Titanic appears in Pa. woman's yard

 HARRISBURG, Pa.— Saturday morning, Tasha Bjornson made
what historians are calling a startling discovery in
her backyard in south Harrisburg: A full size replica
of the R.M.S. Titanic.

"I just can't believe it," said Bjornson, who admits
she is still in shock over the ship's presence in her
back yard. "It completely destroyed our shed, and the
neighbors have been complaining all morning for us to
get rid of it. Why the hell is this thing in my back
yard!"

The ship could be seen for several miles away, it's
smoke stacks belching black soot, and the traditional
White Star Line flag — red with a large white star
printed on it — waving on the ship's stern.

But there were no passengers on board the ghost luxury
liner, according to Harrisburg Police Department
Captain Charles Lisbon, who boarded the ship after the
department's helicopter landed on the upper deck.

"The best we can tell, this ship is totally void of
any passengers," Lisbon said. "We are securing the
area now, and as you can imagine, there are many
thousands of people swarming to catch a glimpse of
this baby."

Harrisburg emergency officials were called to the
scene shortly after the ship materialized to shut off
gas and power services to the area. The ship's massive
weight — more than 200 tons — severed dozens of
underground utility wires, according to one city
official.

Richard R. Davis, professor of maritime history at
the University of Pennsylvania, visited the site early
Monday and said that the vessel is no doubt an exact copy
of the famed Titanic, which sank in 1912 off the
coast of Newfoundland.

"This is the most astonishing discovery in the history of mankind,"
said Davis, as a local resident hammered a sign saying "Titanic-Mart" into the ground by the ship. "Nothing like this has, or will ever, happen again. To be able to study the Titanic, to see her, to touch her, I just cannot contain myself."

Since the ship is too heavy to be moved without
flooding the entire southern section of Harrisburg,
Bjornson said that she plans to keep the ship on her
property, making it a casino or perhaps a local
museum.

She has had several offers pouring in from across the
world, the most notable from the Walton family —
owners of Bentonville, Ark., based Wal-Mart — as well
as Donald Trump.

"I'm leaning toward Wal-Mart, really," said Bjornson.
"They want to turn this into the largest supercenter
in the world. But I'm putting it on eBay this
afternoon, so we will see who comes out on top."