MYSTIC -- It's become a national question: Who is the man in the Blubber Room of the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship smoking a pipe?
Those who believe say it's one of the 1,000 men who worked on the ship in the 1800s. But does the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship really have a ghostly presence or two?
According to The Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group, the answer is yes, but the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine says absolutely not.
Scheduled to speak Monday night at the Mystic Seaport Museum, Dr. Michael Shermer will present his talk called "Why We Believe Weird Things," giving another view to what has become a national story covered by "Good Morning, America" and is scheduled to appear on Montel Williams, among others.
The story began in February 2005, when the museum was contacted by the research group asking if they could investigate the ship after receiving letters from different visitors, all talking about a man with a pipe wearing 19th-century clothing.
"This is an interesting case," said Gene Miller of the paranormal research group. "There is definitely a presence there. I saw the man with the pipe and I could smell it." Miller said he felt and saw other presences, including a little girl.
Another group member, Kym Black, saw another man in the crow's nest of the ship, whom she described as skinny with a goatee and large ears. "He's there because he never got to go up when he worked the whaler," she said. "He likes it. He's happy on the ship." They have encountered no unfriendly spirits, she said.
Black and Miller said they are in the process of researching and verifying names for the ghosts, but none have been confirmed yet. They have already conducted two investigations on the ship and plan to come back at least twice more before the end of the year before issuing their final reports.
Michael O'Farrell, museum spokesman, said he has never personally felt or seen anything out of the ordinary, but knows the history of the ship is rich. "This ship whaled for 80 years with over 1,000 men going through it. We know it has stories to tell."
As a historical and educational facility, O'Farrell said it only made sense to present the other side of the story by inviting Shermer to talk.
And Shermer has a strong opinion of what he will see Monday: nothing. "It's not haunted," said the California-based author and executive director of The Skeptics Society. "Who can say for sure what people saw or thought they saw? It could be a combination of bad food and sleep deprivation."
Shermer said once the media began promoting the story, it was subject to interpretation in the ghostly context. "This is how urban legends and ghost stories are made," he said. "It's nothing more than that."
O'Farrell said the museum will not bill the ship as a ghost ship, but people can make up their own minds. "Do I personally believe there is certain activity? Sure," he said. "But I would suggest people get to know the Morgan as a ship and the national historic landmark that she is."
Miller said along with all the scientific equipment the group uses, they also depend on the feeling of a place. "We go by our feelings, what we've seen or heard or smelled," he said. "We want to give the museum a bigger picture of the Morgan, and also provide validation for those who saw."
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