her to believe it belonged to the elderly woman. Suddenly, the face disappeared and although Myra and Mike searched for hours, they were unable to find the mysterious figure anywhere on board.
While the young woman was shaken by the event, Mike Williams started to believe that old Ma Greene, who once helped save the ship by waking him up to find a hole in its belly, was now trying to bring him and Myra together.
And from the further unfolding of the events, ghost or no ghost, she actually succeeded, because the two proceeded to fall in love, get married, and have a daughter together.
Thrill seekers and adventurous individuals alike pay tribute to the revered Captain Mary Greene, whose benevolent spirit remains with her beloved boat as a guardian angel watching over its crew.
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Sources:
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Delta_Queen_Riverboat
https://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/haunted-ships-2.html
https://allthingscruise.com/historic-delta-queens-resident-ghost/
https://quimbyscruisingguide.com/ghost-hunting-on-the-delta-queen/
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