Documentarian and maritime historian Mark Gumbinger shared tales of American shipwrecks and haunted lighthouses. The month of November has yielded conditions for more frequent ship tragedies; in fact on the night of November 13th, 1913, a severe storm caused the loss of eighteen ships in the Great Lakes, he recounted.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gumbinger offered an in-depth examination of the circumstances that led to its sinking in Lake Superior. While the exact cause of the shipwreck remains shrouded in mystery, he pointed to the intense storm conditions such as 100mph winds, possibly faulty hatch cover gaskets, and the crew's use of an outdated chart that may have misrepresented shoals in the area.

Gumbinger also presented stories of hauntings at lighthouses ("America's castles" in his parlance). In one lighthouse in northeast Maine, a wife who constantly played the same refrain on the piano was axed to death by her husband. Witnesses have reported that an eerie repeated melody can be heard coming from the lighthouse, he said.

'Godzilla Croc'

First half-hour guest, author Steve Alten commented on the recently discovered 'Godzilla Croc' remains. The prehistoric crocodile's skull looks somewhat similar to how he has envisioned the head of the Loch Ness Monster and its 4-inch teeth are comparable to the teeth found at Loch Ness, he said. View photos of a model designed to show the head of a creature that could match the found teeth.

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Thursday November 10, 2005