Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-02-16
VOL. ". NO. 3s.

characteristic restlessness of the class
NY ship was considered good one fol
sailors they were well fed and kindly
used so long as they behaved them
selves had plenty of work to do, SO
that there was no time for growing OF
fomenting discord. '"' '-Is''s
(. 1t was the ghost that made them anx-
ious to leave the ship. There was no
fear of their running away ashore, be
cause, in those days, if colored man
could not show his free papers in the
South, he was presumably slave, and
held as such; but there were many
ships in the bay that were short-handed,
and it was no uncommon thing for men
to be spirited away from one ship to an
other, when the latter was going to sea
early in the morning. Mates of ships
were not very scrupulous about the
manner of filing up then. crews m those
DAYS, as well knew: Having pondered
not seeing any present way out of my
troubles, / turned in, trusting to fortune
for the future, but at thsesame time !
resolved to keep an extra lookout
whenever any ships weres 9sbout getting
ready for sea. ~ ~ s'si .-
Things progressed as usual aboard of
the ship for several days, and heard
nothing more about the, ghost but my
own time was comiigS Zone evening l
had given my juror officers permission
to absent themselves from the ship, and
was sitting by myself alone in the, cabin,
awaiting their return. Being tired of
my book, sat dozing in a chair, when
my reveries were disturbed by sound
like a halfsmothered groan, that
seemed to come from that forward part
of the cabin on the starboard side. 1
was wide awake in an instant, though
scarcely able to credit my senses. The
groans were. distant 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 sound came nearer, but seemed to
rise UP from the lower between-decks.
felt assured that the men, knowing
my officers were: absent, had arranged
this plan to try my nerves. Without
any further consideration, l slipped my
shoes off, trimmed my dark lantern,
armed myself with a good stick, and
started in search of the ghast. Going
to the main hatch; the only one open,EI
went down between decks, and, hauling
the ladder, after me, proceeded aft,
where the noises could be distinctly
heard but before reaching the mizzen-
mast, they came, apparently, from be-
meath 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 dis
covering it; so ! 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, 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 hole.
Matters were assuming an unpleasant
aspect. 1 will not say that my hair
stood on end, but certainly my, feet
stood still, while my confidence in the
and myself began to be
slightly shaken. L ,hesitated, doubted,
and finally concluding that it would be
better to wait until my officers returned
before pursuing the Investigation, 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 carpenter, a stalwart
and hurrvirig to- his room,
reused him ont.
Chips do you hear that noise ?'
! ." Yes, sir; pese hear him many
times, and / shust puts mine head un-
ter mine planket and says notings." e e
Turn out now, and come down in
the hold with me, and we will see what
it is" '-.. "'-
/" Dunder unit Blitzent shall NIGHT
CO." - ..-..-,- p.
Some along, you fool,'' said /, impa-
tiently; "you are no worse of there
than here. have been down between
decks alone, and now l 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 reas-
sure him somewhat, and we soon found
in the lower hold. Vending
our way aft over the ballast-the sounds
becoming more audible-we
finally reached the stern-post, and there,
while the groans came mournfull from
among the timbers of the stern frame,
we stood still, no one visible but our
selves.
j do not know whether 1 was fright
ened, but my heart never beat SO fast
before; and the poor Dutchman stood
as if struck with palsy, the
1roops of Precipitation startling out like
beads. Ny own nerves were somewhat
shaken, but there was the pride of rank
and station; so, after listening to the
nnearthly sounds for few minutes, we
to the cabin together, 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 for 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 lon
ger in the Bay, and as no secret was
made of these occurrences the old ''H."
received the name of The Haunted
Ship" Many merry party we had in
the cabin, and then would go down into
the hold to listen to the unearthly wall
ings of the tortured spirit who had
chosen my ship for its abiding place. At
length our own day of sailing came.
but little wind in the morning,
the steamboat Swan came to tow us out
side of Mobile Point. While at my sta
ton on the forecastle / heard Captain
George aboard the Swan calling out for
my harpoon, which was handed over to
him, and in few seconds there was a
sPlashing in the water along side, a
shouting board the Swan, and then
our ghost was lying on her forward
guards
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 water which raeieveS ite