Golden Gate Bridge’s Phantom Ship

Tennessee Cove ***

The story of this phantom ship is one of San Francisco’s favorite ghost tales. 

The SS Tennessee, a steamship late one foggy night in 1853 got caught in the Golden Gate Straight’s * deadly current and ran aground on the rocks. 

Fortunately, 550 passengers and 14 chests of gold made it ashore safely before the Tennessee was torn apart. The spot where it went down was named, “Tennessee Cove” in honor of this lost ship. **

Ever since it went down this ship has been seen on dark foggy nights in the bay. 

After the Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1937, many credible witnesses started to report seeing this phantom ship as they stood on the bridge. Some reported hearing screams in the mist. 

Sailors under the bridge also reported seeing the phantom SS Tennessee. 

This ship is most often appears on dark fog-laden nights. Once the vessel is spotted it then almost immediately disappears. Many witnesses state, they were confounded by its appearance because it is obviously a vessel from another era in history.

One well-known encounter took place in November of 1942. 

As the destroyer, USS Kennison passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, the crew spotted the old ship. They passed by so close that they were able to see the Tennessee’s decks were unmanned. 

One crewmember spotted the steamer’s name written on her side. These witnesses knew that they had seen the ship and its wake, but their ship’s radar at the time registered nothing.

This sighting was unusual in that not many vessels have been so close to the Tennessee, or been able to watch her for more than a minute before she vanishes. 

There are many other tales of ghosts connected to the Golden Gate Bridge, but these involve the people who have committed suicide by jumping off this bridge.

*  The Golden Gate Strait is the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean.

** Tennessee Cove is an embankment off the Pacific Ocean in Marin County California. It is part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

*** The Tennessee Cove landmark arch collapsed in January of 2013.

Cursed and Haunted Alkimos

The Alkimos, a merchant ship built in 1934 had twenty years service at sea before she wrecked off the coast of Perth, Australia. 

Over the years she has gained a reputation for being haunted. One specific ghost has been seen aboard her many times. The Alkimos is also cursed. 

Since her abandonment in 1963 people who have been connected to her or that even just got near her often have become jinxed.

Her History

Amazingly, the Alkimos was built in just ten days. Haste was necessary for it was just before WWll and she was one of many ships approved by Congress. She was originally named, George Shriver. 

On the first day of her construction in the Baltimore shipyard it is said welders were accidently sealed in between her hulls. Their ghosts have haunted the ship ever since. 

After WWll, she was sold two times, the last purchaser was a Greek shipping line who rechristened her Alkimos.

Once she became know as Alkimos more bad things started to happen. A murder, suicide took place aboard and after this the crew began to see an apparition of a man they named “Harry” wearing oilskins--rubber boots and a dark green seaman’s coat.  

In 1963 the Alkimos was traveling from Jakata to Bunbury when she ran aground near Geraldton, Australia. He propeller was badly damaged.

A decision was made to tow her to Fremantle where temporary repairs could be done so she could be taken to a larger port. But while awaiting these repairs she mysteriously caught fire and when it came time to tow her to Hong Kong the line between her and the tugboat snapped. 

The Alkimos then drifted toward the coast. She beached near Yanchep where it was decided to salvage her instead.

Stranded

To the salvage crews that worked on her it became apparent that she was haunted. These crews stayed on board 24/7 while they worked on the Alkimos. 

These men often found their tools had moved had mysteriously moved. Other tools disappeared only to reappear later.

Many of these men would not leave their cabins alone at night. If they did footsteps would follow them. These footsteps were also heard climbing ladders when all the crew was accounted for.

Cooking smells and noises were heard in the galley. When they were investigated the smells and noises ceased. But once the galley door was shut they were heard again. Several men that experienced this became so terrified they quit their jobs. 

Over the following years the Alkimos was sold eight times as it lay stranded. A pattern started. 

Each new owner experienced some grave misfortune once they bought her. Several had to declare bankruptcy others became gravely ill. But once they sold her they were no longer plagued.

One young couple who lived on board as caretakers briefly, had their own misfortune. The wife who was pregnant fell and had to be rushed to the hospital. Her baby was delivered stillborn. 

The ghost of “Harry” started to be seen once more on the ship. Cray fishermen in the area reported seeing a man dressed in oilskins on board the Alkimos. At first, they thought he must be a hermit taking refuse on the ship. But when the ship was searched it was discovered that no one was living on board.

It was said that just passing the Alkimos can bring a person bad luck. 

Herbert Voight, a resident of Perth was a long distance swimmer. He was training in the area near the ship when he disappeared. Later his skull was found in the wreckage of the ship. 

Ted Snider, a member of the US Navy was doing a preliminary assessment to see how much explosives would be needed to blow up the Alkimos’ rudder and propeller. But when he left to inspect another job he was killed in a plane crash.

An author who was writing a book about the Alkimos visited the wreckage site. Shortly after, he became very ill and almost died. 

Countless people who have been near the ship have slipped and fallen or become very ill. Others have drowned. It is stated that horses that are ridden on the beach near the ship become very nervous. They either bolt of refuse to pass the ship.

The area around the Alkimos today is still considered haunted and cursed despite the fact that by the spring of 2007 the ship had disintegrated to the point were it can not be seen from shore above the waterline.