Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-15
SCHOONER HEADS LEGEND.
A Pirate Chased to His Doom on the
Rocks OF Mt. Desert.
From tAs Do. Desert Herald.

/ PIRATE Chased to His Doom on the
Rocks OF Mt. Desert.
Prom tAs NJ. Desert Herald.
The story Of the phantom schooner ran
thus: Capt. Kidd had had the luck to
capture an outward bound West India
man, near the Bahamas, carrying a large
amount or specie, which he promptly
| took charge of, and, having disposed of
the crew according to the manner of those
times and scuttled the ship, made of to
one OF his many haunts, and there put
ting the treasure on board small, swift
| schooner in charge ofone of his henchmen,
ordered him to the secret storing place
at Mt. Desert. This piratical lieutenant
took his wife with him, while bent on such
a peaceful mission, though, as every
sailor knows, nothing is more unlucky
than to have woman or clergyman
aboard ship. But so Injured was this
hardened reprObate to danger of all kinds
that such old wOman's notions had no ter
ror for him, and be would no doubt have
set sail Friday and dined with thirteen at
his cabin table every day of the voyage
without ripple of hesitation, though
whether he ever ran the risk OF taking
clergyman or private chaplain with him
may be open to some doubt.
Notwithstanding this i'll augury, no
evil adventure befell them until the craft
came of the coast of Maine, when, as has
! sometimes happened since, a dense fog
set in, so dense that the man on the fore
castle could scarcely see the end of the
long, tapering jibboon, as the schooner,
gliding before the light breeze, poked her
nose swiftly into the mist. A fog at sea
is bad enough when one can whistle, or
ring a bell, or even blow a horn; but In
the present case all of these means of
making known ones whereabouts had to
be omitted for obvious reasons. However,
all went well until just before nightfall,
when brisk wind sprang up from the
eastward, dispellng the fog and revealing
the presence of British corvette few
miles to wlndward
The corvette, evidently regarding the
| appearance OF the schooner as suspicious,
fired gun as signal for her to heave to,
which being disregarded she forthwith
| gave chase. AS long as the wind con-
tinued light the schooner gradually crept
away from her heavier pursuer; but the
wind increased, and tossed up sea that
the tables were soon turned, and there
was nothing for the pirate to do but run
in toward the land, in hope of eluding the
enemy IN some of the hundreds of bays
and inlets where the water was too shoal
for him. With this intent the schooner's
bow was put OFF until the wind was over
her starboard quarter, and she headed as
the skipper reckoned, for what is now
called Otter Cove. He intended, if he
should not be able to Clip away under
cover of the increasing darkness, to run
into the cove, put his treasure ashore in
the boats, blow up or scuttle the schooner,
and escape overland to what is now
SOmes' sound, near which the treasure
was to be concealed. and where he would
be met by others of Kidd's retainers, and
could make good his escape in some other
craft from the Southwest harbor, while
the corvette was beating about French
mems bay.
Owing to some miscalculation. assisted
by the night which had now fallen. while
the wind had increased to gale, the
schooner ran past the mouth of the cove.
OF course breakers were heard near at
| hand, but that was TO be expected when
running for the cove on such night, and
caused no great anxiety, until, perhaps
installing the whitish face of the rock
for an opening in the coast line, the skip
per headed for it, putting the schooner
before the wind, and then to his horror
discovering that he was running at an
eight-knOt rate directly for the cliffs by the
Spouting Horn. just then chance shot
from the corvette, such as she had been
firing at any time tor an hour or more
without effect, knocked over the man at
the helm, and passing forward cut the
main halyards, and down came gSff,
mainsail and all, in a heap on the deck.
The skipper himself sprang to the wheel,
and around flew the spokes; hut port or
starboard, it was all one to the doomed
craft, for luff she would not with no sail
aft, and to wear ship, even If it had been
possible with the deck numbered with the
1 tapping mainsail, was merely to choose
between ore rock and its fellow.
On. on she few, with her crippled gear.
rushing through the seething waters, and
the shivering. shuddering gang of evil
men knOtted together as far stern as pos
sible, as if 10 avoid the dreaded impact
with the rocks more remorseless than
they. But the skipper stood at the wheel,
/ and his wife stood by him without trace
of fear on her face but OF resignation; and
on his was suspense and determination.
/ resolve 10 save that woman if all else
persisted, and a deathly doubt whether he
could by any possibility send the
schOoner's head where anybody could
Chamber on to the rocks before she went
TO pieces. Then big wave takes the frail
/ craft ana thumps her hard, cruelty,
pitilessly upOn the ledge by the
Spouting Horn. Over went the
t0remast by the board. One or two Of the
crew succeeded in clambering on it TO the
rocks before it fell over the side into the
sea, and were saved. The others were
paralyzed with fear, but the skipper stood
at the wheel and his wife knelt by his
side-aye, knet and prayed; such a thing
as, | ween, had not been zone on that
blood-stained deck In many n day--and
the White-capped waves dashed the slight
hull like a cookie shell up and down on
the ragged rocks, fast staving her 10
pieces, until at length huge foam-crested
monster lifted her off the rocky ledge, and
with the refuent current she surged back
ward aud downward into the deep black
ocean and disappeared forever
The lookout on the corvette who saw
the schooner one moment and looked for
her in vain the next, insisted upon 1t then
and to the end of his days that they had
chased the "Flying Dutchman" who
mad nearly led them TO their
doom; and oftentimes in many
years smugglers, who are not ms
a class given 10 superstition, reported
that they had sighted a phantom schooner
with her weird helmeman fitting in the
moonlight of the rocks Of Schooner Head.