Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-17
NO. IS.


given my junior officers permission to alb
sent themselves from the ship, and was
sitting alone in the cabin awaiting their re-
turn. Being tired of my book, sat doz-
ing in my chair, when my reveries were
disturbed by a halEsmothered groan, that
seemed to come from the forward part of
the cabin on the starboard side. was
wide awake in an instant, though scarcely
able to credit my senses. The groans were
distinct enough, and were repeated in
about the same interval that is required for
human breath; still, my light did not
burn blue, nor did the ghost appear As
l listened the sounds came nearer, but
seemed to rise up from the lower between
decks. ! felt assured that the men, know
ing my officers were absent, had arranged
this plan to try my nerves. Without any.
further consideration, I slipped of my
shoes, trimmed my dark lantern, armed
myself with good stick, and started in
hatch, the only one open, went down be-
tween decks, and, hauling the ladder after
me, proceeded aft, where the noises could
be distinctly heard; but before reaching
the mizen-mast, they came, apparently,
from beneath my feet. This was not
pleasant, but my pride was aroused, and
if there was any trick in the matter, it
would not do for me to back out without
discovering it; SO l went back to the main
hatch again and down to the lower deck
but this time did not take the ladder
away. Flashing the light ahead of me, l
went carefully along, guarding against a
surprise. This was needless, for, upon
reaching the locality of the sounds, they
were beneath my feet again, coming up
from the lower hold. Matters were assum-
ing an unpleasant aspect. / will not say
that my hair stood on end, but certainly
my feet stood still, while confidence In the
supernatural and myself began to be
slightly shaken. Ihesitated, doubted, and
finally concluded that it would be better
to wait until my officers returned before
pursuing the investigation, and beat a
most inglorious retreat to the cabin; but
there ! could not rest, for now the sounds
were apparently under the cabin floor, as
if they had followed me up from the lower
hold. Suddenly thought of the carpen-
ter, stalwart Dutchman, and, hurrying
to his room, reused him out.
"Chips do you hear that noise ?"
Eyes, sir; 1pese hear him many times.
and / shust puts mine head under mine
blankets and says notings."
Turn out now, and come down in the
hold with me, and we will see what it is.n
.'Dunder unit blitzen shall NIGHT 60"
"Come along, you fool" said /, impa-
tiently; you are no worse off there than
here. have been down between-decks
alone, and now | want you along, so that
if any of the men are down in the hold we
can cut them off. /"
| This view of the case seemed to reassure
him somewhat, and we soon found our
selves in the lower hold. Vending our
way aft over the ballast-the sounds con-
stantly becoming more audible-we final
ly reached the stern-post, and while the
groans came mournfully from among the
timbers of the stern-frame, we stood still,
no one visible but ourselves.
do not know whether was frightened,
but my heart never beat so fast before;
and the Dutchman stood trembling as if
struck with the palsy, the drops of per-
spiration starting out like beads. My own
nerves were somewhat shaken, but there
was the pride of rank and station; so, after
listening to the unearthly sounds for a few
minutes, we returned to the cabin togeth-
er, for the carpenter would not turn in
again until his roommate came aboard
When my juniors returned we all went
down into the hold and listened some time
to the sounds, which were apparently
travelling along through the timbers. We
could not satisfy ourselves regarding the
cause, and finally retired, thinking that
the poor darkeys might, after all, have
had some foundation for their fears.
We remained some three months long
er in the bay, and as no secret was made
of these occurrences the old "H." receiv-
ed the name of The Haunted Ship
Many merry party we had in the cabin,
and thcn would go down into the hold to
listen to the unearthly wailings of the tor
tuIed spirit who had chosen my ship for
its abiding place. At length our own day
OF sailing came. Having but little wind
in the morning, the steamboat Swan came
to tow us outside of ofMobile Point. While
at my station on the forecastle l heard
Captain George aboard OF the Swan cali
ing out for my harpoon, which was hand
ed over to him, and in few minutes
there was splash in the water along side,
shout on board the Swan, and then
our ghost lying on her forward guard -'
Work was temporarily suspended, SO
that all hands might see what form the
spirit had taken. There lay an immense
Jew, or drum-fish, a well-known denizen
of southern waters, which receives its
name from the hollow -drumlike sound it
makes when seeking for its food. This
specimen was of unusual size, being near
ly six feet long, and weighing over six
hundred pounds. Having taken on board
about two hundred pounds weight of his
ghostship as an addition to our sea-stock
Of provisions, we tripped our anchor. made
sail, and were soon out in the Gulf of Mex
leo, making the best of our way towards
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to take in car
go of deals Tor London.
Notwithstanding the capture of the
drumtish, and the rational solution of the
mystery, some of the crew were 10th TO
abandon the delusion and until the III. !"
was lost, two years afterwards, she bore
everywhere the i'll name of 1.-The Haunted
Ship. p."-Scribner Monthly.
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