The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1883-10-10
How the Dead followed the Kign

In 1871 was at Naples when an Italian
corvette. the Admirable Caracciolo, was launch
and at Castellamare The vessel was chris
tened by the Countess Teresa Caracciolo, the
daughter Of the chief Of the elder branch Of
the Caraecioli / 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 unfortunate
officer in honor Of whose memory the vessel
was named. The circumstances which led TO
the execution Of Prince francesca Caracciole
in 1899 are we'll known. shall merely stale,
therefore, that be was condemned by court
martial composed Of Sicilian officers to he
hanged at the yard-arm of the flagship for
bearing arms against his lawful sovereign
When the Official communication Of the finding
and the sentence o. the court was brought to
the prince, he was explaining the names and
uses Of tie various parts Of The rigging to
seme young Neapolitan noblemen who hap
pened to be on board the ship. A glance at
the letter was sufficient to show him its con-
tents. BE showed no sign of emotion, but re-
quested 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 sentence changed TO a more honorable
AAAAALlA VI AE0ALs AE AG1t-lE1 LAll1Nh ~ No
fate, which he met with great forti,ude.
Some days after the event the King, who
had been for an afternoons cruise on q Sici-
ian ship of war outside the bay, was return
ing 10 Naples in the evening. 1t was 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 suddenly he became
aware that something was following the ship.
AS the object came near II was easy TO dis
anguish that it was the body Of man in an
upright attitude, as if treading water; and
soon tie king was able 10 recognize the feat
ures Of Admiral Caracciolo. His eyes were
open and seemed to be fixed on the King, and,
except for Its CHASTITY pallor, the face was IN
changed. 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 sufficiently heavy to keep
II under water; but they retained it in an up
right position, and it was drawn along by the
current created by the movement Of the ship
Il is easy 10 imagine the horror Of Ferdinand
al what be believed to be an apparition from
another world When at length it was ex
planned to him what had happened, be gave
orders that q boat should be lowered and that
the corps should be brought on board and
taken to Naples for Christian burial. But the
supersutious Sicilians dared not obey the royal
command, and the ship, drawing il its wake
the upright body Of the admiral, sailed slowly
into the bay Of Naples Here boats crew
was obtained from an English man-of-war,
who took the admirals body ashore, where 1t
was deposited il his own palace, and at length
received the last rites of the Church.
A different version Of the story is given in
Soulhey's " Life Of Nelson" have here re-
lated the traditional acoun; preserved in the
family Of tie admiral exactly ss it was told
me by its chiefly. 7. Tribune