Paranormal Activity
The haunting of the William A. Irvin isn’t just a rumor, there have been recorded paranormal sightings and investigations!
We believe the sailors who once sailed aboard the Irvin are back once again and they are making their presence known! One particular sailor who we believe is still aboard the Irvin is Mr. William Wuori. He was the only sailor to have died aboard the Irvin and below is the newspaper article from when he died:
From the Duluth News Tribune in 1964:
“Falls Seaman Killed, 2 Hurt Aboard Ship”
“An International Falls’ seaman was scalded to death and two others were injured Saturday night in a boiler room accident aboard the steamer William A. Irvin as it was en route to Duluth for an iron ore cargo. Dead is William Wuori, 59. In fair condition at a Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, hospital are Leon Shuffitt Jr., Bensonville, Illinois, and Stanley Pennell, 43, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Irvin, a U.S. Steel Corp. vessel, was on its first trip of the year to the Head of the Lakes. It spent the winter at the lower lakes port. A U.S. Steel spokesman said Wuori, Shuffitt, and Pennell were on watch in the fireroom when a boiler tube broke. Water from the tube sprayed on the boiler and exploded into steam which scalded the men. The accident occurred in Whitefish Bay. The Irvin returned to Sault Ste. Marie. It had cleared the Soo Locks up-bound at 10:30pm Friday.”
After this accident, the Chief Engineer of the Irvin was suspended for negligence, due to the fact that this accident was entirely preventable.
We have had three excellent paranormal investigation groups come aboard the Irvin and conduct paranormal investigations!
St. Croix Paranormal
Top Five Haunted Places in Duluth-Superior
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Midwest Paranormal Files
The Midwest Paranormal Files group performed their investigation aboard the Irvin on June 18 to 19, 2011. Throughout the investigation, members of their team experienced many personal experiences. When we met with them after their investigation, they showed and gave us clips they had recovered. A write-up of their experience can be found on their website: www.paranormalfiles.org. Video and audio clips are included. For more audio clips, visit YouTube. The Irvin username is Irvin943. There are four different audio recordings from MPF.
Minnesota Paranormal Study Group
The Minnesota Paranormal Study Group conducted their investigation of the Irvin on November 28 to 29, 2009. This group had many personal experiences, but didn’t have as much luck as MPF with audio and video recordings due to technical difficulties. A write-up for their investigation can be found on their website: www.minnesotaghosts.com.
Duluth Paranormal
The Duluth Paranormal Society visited the Irvin on October 4, 2012. Although their investigation was inconclusive, they are planning to come back to the ship this year to further investigate claims by several employees. Some have seen unexplained shadows throughout the ship. Some have heard the sound of footsteps when no one has been around. They have also had objects thrown at them while doing maintenance with no explanation. More information about Duluth Paranormal can be found on their website: www.duluthparanormal.com.
Check out their websites, listen to their recordings and decide for yourself if you think the Irvin is truly haunted!