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	Vol.7, No 31, October 21, 1999
	Spirits of past passengers haunt ship By Don Weberg Daily Forty-Niner Stories about a mysterious woman in a white dress roaming the halls and the woman who has been seen diving into the first-class swimming pool, despite its lack of water, have been reported ever since the Queen Mary came to Long Beach Harbor and only seem to add to her allure, particularly in October. "I had no idea the ship had ghost stories," said Jessica Moran, a liberal studies major. During World War II, the Queen Mary was one of the most feared ships in the North Atlantic. She enraged Adolf Hitler with her elusive speed and maneuverability, prompting him to place a $25,000 bounty on her and promise an Iron Cross to any U-boat captain who could sink her. The Queen Mary's speed coupled with light gray coloring ­ instead of the more easily recognized red, white and black motif ­ made her nearly invisible to other crafts in the water. One story shows that she was a little too fast and stealthy. British cruiser H.M.S. Curacao was literally sliced in half as a result of crossing paths with the Queen Mary. The Curacao quickly sank, killing 338 of her 439-person crew. Despite massive damages, the Queen Mary stayed afloat. Forty years later, a television crew left an audio recorder running overnight in the spot where the accident took place. When the tape was played back the next day sounds of banging and pounding could be heard. People who have been in that area of the ship claim they have also heard screams in the night. One of her passengers, Leigh Travers Smith, died a few hours after birth despite efforts by ship surgeons. In the third-class playroom, late at night, people often report sounds of a crying child. During the ship's 60-year history, 49 deaths have occurred within her steel walls. Many people report hearing or seeing spirits from some of those tragedies every year. Visitors to the Queen Mary have reported seeing a young, bearded man in blue coveralls walking the length of Shaft Alley in the confines of the engine room. People often ask tour guides who he is and what he does. According to Queen Mary personnel it is likely to be the spirit of John Pedder, who was crushed by a watertight door while working on routine drills. To make matters scarier, the Queen Mary's Shipwreck '99 is on. A scene of ghouls, spooks, fog and mazes, Shipwreck '99 is certain to be one of the scariest tours in town, said Deborah Williams-Hedges, public relations manager for the Queen Mary.		Study abroad fair hits CSULB   Students learn about life from dead   Spirits of past passengers haunt ship Scared stiff   Beer too costly   Money makes celebs unaccountable Faces of Halloween   The Flying Dutchman   Friendly ghost may haunt downtown furniture store   Halloween's origin not so frightening Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.