The Ghost Ship Carroll A. Deering

The Ghost Ship Carroll A. Deering

Author: Ben Cutmore March 31, 2026 Duration: 1:00:30
In January 1921, a five-masted schooner was discovered run aground off the coast of North Carolina with no crew aboard and no clear signs of struggle. Personal belongings, navigation equipment, and the ship’s lifeboats were missing, leaving investigators with more questions than answers and a trio of cats, which had been the only signs of life aboard the abandoned ship. Rumors of piracy, mutiny, Russian conspiracies, and even supernatural involvement quickly spread, but no definitive explanation ever emerged, earning the wreck the enduring title of “The Ghost Ship of the Diamond Shoals.”SOURCES Simpson, Bland (2002) Ghost Ship of Diamond Shoals. Chapel Hill & London, University of North Carolina Press. NC, USA. New York Times (1921) Skippers Daughter Holds Pirate Theory. New York Times, Thurs 23 June 1921, p2. NY, USA. New York Times (1921) Soviet Pirate Tale Declared a Fake. New York Times, Fri 26 Aug 1921, p2. NY, USA. The Sun Journal (1921) All a Fake Admits Gray. The Sun Journal, Mon 29 Aug 1921, p3, Maine, USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every two weeks, Ben Cutmore invites you into the shadowy corners of our past, where facts blur with folklore and case files remain stubbornly open. Dark Histories is less a lecture and more an exploration, weaving meticulous research into compelling narratives that linger long after the episode ends. You’ll hear detailed accounts of events that defy easy explanation, from long-forgotten crimes and bizarre hoaxes to oddities that shaped societies. The focus is always on the human stories within these enigmatic tales, told with a careful balance of skepticism and an appreciation for the strange. This isn't just about ghosts or monsters, but the very real, often unsettling peculiarities documented throughout history. Each installment of this podcast feels like piecing together a puzzle where some pieces are forever missing, offering no easy answers but plenty to ponder. It’s for anyone who finds themselves drawn to the edges of the map, where the documented record meets the unexplained. Settle in for a journey through the archives of the bizarre and the unresolved, where every story is a reminder that the past is rarely as simple as it seems.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dark Histories
Podcast Episodes
The Willie Starchfield Murder Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:12
On a cold, grey January afternoon in 1914, a railway carriage travelling through north London shuttled along its route, carrying a grim secret. Beneath a third-class carriage seat lay the body of five-year-old Willie Sta…
Early America & The Savage Crimes of the Harpe Brothers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:03
In the years following the American Revolution, when the country was still uncertain of itself and the frontier was still a place of violence, two brothers carved out a story of fear across the wilderness. When their sto…
Summer Break - Charlotte Riddell: The Open Door [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:38
Hey Everyone! here is a little episode to tide us over til next week when I'll be back to the usual posting schedule. I took a short, mid-season break to sort some bits and pieces out and enjoy a bit of the summer weathe…
William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:57
In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new level of shock and scandal to the hardened city resi…
The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:07
In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral compass. In a shocking display of charm and manipula…
Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:50
The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted authority away from the church. Thoughts on death…
The Unsavoury Tale of the Maryland Snallygaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
In the fall of 1909, a strange fear settled over the hills and farms of Maryland. Newspapers carried reports of a monstrous winged creature said to stalk the countryside with a host of bizarre descriptions pouring out fr…
Mary Pearcey & The Hampstead Tragedy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:45
In 1890, the murders of Phoebe Hogg and her infant daughter in Hampstead became one of the most widely reported criminal cases of the Victorian period. The investigation quickly centred on Mary Pearcey, whilst the public…
Amazing Stories & The Shaver Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:35
In 1945, the end of the second world war was approaching, atom bombs were on the way, and science fiction felt more like speculative prophecies than adventure stories. In the pages of pulp magazine, claims that ancient c…