History and folklore are abound with stories of fabled "Ghost Ships". Vessels that have been discovered adrift but bereft of their crew, Ships that appear to mariners, only to disappear, and ships that have simply disappeared completely.
Notable examples of this phenomena include the Flying Dutchman, said to be doomed to eternally sail the seas since 1795, and the Lady Lovibond, a ship wrecked in 1748 that is said to appear along the coast of Kent, UK every fifty years.
But most of these tales are just that - ancient stories passed down through generations, elaborated and exaggerated with each telling, apocryphal stories that have become sensationalised over the years.
However, there is a much more modern spin on the "Ghost Ship" tale. This tale took place within the last century, and although still shrouded in mystery, still has several living witnesses.
Stealth Ship
Whilst stealth technology is commonplace in today's military vehicles, back in the 1940's it was just starting to hit the drawing boards of the day's scientists and military men.
Whilst RADAR systems were still a relatively new technology they were already being used for many military applications. So what could be more beneficial to a fighting force than the ability to 'hide' their vehicles from RADAR detection?
Scientists postulated that RADAR waves could possibly be confused or deflected by the use of intense electromagnetic fields generated around an object. Bigger objects simply required a larger electromagnetic field. Even something the size of a warship could potentially be hidden.
The Experiment
It was decided that the scientific theory be tested in a practical experiment. The time - October 1943, the place - Philadelphia Naval Yard, the subject vehicle - Cannon Class Destroyer Escort The U.S.S. Eldridge, designated DE-173.
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| U.S.S. Eldridge |
The Eldridge was fitted with two massive generators, capable of generating up to 75 kilovolt-amperes each, as well as a host of RF transmitters, power amplifiers and magnetic coils to distribute the EM field around the ship. It was time to begin the experiment.
On board the Liberty Ship S.S. Andrew Furuseth, crew member Carlos Miguele Allende observed the experiment. Nobody could have predicted what he saw that day.
As the giant generators whirred into life and the electromagnetic field around the ship intensified, observers, including Seaman Allende started to witness strange phenomena.
A green mist developed around the water line and ascended upwards, eventually engulfing the entire ship.Shortly after holding the Eldridge in it's grasp, the mist began to dispel.
What was revealed would stun everyone present... The Eldridge was gone!
Where the Eldridge was anchored was now a seemingly calm patch of water. But where was the Eldridge? It couldn't have sank in such a short amount of time. Only one conclusion could be drawn: The Eldridge had been rendered invisible, not only to RADAR as expected, but to human vision as well!
The order was sent out to the now invisible Eldridge to power down the vast generators. In an apparent reversal of the effect, the green mist returned and slowly subsided. Much to the amazement of the onlookers the Eldridge was back.
All was not well on board the Eldridge however. Crew members reported dizzyness and nausia, some could not stand. It was immediately decided that this particular crew would not be used for any further experiments.
A second experiment with a new crew took place, aiming instead to merely deflect RADAR. Not a lot is known about this second experiment and witnesses are hard to find.
Experiment #3
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| Philadelphia Naval Yard - Present Day |
As the generators were powered up for a third time, the now familiar green mist began to engulf the Eldridge. But suddenly, something went spectacularly wrong. An enormous blue flash emanated from the Eldridge and when the observers regained their eyesight it became obvious - the Eldridge was no longer there.
It was assumed that the invisibility effect from the first experiment had returned, but that would be called into question by an extraordinary sighting in Norfolk, Virginia.
Observers in Norfolk reported seeing the Eldridge in plain sight for several minutes, only for it to apparently blink out of existence in an instant. At the same instant, the Eldridge reappeared at Philadelphia Naval Yard.
Seemingly safely home, the Eldridge received a boarding party. What they would find would defy all conventional knowledge.
Some of the crew exhibited the same nausea as the first crew, but further investigation revealed that several crew members had simply disappeared. The most shocking phenomena however, was the discovery of five crew members who were partially 'fused' into solid bulkheads and other metal parts of the ship's structure.
In 1946, after it's involvement in the experiments the Eldridge was placed out of commission in reserve, only to be transferred under the Mutual Defense Assistance program to Greece in 1951. The Eldridge served in the Greek Navy under the name HS Leon until it's decommissioning in 1992. The ship was eventually destroyed for scrap in 1999.
Had the scientists inadvertently stumbled upon a technique to produce teleportation effects? Was the appearance of the Eldridge at Norfolk a mirage? What could have caused crew members to be melded to the very structure of the ship?
Almost 70 years on, we are still searching for answers as to what happened in 1944. One thing is for sure, the Eldridge took it's secret to the grave.
Further Reading:
The Philadelphia Experiment: Invisibility Time Travel and Mind Control - The Shocking Truth
Secrets of the Unified Field: The Philadelphia Experiment, The Nazi Bell, and the Discarded Theory
VIDEO: The True Story Of The Philadelphia Experiment
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