The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-09-01

OdSSaSe win the unhappIly exposed Weahh, was a.
gain restored to the interior of the ship But few
young men sat upon the deck watching tho flint lines
Ofthe land, until swallowed up in darkness even them
with eyes straining in the direction Of The shore for
which they yearned conyersng together, 10 their own
language, in hope and confident expectation of their
future fortunes. While thus employed the captain and
his crew. in any other part of the vessel weeconcoct-
ing their fearful scheme Of WAainI. The hour grew
late the night deepened; the few Germans who yet re-.
mained oil deck, stretched themselves out where they
were and were soon composed in snmber. While thus
under the peaceful hope g. canopy of heaven, in a
slumber, which the solemn starlight looking down up.
on, seemed to hallow, the merciless murderers with
cautious footsteps, and barred weapon set upon them.
The cabin door Of the vessel had been fastened the
entrances closed to the hold. Each seaman stood BY
his ycim and at given signal they all struck together.
There was no chance given for struggle the murderers
had planned their criue with consummate deliberation
and skill. spasmodC ,hro of some muscular frame.
faint cry, slight groan may have escaped the vic
tins, but little more. At least the poor seepors below
were unaroused by the event.
The deck was cleared of the murdered men, the
murderer4 descended steahily To- the work below.
Passing from berth TO berth with the most endish cool
ness, there struck seldom twice, almost always fatally
men W omen and children the old, the young the
tender and the strong, the young mother and the poor
angel innocent but lately sent to hall pershed or
were incapable arrestng the objects of the criminals
We may imagine some one or more of the victims a.
Weakening under the i'll directed knifa-awakng 10
vain struggle unkindy alarming those into conscious
ness who had no strength for conAict Perhaps mo.
ther may have found strength 10 rise on her knees m>
plorng mercy for the dear child of her heart and hope,
and may have been suffered to live sufficiently long to
see its death struggle, its wild contorons in the grasp
Of the unrelenng assassin Art may not describe such
scene truly. as Imagination can hardly conceive it,
They periQhed, one and a-that little band Of emi,
ganand the murderers grouped around the treasures
which had damned their hearts into tho wors, hell of
covelousness and crime were now hused in distr5u-
ting their bloody spos. How they settled this matter
among themselves what division they made, and with
what temper they carried on the consultation, is Of
course, only matter Of conjecture, But tradition, which
is always sufficiently courageous for conjecture, as.
sers that having possessed themselves of all that was
valuable in the ship; all thatcoud be easily appropr-
atedi they determined 10 set her ON fire. as the only
mode to conceal thoroughly the bloody testimonies of
their crime The boats were accordingly launched at
midnight The frs; fed by far and other matter sezed
instantly upon the combusible fabric, The flames rose
trumphantly in the air. rushing from stem to stern.
from keel 10 bulwark, from the deck to the highest
point of the towering mast. involving shroud and SAIL
rope and line, spar and stancheon none general blaze
but the astonshed eyes of the mudererS these objects
soon became distinctly arcused each in it's own out-
line, by tho bright, burning, but unconsuming fire.
Fast they ied-stoutly as they pulled for and-they
gazod with horror CONSERVATION upon the wondrous
spectacle behind them; ship on fire that would not
burn fire that would neither destroy its object, nor
conceal, in its smoke, the form which it SO com.
pletey enveloped! Strange and wondrous spectacle in.
deed
1t continued all night to burp speeding on with the
wind, now passing out from sight, and anon, visible,
flaming forever, back again, on the very spot where
the crime had been committed. With The dawn ofday
it had ceased to burn but there it STOOD erect as ever
with the spars, sas Uasts, unconsumedi every thing
in its place, but every thing backened charred as if
the fire having penetrated sufficiently to discolor its oh,
ject, had suddenly been extngushed This was no
sight for the wretched criminals but they watched it
through the day with fearful interest Every moment
they looked to see i go down. Bpl sangeto say while
il never sunk, II never moved: There was on
anchor to hold il 10 those shores; there was not fast
to bind it in its place; nor was there calm upon
the face Of the deep: With eyes upon which some
powerful spell had fastened itself with the force of fas
cination. they watched the strange spectacle But
with the return Of night new interest of dread was
awakened in their bosoms. As the sun went down. g.
twight darkened the ear,h and the plain stars came
forth along the great summit heaven the flames re-
kindled upon the vessel spar and mast became re.lu,
mined once more the fire ruged and the frame of the
ship redeemed from the bplwarks 10 the wave, from
stem TO stern. The dreadful sight could be borne no
longer. The murderers fled from the shore; fled to the
forest, and buried themselves in the vast interior.
Never says the tradition, has the penalty of blood
been paid. Tho criminals went free No Justice fol.
lowed on their footsteps. Whatever may haze been
their regrets, their remorse it is very certain that bu,
man laws have had share in their punishment. Tbev
lived on their igotten spos their descendants still an.
Joy them; and thus it is that the burning ship Of the
PalaneS reaRpears each year, on the anniversary of
that night ofcrme on the very spot where il was com.
mitted. Thus it burns from STEM to stern from deck
to mast but still unconsnmed and THUS it will contlnuo
to burn until upon the last descendant of that bloody
crew. tho eyer ayengng Providence shall have consum.
mated the reuuisite Tetrihuion '"