The Ghost Ship of Block Island

The new homeowners kept the Lignum Vitae mortar after moving in but quickly noticed that something about it was off. It would move up and down as if pulled by a puppeteer in the ceiling, but there were no strings attached. Other times it would jump off the shelf and flop around the room like a freshly caught trout gasping for air. So, what caused such a lively demonstration from a seemingly mundane piece of wood? Well according to 19th century chronicler Samuel Livermore, it was none other than the spirit of that dead opium addict, Mark Dodge. Whether or not the story is true, it certainly illustrates the power that the wreck of the Princess Augusta has had