In 1919, the three-masted schooner William H. Sumner was wrecked on the North Carolina shore near New Topsail Inlet, after a mutiny by its crew. Since then the wreck has played hide and seek, disappearing beneath the sand and emerging again as the sands shift and drift. On Monday, the Town of Surf City posted on its Facebook page: 

The Charlotte Observer reports on the history of the schooner:  “The story goes that the young 25 year old captain on his first voyage in command had sailed too close to the shore,” the blog says. “When the currents and winds left the schooner stranded near present-day New Topsail Inlet … the ship was pulverized on the shoals.” 

However, stories of the ship’s final hours changed in the weeks that followed, as evidence emerged suggesting the young captain had been killed by his crew, according to a 2010 article in Wrightsville Beach Magazine.

Investigators theorized the ship’s rations ran low and the crew mutinied after the captain refused to put in for supplies, the magazine reported. Seven crew members were later tried for the captain’s suspected murder, but the jury failed to reach a verdict in federal court, according to old news articles reproduced on TreasureNet.com.

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.