In October 1857, British citizen Charles McKay left London for North America and an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. He was writing about his adventures for a British newspaper.
Five months into the trip, during a stop in Alabama, he saw the elegant steamship Eliza Battle moored on a landing along the Tombigbee River. Its size and grandeur made a strong impression on McKay. That's why, just days later, he was shocked to learn that the side-wheeled paddle steamer had burned, killing many passengers and crew in the inferno, or forcing them to freeze to death in the icy river water.
This sinking was, at the time, one of the largest losses of life on a United States river. Some residents of Nanfalia, Alabama say that, on a quiet night, they still hear the screams of the victims today.
To read Stephanie's feature article, on which this episode is based, visit this page:
http://www.cloudedinmystery.com/ghost-ship-eliza-battle.html
For more information on this podcast on Stephanie's books, visit StephanieHoover.com.
-------------------------------------------------------
The following sound effects (or edited pieces thereof) were used in this episode:
~ Jazz Me Blues by E's Jammy Jams (YouTube Creator Library)
~ Water Lapping on Lake Pukaki by laughatlantic (FreeSound.org)
~ Water Lapping River by Ceich93 (FreeSound.org)
~ Human Male Scream Small Crowd Panic by Johnson Branding Editing (FreeSound.org)
~ Vintage Riverboats by Craigsmith (FreeSound.org)
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!