It's like when you go to see a magician show and he makes something huge like an elephant

disappear before your very eyes.

You know it's a trick, but you still can't imagine how it could have been done.

Such was the case in 1872 when an entire ship vanished in the Mississippi River, a very

public place, with no wrecks, no sinkings reported at all.

It could have happened to the SS Iron Mountain.

That's coming right up on Skeptoid.

You're listening to Skeptoid.

I'm Jeff Wagg for Skeptoid.com.

The disappearance of the SS Iron Mountain.

We're all familiar with ship disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.

Though many say that they're the result of some supernatural force, it's far more likely

that each incident is a case of a big stormy ocean taking its toll on small, poorly maintained

or simply unlucky craft.

But when a ship disappears without a trace from a river, it's harder to imagine an explanation.

And the legend of the SS Iron Mountain is difficult to explain away.

Here's how her story is usually told.

This is an excerpt of the version on paranormal.about.com.

In June 1872, the SS Iron Mountain steamed out of Vicksburg, Mississippi, with an on-deck

cargo of mailed cotton and barrels of molasses.

Heading up the Mississippi River towards its ultimate destination of Pittsburgh, the ship

was also towing a line of barges.

...