The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-03

q J--. s-Et
Il 10 well known that SOCFatsp Ipeks
With deep conviction o. TIE tsrSiliaf %.
mon who accompanied him SsSFyWhets:
A distinguished naval officer Waa'Wieneaas
during considerable space Of tine 70 .
fact Of similar nature. -
The vessel; aboard Of which this officer
was sailing, boPpssS3tv wssA vith1y !.
lent storm in the South See. MORstrOOs
waves broke over thu Aask- -HithOnt caass.
ton, sweeping before, them everything
which was not firmly fastened. The sail.
Ors, hanging on 70 he rigging. had the
greatest difficulty IN rgsiisttug the fury Ut
the sea, when suddenly wps beard the
shout" A man ovethQeyA
It was a sailor named Smith, who was
carried away by mighty wave. In such
q frightful sea, the means OF saving him
were almost impOusibiAattSg tSgaAaS ,SOase-
.QnepDg- was the eaptaip's snrprisa. when
me saw, q few minutsa afterwards, this
same Smith, with the Sea-water pouring
from his clothes, quietly helping bis com.
rades to work the vessel, - il nOthing bad
happened. .e:-F1,,. -.
When the storm had snbsided little,
and the danger was over they inquired Of
Smith the particulars Of bis miraculous
preservation. -
"As soon as was washed overheard -
he said, "I saw man sitting by my side
on the crest Of the wsse. Ne look me by
the band and brought neon deck without
tiny feeling the slightest pain. More than
that-although / sGW the ship pitching
and rolling horribly, I-lelt no anxiety for
her fate; my neighboE's eaImness reAs-
sured me, for .wss fully aware that be
would save me. LOOk, there be is--therei
HN>,~-~- I~ss,4o-u1e. NOW" .-..--. - -
| So saying, Smith p6SEtsAaf 10 spot BE-
side him, where every one else only saw
vacancy, but where be distinctly beheld,
as he affirmed, his imaginary comrade-
From that time Smith became tacituTn,
and he was frequently observed, when
quite alone, to express BY his looks ard
gestures his consciousness Of beingin com.
pany with another person. Any itteff6-
cation by his messmates on the subject Of
his vision, appeared to him mockery, so
firmly was he persuaded that his phantom
was as visible to others as to himself ~
When urged BY his qOestiOners to give q
description Of his companion, the portrait
he drew was exactly. his own. Before
long this fixed idea obtained such an as
cendancy over his imagination, and over
his senses, that he behaved in every re-
spect as if he had been two persons. II il
were wanted to take in reef, to furl &
sail, or perform any other perilOus manOeu'
vre in boisterOus weather, whenever the
task required the powers Of two robust
and practiced men, Smith would allow
no sailor to help him, but executed the
work alone with supernatural precision
and vigor. q. d. .,e g.. ..-s
The creyat last became habituated tc
his mysterious ways,and the officers could
not help remarking in this singular sailor
an extraordinary aptitude and intuition
when ever 1t was bis turn to take tbs
helm. ,>..
One night Smith was seen to jump ou
of his hammock, 60 down to the hold, and
shortly return to the deck Of thsship hold
ing in his arms bundle Of smoking cord
age, which had caught fire nobody knew
how, and then quietly throw Il into tn
sea. Another time, he called the mastel
carpenter aside, and advised him to lose NJ
time in repairing damage which no onI
had observed. A day or two later thil
damage would have caused leak, and
endangered the safety Of the ship.
The most remarkable incident witnessed
by the naval officer was this He was OF
watch one very dark night, so dark that
in looking over the ships side, the wateI
was hardly distinguishsble. Smith wa
then at the helm. The officer happening
to glance ut the compass, perceived tina
the ship had suddenly and greatly alteret
her course.
"Why, Smith" he shouted, "what ar,
you about? Helm to starbOard, man
helm to starbOard."
al can't, replied Smith, "he won't le
me- -----.--.--.-
The officer repeated the order, TO NJ
purpose. He found it impossible to mak'
himself obeyed. Smith persisted in re
peating with energy, " l can't, sir; h
won't let me-"
The captain, oVerheaFing the discussion
came on deck to ascertain the cause Of tn
dispute, and also to learn (for he had al
ready remarked it) why the vessel hat
changed her course. %. ..-.-s-,.
Beforo the officer could finish his exPla
nation, q large ship, with every sail set
} shot past the vessel thst Smith was steer
ing, so close us almost to touch her. Th,
presentiment in Smiths mind, which h'
had obeyed with so much Uhstinacy, savet
them from q collision when both vessels
were running at their utmost speed.