The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-05-24
Observation-Disclosures
The SPECTRE SHIP OF SALEM

e Massachusetts, who nourished about th,
end of the l7lh century, wrote a curious
book,en'lIed 'Magnalia Christi Americana,
IN which he has exhibited not only his owl
bu' the prevalent superslilions of the time.
IN which be lived. The country had beer
I IN the language of that period, exposed t,
war from The invisible world, during whicl
The inhabitants were afflicted with demons
and SO wrought upon by specIes,as TO pine
langulsh, and die under excruialing tor.
ments. Sometimes the demons attacked
one part of the country, and sometimes an
other; and the object Of The learned ant
reverend Doctors book is 10 authenticate
The very Iagical instances in which they in
Tested the houses and afflicted the persons o
The lnhabuants. 'FIashy people, says he
may burlesque these things, but when hun
dreds OF the most sober peore in The coun.
try, where they have as much mother wi,
certainly as the res! of mankind, know
them TO be true, nothing bat the absurd and
forward spirit of sadducsm can question
them have not mentioned so much as
one thing tia! will not be justified, if il be
required, by The oaths Of more conssten,
persons Than any thu, can ridicule these odd
phenomenal And certainly few facts, il
We may Judge by the evidence, have been
hAi a IaEl haI a. ,I.a
wIIchcraII, and the wars OF prodlgious spt
lis IN the provinces of New England dur
ing The lime OF DR.. MalheI. We have ac-
counts OF trials conducted with all the forms
aud implements OF jurisprudence, in which
many persons were convicted of holdhe
communication with demons; and we have ),
what Is sul more remarkable, younlar,
confessions OF parues, acknowledging them
selves in league with the devil. 30 far,
therefore, as Me records and arcbieves oil
courts oI law can verify the truth ol any nI
yesIgaIIon, we musl believe that many oil
he things that DR.. Malher has set forth ,ar,
lol only true as historical events, but ais,
naturally incident, however rarely, 10 III,
condition and fortunes Of men. 1t is not fol
US, however, TO argue this matter;bul man,
ot the Doctors stories are really striking |
reviewing them merely as creations OF fancy
and some OF the phenomena which he de |
scrlbes, and boasts OF having Witnesses tol
confirm, have in different ages been seen nl
New England. The prodigy ol the Gross,
which Constantine and his army behed in
'he air, is Of ,his descriptions; and the apoca.
ypse vouchsaieG 10 Godlrey,n he crusade
is Of the same character. DR.. Malber de.
scrlbes noise and bus;ings heard in The air
a short time prior to the Indian war 1878,
accompanied with beating OF drums as in
battle, But without entering into any par
Icular enquiry concerning these omens and
auguries, we shall here present a version
ol his story of the naval ASPIRATIONS, only
that it contains several particulars {
which The Doctor has not noticed bur
which, we are persuaded, are not less true ,
han those he had re ated. - BlQCklUOOd 5
Magazine.
A ship, called 'Noah's Dove, was pre-
pairing to sail from the port OF Salem, for
Old England, when a young man, accom-.
panied by his bride, came aud engaged
oerlhs for him and her,as passengers, No
1ne in all Salem was in The slightest degree s
acquainted with this handsome couple, nor ,
lid they themselves seek any acquaintance
n town; but, until the vessel was ready, {
ived in the most secluded Stale Their I
conduct was perfectly hlameIess, and THEN
appearance are highly respectable; but The G
'harp sighted people of Salem knew tbt 5
)restigious appearance of The demons which,
afflicted the country, aud they dscerned /
something about them which could not be
!eemed otherwise than mysterious. c
Many persons, intending 10 visit their
rlends, in the old country, ,ook passage Z
also into the Noah's Dove; but Ihe friends
Of some of them thought they were rash in
doing so, and thai il would be as well to
learn something OF their own questionable