The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-03-07
A HAUNTED BRIG.
A Singular Phenomenon on Board Ves-
sci in Philadelphia Harbor.

The brig Frances, West India trader
Of Machias, Me-, lay at the foot of Prime
street wharf few days ago, waiting for
the arrival of crew to enable her to
put to sea. Captain HAL H. Thomas,
the commander, bluff, hearty old
sailor, who has, in his time, navigatcd
nearly every ocean on the globe, sat
under the bit of awning stretched across
the quarterback of the brig and told OF
the predicamcnt which has kept his YES
sci here for several days. The Frances
finished taking her cargo on board on
Thursday last. She.is $50 tons register
and laden with hoops, slaves and head
ing, consigned to a sugar exporting
house at Matanzas, Cuba.
Captain Thomas said: ITO begin.
none of my old crew staid by the vessel
when we arrived here, so i shipped a
new lot, five seamen, and sent them on
board last Thursday afternoon.
1T never has been my plan to put a
crew on board until was ready to tow
out to sea, but there was a new spanker
to bend. lot of forerigging to set up
and so / listened to the advice of the
mate and told the. shipping master to
bring the crew down. That's where L
made my mistake-to put a crew on
board alongside of a dock.
"Well, they turned to and cleared
things up pretty fair that afternoon. l
got my new spanker bent and some Of
the rigging tautened up, and as the
men worked pretty well / knocked 'em
of early, so as to give 'em chance to
clean the forecastle BIT and stow away
their chests.
IL liked the appearance of the men.
There was a big Russian-Finn, two
Danes, and two Liverpool cockncys.
told the steward to feed EN- up pretty
well until we dropped down the river.
about eight o'clock Thursday night
/ looked in the fo'castle to call one Of
'em to take in the slack of a dock liue.
They were smoking and spinning yarns,
and turned in sooa after, thinking
that had got good, quiet set of men.
at must have been about two o'clock
in the morning when was reused by
a noise aud the scufiiing of feet on deck.
/ ran out and found the men throwing
water on the big .Russian-Finn. He
leaned against the forecastle house, pale
as ghost. went up and looked at
him. The man was trembling like a leaf.
".What's all thisp" says l.
s'sThat ere fo'castle is 'aunted;' says
one of the Englishman.
ssBy this time the Russian-Finn was
able to talk. He rested on the hatch
combing and says:
81 sat up talking with my mates
here until after nineso' clock. Then, as
they all turned in / filled my pipe and
took turn on deck TO get my smoke
out. expect was on deck nearly an
hour, for when went in the forecastle
everything was quiet. / had taken oil
my duds and was just going to turn in
my bunk when l felt cold breeze
blowing over me. l turned to look at
the hatch, thinking l had left it open,
but it was closed. Then looked up to
the further end of the forccastle and
saw that the sliding door leading into
the chain lockers was wide open. shut
it, supposing one of my mates had been
in there and forgot to close it. / turned
in and fell asleep very soon.
81 must have been sleeping about an
hour and half, when / woke up with
my hair on end. felt drops of sweat
on my face. A chilly draught still came
from the direction of the chain lockers.
looked The door was wide open. As
Iput my legs out of the bunk to go and
close it | saw an arm, woman's | will
swear, stretched out of the gloom of tho
chain-locker. 1t seemed to touch the
door, which closed without squeak.
NY hair stood up on my head like
bristles. / rubbed my eyes and jumped
out of the bunk. l took down the swing
ing lamp and trimmed it, then exam
ined the locker door. 1t was fastened,
the bolt was shot into the socket.
II lit my pipe and sat on chest
thinking about the matter. decided
that / had been having a dream, SO l
turned in again and soon dozed of.
to me that could hear a woman's
screams; then heard laughter and sobs
alternately; then an awful Shrek aroused
me. Everything was quiet in the fore
castle and the ships bell struck mid
night. Idozed off again. Then the
first thing knew felt myself gasping
in my sleep. Evoke up and put out
my hands. / couldn't speak. Some
body had both their hands on my throat
and knew l was choking. l felt the
fingers, but couldn't tonch anybody. /
was paralyzed. felt ! was sufocating.
when ] managed to sing out for help
and the fellows jumped out of their
hunks and dragged me on deck
II couldn't help laughing at the fright
Of the man. said the Captain, "and /
was just going to open out on 'em for
raising such a muiss because a man had
the nightmare, when the cockney sang
out: Look at the Firms throatr
"The mans shirt-bosom was opened
and there were five ipurplish spots on
each side of the neck.
1T made me feel queer, confess.
.'Not one of 'em would go into the
forecastle that night. They sat up in
the galley until daylight, and when
turned out at seven o'clock every
II 4. Al - -