Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-07
Bills Approved and Vetoed.
Condition Improved.
VISITS OF THE DEAD.

In 1871 | was at Naples, when an Ital-
ian corvette, the Amirale Caracciolo, was
launched at Castellamare. The vessel was
christened by the Countess Teresa Carac
ciolo, the daughter of the chief of the
elder branch of the Caracciolo. | was
staying at Naples as the guest of the young
lady's father, and l heard from him very
remarkable story connected with the death
of the unfortunate officer in honor of whose
memory the vessel was named The cir
cumstances which led to the execution of
Prince francesca Caracciolo in 1893 are
well-known. l shall merely state. there.
fore, that he was condemned by court
martial 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
finding and sentence of the Court was
brought to the Prince, he was explaining
the names and uses of the various parts Of
the rigging to some young Neopolitan no.
blemen 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 retired to his cabin /;
and after vain attempt TO get the SEN
tence 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 Sicilian
ship-of-war outside the bay, was returning
to Naples in the evening. It was a moon
light night, and the sea was perfectly calm
There was, indeed, so little wind that it
was difficult to steer the vessel. The
King was sitting in the balcony of the
stern cabin, watching the sea, when sud-
denly he became aware that something was
following the ship. As the object came
nearer it was easy to distinguish that it
was the body of man in an upright atti-
tude, as if treading water and very soon
the King was able to recognize the feat
ures of Admiral Csracciolo. His eyes were
open and seemed to be fixed on the King,
and, except for its CHASTITY pallor, the face
was unchanged. The explanation was sim.
pie. Al er being submerged for some days
the body had become so buoysnt that the
weights attached to the feet were not suffi-
cient heavy to keep it under water but
they retained it in an upright position, and
twas drawn along by the current created by
the movement of the ship. It is easy to
imagine the horror CT Ferdinand at what
he believed to be an apparition from an
other world. When at length it was ex
planned to him what had happened, he
gave orders that boat should be lowered
and that the corpse should be brought on
board and taken to Naples for Christian
burial. But the superstitious Sicilians
dared not obey the royal command, an
the ship, drawing in its wake the upwright
body of the Admiral, sailed slowly into the
Bay of Naples. Here boats crew was
obtained from an English man. n.of-war, who
took the Admiral's body ashore, where it
was deposited in his own palace, and al
length received the last rites of the church.
| Notes and Queries.