The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-07-20
How the Dead Followed the King.

In 1871, writes correspondent, l
was at Naples when an Italian cor
vette, the Amirale Caracciolo, was
launched at Castellamare. The vessel
was christened by the Countess Teresa
Caracciolo, the daughter Of the chief
of the elder branch of the Caraccioli:
l was staying at Naples as the guest
of the young lady's father, and L heard
from him very remarkable story con-
nected with the death of the unfortu-
nate officer in honor of whose memory
the vessel was named. The circum-
stances which led TO the execution of
Prince Francesca Caracciolo in 1899
are well known. 1 shall merely state
therefore, that he was condemned by a
court marshal composed of Sicilian
officers to be hanged at the yard-arm
of the flagship for bearing arms
against his lawful sovereign. When
the official communication of the find
ing and the sentence of the court was
brought to the prince, he was explain
ing the names and uses of the various
parts of the rigging to some young
Neapolitan nobleman who happened to
be on board the ship. a glance at the
letter was sufficient to show him its
contents. He showed no sign of
emotion, but requested the officer
who brought the dispatch to wait
for few minutes while he finished
his explanations. This being done he
returned to his cabin, and after vain
attempt to get the sentence changed to
a more honorable manner of death he
resigned himself to his fate, which he
met with great fortitude. Some days
after the event the king, who had been
for an afternoons cruise on a Siclian
ship of war outside the bay, was re-
turning to Naples in the evening. 1t
was a moonlight night, aud the sea
was perfectly calm. There was, in
deed, so little wind that it was difficult
to steer the vessel. The king was sit
ting in the balcony of the stern cabin,
watching the sea, when suddenly he
became aware that something was
following the ship. AS the object
came near it was easy to distinguish
that it was the body of man in ! n
upright attitude, as if treading water;
and very soon the king was able to
recognize the features of Admiral
Caracciolo. His eyes were opened
and seemed to be fixed en- the
king, and except for its CHASTITY
pallor the face was unchanged. The
explanation was simple. After being
submerged for some days the body had
become so buoyant that the weights
attached to the feet were not suffi.
GENTLY heavy to keep it under water;
but they retained it in an upright pc.
sition, and it was drawn along by the
current created by the movement of
the ship. 1t is easy to imagine the
horror of Ferdinand at what he be-
leved to he an apparition from another
world. When at length it was ex-
planned to him what had happened, he
gave orders that boat be lowered and
that the corpse be brought on board
and taken to Naples for Christian
burial. But the superstitious Sicilians
dared net obey the royal command,
and the ship. drawing in its wake the
upright body of the admiral, sailed
slowly into the Bay of Naples. Here
boats crew was OBJ. aimed from an
English man-of-war, who took the adj
mirals body ashore, where it was de-
posted in his own palace. and at
length received the last rites Of the
church.
A different version of the story i,
given in Southley's Life of Nelson"
L have related the traditional account
preserved in the family of the admiral
exactly as it was told me by its chief.