The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-03-14
KILLED BY 4 BIRD.

1t is an old superstition among sail
Ors that the albatT0ss is a kind of
spirit Of the air that causes the gentle
breeze to blow over the calm waters,
and the mist to fall on the sea. The
killing Of this bird was supposed to
bring disaster, and to be followed by
a dead sea and rainless sky 1t is
upon this superstition that Coleridge
built up the wonderful poetical fiction
entitled The Rhyme of the Ancient
Mariner"
But, though the superstitious held
it to be a thing of i'll omen to Kill the
albatross, the albatross, like the eagle,
which likewise is protected by fable,
has been known to destroy human
life 1t is said to be larger than the
swan, and its wings, when extended
from tip to tip, measure from ten to
sixteen feet. They are found within
the tropics and in more southern re-
gions The length and strength of
their wings fits them for long flights.
One was known to follow a ship,
which was sailing two hundred miles
a day, for forty-eight hours, and, from
its irregular flight, it must have passed
over three or four times the distance.
They often follow ships that they may
gather up the refuse left in the coarse
of the vessels; sometimes they are so
hungry as to snatch at piece of meat
attached to the end of a cord, and by
| this means they are caught.
These birds are said TO be very vOr-
acious, devouring dead carcasses OF
animals floating on the water, fish,
and even smaller birds. When hun
o-,.,, +bo,- Vii c----~II -..s4IIOii ~ lotiI
or five pounds weight and then, he
ing half choked, and consequently I'M
able to move, are easily caught and
destroyed by their enemies.
The following thrilling account of
death from an attack by the albatross
is related by an English writer oi trav-
el and adventure. The incident took
place off Cape Horn:
The crew had just finished break
fast, and the captain came on deck,
when the mate called a couple Of men
aft to fix the topsail yard, which had
sprung the previous day. Hiram Sims,
| one of the boys, was sent aloft to pass
a rope around the loose spar till the
danger could be properly repaired in
! calmer weather.
The Young man ran up the shrouds
and along the foot ropes out on the
main ward. to execute the order he
| had received The ship keeled over
and over as the waves sunk or rose
under it. Hiram, however, was an
excellent seaman and felt as safe up
there as if on deck Hence, while a
couple of brown-black gulls scared
around him as if they could not toler-
rate the bold man up there, he put a
rope round spar and mast, fastened
them together, and then took a step
| farther out to seize the block. which
| hung at the extreme end of the spar
whose rope was also loose, when 8
voice from below shouted:
Sail ho!n
The Young fellow started rs if struck
by bullet, lost his balance, and, rs
he fell, caught the rope The keel th'
ship gave, however, increased the
strain, to which one hand was n''
equal; the rope slipped through 'n' u.
finoers that convulsively clutched Il, IT,
and the body of the young sailor ~, ,.
heavily into the waves that le'l'''' ~
to receive it.
Man overheard ,.,,.,
The fearful cry burst simultaneous
L. frn,, = dozen throats. and all spran@
TO ropes to throw to their coil'A''e'-