The Portland daily press., 1884-05-22
The Mysterious Passenger.
A Strange Tale of The Sea.
Written for the Portland PREss.)
PAHT I,
The NIYsfariaus Eassen

PART 1.
The Mysterious Passenger.
November, 49,, was stormy month; the
ocean had been dashed into fury, by the hur-
icanes and so-called cyclonic gales which
had frequently been reported by vessels ar
irving on both sides of the Atlantic. Many
ships were posted up at Lloyds' Insurance
Office in London, as missing, never having
been seen or heard of since leaving their
port
was then an officer on board large pas
senger steamer commanded by Scotchman.
We left England with small number of
cabin passengers aud about 10 or so emf
grants bound for the United States.
Nothing could be seen but the dull leaden
sky above US, and now and then the equally
dull and monotonous stone wall, which
stretched along the line of huge docks for
miles. The sun occasionally peered out
from the massive banks of clouds; but it
shown with lurid glare, and appeared
more like the disc produced on screen by a
magic lantern, than the glorious orb of day.
Leaving the Irish channel, we at once ex-
perienced the fist installment of what prov
ed to be very early Winter weather. Our
presence outside the wild headlands of
Bloody Portland, off the coast of Donegal.
was ushered in by gale of wind and very
heavy head sea, and we very soon began to
breast the pillows of turbulent ocean. This
of course brought small muster of passen-
gers at the tables on the following morning
for breakfast, and also had the effect of in
fictiDg upon those who were sea-sick the
additional misery of low spirits. The sue
ceeding day another gale of wind came on in
earnest from different direction. We pass
ed through succession of gales, the wind
generally commencing to blow from the
Southwest; when the barometer would fall
rapidly, the sky be overcast, and gloomy
weather prevail; the atmosphere then be-
came colder, the Thermometer fell several
degrees lower, and heavy fall of rain fol-
lowed. The wind would then suddenly fly
into the Northwest and equally uncertain
weather continue for some time.
During one of these changes which came
on in the middle of the night with terrific
squat of rain: we lost the fore-top-sail. II
was first OF all split with the fury of the gale.
and before the seamen had time to 90 un
aloft, to stow and secure the sail, it had
tapped itself into ribbons, with the noise of
thunder. The darkness of the night, and
the pelting rain ldriven by the fury of the
restless wind which struck the eyeballs like
bullets, prevented the officer upon the
bridge, or the men on the lookout, from see
ing far ahead of the ship. The captain con-
sequently ordered the speed of the engines
to be reduced, and brought the ships head
up to the wind and sea, both as a precau
tionary measure, and also to ease the shin in
the seaway. Fortunately we were far away
from the track of vessels, either outward or
homeward bound, and were not in proximi-
ty TO any land, and these facts eased the
minds of all on board.
l was the officer in charge of the watch
and paced the bridge with the CAPTAIN. as
well as we could under the circumstances.
When Ihad been sometime there, he left for
a short time, giving me some specific iustruc-
tons. He had hardly gone down the ladder
when strange form assembled from the deck
to the bridge and glided past me two or three
times 1.-THE rolling of the ship giving impetus
to his movements) without uttering word.
At first thought it was the boatswain's
mate, or the quartermaster, looking for
something the captain had left, his gloves
perhaps, or his night glasses. But soon I
discovered it to be a passenger. He put his
hand upon my shoulder and spoke to me.
saying, ''Are you the captainP' to which
replied, 'No; why? What do you want with
the captain at this time of night?'' He then
in deep, mournful, but impressive voice.
said, "Sir, must see the captain. l have
something most important to ask him. and
your life and mine, and the lives of ali The
company on board this ship, depend upon
his granting or refusing it. must ask him
to turn back the ship as she is going on 10
destruction, sure and fatal and eternal de-
struction."
He was a tall, slightly built man about
forty years of age, with a haggard expression
of counlenance and fierce wild eyes. (It ia
astonishing to notice the powerful express
sion which moment of intense interest or
time of great danger is capable of giving to
the eye.) There was nothing particular
about his dress, except that he hal button
CATERS upon his legs similar to those worn
by an English country farmer. His coat
was long, and buttoned up to bis throat
which was protected by a coarse kind of
muller, the ends of which hung down from
his left side and futtered in the wind. He
also wore upon his head what is termed
RACED hat, that is stove-pipe hat cut
down in the crown, and this was secured to
his head by two pieces of kind of sacking
or listing which went over the top of it and
under his chin to protect it from being blown
off by the wind.
/ was little startled at the tone of voice
and demeanor of this intruder upon the
bridge; | thought him insane or suffering
with delirium tremens. l well understood
the character OF persons in delirium ire
mems and how very uncertain their move
ments and intentions are, and / imagined
that If he considered himself thwarted he
might possibly make an attempt upon my
life. pretended to be busy with some inn
portant maneuvre of the ship, and promis-
ed to take him to the captain next morning
Then whistled for the boatswain to give
him an order, and as ] did so. babe INV
strange visitor good night, and so quietly
disposed of him for that time.
The boatswain soon appeared and inform
ed me that this mysterious being, who was
one of the steerage passengers, had been
taking to him and to some of the other sea-
men about the ship, and had predicted that
she would never reach her destination. but
would be wrecked on the shore or lost upon
the ocean. This rather confirmed me in nv
idea about the mans insanity and REQUEST
ed the boatswain to have him watched.
Nothing particular happened during the
latter part of the night, but the stranger was
restless and walked about the deck freouent-
ly, not noticing that he was watched. In the
forenoon of the next day he was seen by the
surgeon and captain, both of whom thought
he was harmlessly insane.
During the day the story of this mans dis
NAL prediction spread through the whole
ship. 1t was discussed in the cabin. in the
steerage among the emigrants, and even the
sailors in the forecastle talked it over, some
with superstitious apprehension and Others
with Jeers and ridicule. As the story passed
from one to the other it accumulated inter
est and incident. Some who had MANAGED
to get him to converse made out that he was
.conscience-stricken for some frightful crime
he had committed. Many were the touches
and embellishments added 70 his or;o;noJ ox-