Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-29
A PHANTOM SHIP.

An unexpected and very profitable growth
of our business made the immediate pur-
chase of piece of land necessary. Ny
partners requested me to negotiate for a
few acres in the vicinity of New Haven,
and [ at once began to do so. An annoying
delay occurred, owing to the ELIGIBILITY of
an ancient record which made it impos-
sble TO obtain perfect title was about
to abandon the attempt 10 buy the prop
erty, when l was reminded that gentle
man well known to ME might be able to
give the information that could not be
deciphered from the record. This person
was professor in the college, man of
wide repute as scholar, and an ardent
student OF the colonial epoch of the town
/ found him in his library, and he, with
out any hesitation. gave me the informa-
ton which [ sought, and told me where
could ind such legal proofs Of clear title as
desired. | was impressed with the accu-
racy of his learning and the readiness with
which IL responded to his demands, and
yentured 10 say TO him that the ACQUISITION
OF such a mass of names and dates must
have cost him great labor. To my surprise
he replied that | was mistaken, the truth
being that he mastered such incidents with
ease. His great mental efforts, he said,
were required by the processes of analysis
and comparison which were necessary to
separate truth from the rubbish and chaff
OF tradition and record, and by the reason
ng necessary accurately TO trace causes to
these results which, when grouped, consti-
tuted trustworthy history.
" For instance" he said, Z" have here n
document that will cost me the most severe
application before | am through with it."
had observed that there lay upon the
table roll OF manuscript. The table was
Uttered with pamphlets, documents, aged
and worm eaten books, and do not know
why my attention was specially fixed upon
this particular roll of paper. 1t was plainly
an aged manuscript. The paper was ribbed
and unruled, like that in use century or
more ago: and if it once was white, the
years had faded it to a dull, buff, leathery
hue, while the care with which he alter
ward handled it indicated that it had little
tenacity of fiber. / knew that he referred
to this old roll of manuscript, and, as / ex-
pected, he took it up.
have here" he continued, a re-
markable historical narrative which |
found among some refuse in a garnet,
where it has laid for more than hundred
years. 1t is an account of strange. I'M
natural occurrence, of which | have heard
by tradition, and which is even casually
mentioned in Mathers 'Magnalia.' /
have, however, always regarded it as I'M
worthy of serious consideration, believing
that there was either no foundation for the
tradition or else it could be traced to the
Authorizations of a disordered BRAIN
now, however, have an account of it which
l cannot ignore 1t was written by a
clergyman of the most godly character, a
man who could not, even in jest speak
falSehOOds, and he asserts that he was him
self an eyewitness of what he describes.
How, then, can | refuse to accept this
record? It gives all that historian re.
quires to satisfy him of the authenticity of
an alleged occurrence. 1t is the genuine
manuscript of a man whom | know to
have lived, and it is not hearsay account.
If we are to put faith in any of the records
OF the past we must accept this one. | do
not know OF an established fact Of history
that has any better basis than this docu
ment gives TO substantiate the wonderful
phenomenon which it records
confess" continued the Professor
with some animation of speech, +" that such
a problem as is presented by this manu-
script has never before been given to me to
solve. As a historian, am compelled to
accept as true what here read, while as Q
physicist ] must regard the record as the
widest and most improbable of all ro-
Iuances. Were 1t based on the testimony
of one person it could easily be rejected as
vision or alienation of mind, to which the
austerity of the Puritans seems to have rem
dered some of them peculiarly liable.
am confronted, however, with the asser-
ton, that he was one of many witnesses
1t is, indeed, an interesting problem, and
the difficulty of reconciling an account that
must be accepted as truthful history with
the fact that it must be denied as a physical
possibility makes the task fascinating"
Doubtless Professor M observed that
he had awakened a pleasing interest in me
Indeed, took no pains to conceal it, an6
told him | would gladly hear the story
that had SO puzzled him. He at once rn
rolled the manuscript.
This appears, said he, " to have beer
written by the Rev. DR.. Prentice and il
the year 1850. judge it was a letter to 6
friend, although the rayages of time have
made the first few sentences illegible.
have other manuscripts of this clergyman
a few sermons, and having thus been en-.
abled to make comparison, l find the hand
writing of all to be identical. | will not
read it in full, and will paraphrase some OF
the text, for it is written in the formal
manner of that day, many of the words
found i'll Ii being now obsolete.
There had come, began the Professor
upon the tradesmen and those engaged in
commerce season of adversely in the veal
1o46, such as they had not known even in
the earliest days of the settlement of the
New Haven colony. The vessels lay idle
in the harbor, trade with the other colonies
languished, and as the New Haven colo.
nists were familiar with commerce rather
than agriculture, they were embarrassed
even for the necessaries of life But for the
energy and determination of some of the
men of character the colony must have
found its existence imperiled, for many hao
determined to depart, some even making
arrangements to emigrate to Ireland.
less courageous and tenacious race mus
have succumbed. 1t was determined as 8
last resort 10 build a ship large enough tc
cross the ocean, freight her and send hel
to England in the hope that the dishearten
ing losses would be retrieved by the devel
opment OF commerce with the mother
country. Overcoming great obstacles, They
built ship in Rhode Island colony.
The frost had closed the smaller
streams, and the ground was whitenec
with snow when the ship entered New
Haven harbor. There was great reioicins
at the sight of her, and her size, being fully
one hundred and fifty tons measurement
was cause for wonder, for such a monste
had never been seen before in that harbor
With her sails all set and her colors abroas
she came up to her anchoring place witt
such grace and speed as greatly delighted
the people who had assembled at tn,
waters edge to greet her. Courage wa
revived by the sight of her. and the peopl
said: Now we shall again have plent,
and add to our possessions, if God i
willing