The SS Watertown Ghost Faces

In December 1924, two sailors died in an accident aboard the oil tanker SS Watertown. They were buried at sea in the Pacific Ocean. The next day, crew members saw their faces appearing in the waves alongside the ship. For several days, the faces followed the vessel. A crew member photographed them. The developed image showed two ghostly faces in the water - the faces of the dead men. The SS Watertown case became one of the most photographed hauntings in history.

The Accident

December 1924

The SS Watertown:

• An oil tanker
• Sailing from the Pacific coast to the Panama Canal
• Carrying a crew of experienced sailors
• Routine voyage

The Deaths

Two seamen:

• James Courtney
• Michael Meehan
• Were cleaning a cargo tank
• They were overcome by gas fumes
• Both died in the accident

Burial at Sea

As was custom:

• The bodies were wrapped
• Weighted for sinking
• A service was held
• They were buried in the Pacific Ocean
• The ship continued its voyage

The Apparitions

The First Sighting

The day after the burial:

• Crew members on deck
• Noticed something in the water
• Faces appearing in the waves
• The faces of Courtney and Meehan
• Following the ship

What They Saw

The faces:

• Appeared in the water off the side of the ship
• Seemed to follow the vessel
• Were clearly identifiable as the dead men
• Lasted for about ten seconds at a time
• Reappeared repeatedly

Crew Reaction

The sailors:

• Were terrified
• Reported to the captain
• He came to observe
• He too saw the faces
• The entire crew became aware

Duration

The faces appeared:

• For several days
• Throughout the voyage
• Until the ship reached port
• Multiple crew members witnessed them
• Always the same two faces

The Photograph

Taking the Picture

Before reaching port:

• A crew member had a camera
• The captain ordered photographs taken
• The camera was secured
• The next time the faces appeared
• Photographs were taken

The Development

The captain:

• Took the camera to be developed
• Had it processed commercially
• Made sure there was no tampering
• Waited for results

The Image

One photograph showed:

• Two faces in the water
• Beside the ship’s hull
• Recognizable as Courtney and Meehan
• Eerie and unmistakable
• Other frames showed nothing unusual

Investigation

The Camera

The equipment was:

• A standard camera of the era
• Nothing unusual about it
• The film was fresh
• The development was normal

Chain of Custody

The captain ensured:

• The camera wasn’t tampered with
• The development was professional
• He himself collected the prints
• The chain of evidence was maintained

Expert Analysis

Burns Detective Agency:

• Examined the photograph
• Found no evidence of double exposure
• Found no evidence of tampering
• Could not explain the image

The Image in Question

What It Shows

The famous photograph displays:

• Two faces in water alongside a ship
• The faces are side by side
• They appear to be looking up
• They match descriptions of the dead men
• The water around them seems normal

Verification

Those who knew the men:

• Identified the faces as Courtney and Meehan
• The resemblance was convincing
• Multiple crew members confirmed this
• The identification was consistent

Aftermath

On Later Voyages

When the SS Watertown sailed again:

• With a different crew
• No faces appeared
• The haunting did not continue
• It was specific to that voyage

The Crew

The witnesses:

• Maintained their accounts
• Were regarded as credible
• Had nothing to gain from fabrication
• Several later gave interviews

The Photograph’s Fate

The original photograph:

• Was preserved
• Has been reproduced many times
• Remains in existence
• Is considered one of the most significant ghost photographs

Analysis

What Makes This Case Notable

Several factors:

• Multiple witnesses over multiple days
• A chain of custody for the photograph
• Professional development
• Independent expert analysis
• Credible witnesses with nothing to gain

The Problem of Water

Skeptics note:

• Water creates patterns
• The brain finds faces (pareidolia)
• The photograph is grainy
• Expectation influenced perception

The Defense

Supporters counter:

• Multiple witnesses saw faces
• Before any photographs were taken
• They identified specific individuals
• The photograph matches their descriptions

Theories

Genuine Ghost Phenomenon

The Theory

• The spirits of Courtney and Meehan appeared
• They followed their ship
• They were captured on film
• A rare documented haunting

Support

• The witness testimony
• The photograph
• The identification
• The duration of the appearances

Pareidolia

The Theory

• The crew expected to see faces
• The brain finds patterns
• Water creates shapes
• They saw what they wanted to see

Problems

• The identification was specific
• Multiple witnesses
• The photograph shows distinct faces
• Not random patterns

Hoax

The Theory

• The crew fabricated the story
• The photograph was faked
• For publicity or entertainment
• No ghosts were involved

Problems

• The Burns Agency analysis
• Multiple witnesses
• Chain of custody
• No motive

Double Exposure or Artifact

The Theory

• A camera malfunction
• Accidental double exposure
• Film artifact
• Not supernatural

Problems

• Only one frame showed faces
• The faces match the dead men
• Professional analysis found no artifact
• Would need to match witness descriptions

Legacy

Famous Ghost Photo

The SS Watertown photo:

• Is included in most ghost photo collections
• Has been analyzed repeatedly
• Remains unexplained
• Is considered significant evidence

In Literature

The case appears in:

• Ghost investigation books
• Maritime history
• Photographic evidence discussions
• Haunting compilations

The Question

Two men died aboard a ship.

They were buried at sea.

The next day, their faces appeared in the water.

The crew saw them. The captain saw them. They photographed them.

The photograph showed exactly what the witnesses described: two faces in the waves, following their ship.

James Courtney. Michael Meehan. Dead and buried in the Pacific Ocean. But somehow, visible to those they left behind.

Was it their spirits, following their ship? Their way of saying goodbye? Or their way of protesting their sudden deaths?

Or was it just waves and light and grief - the crew seeing what they needed to see, the camera capturing random patterns?

The Burns Detective Agency couldn’t explain the photograph. Neither can we, a century later.

The SS Watertown continued sailing. The faces never appeared again. Whatever was following the ship that December, it was satisfied or simply gone.

But the photograph remains.

Two faces in the water.

Following a ship that carried their bodies to the deep.

The SS Watertown Ghost Faces. One of the most credible ghost photographs ever taken.

And still, after all these years, unexplained.