The Southern herald., 1886-02-20
HAUNTED ON THE SEA.
A Thrilling Ghost Story Of the
Rolling Deep.
The Dead Captain Of tho Schooner Jour
dan Assumes Command In the wateh-
% Of the Might and Gives Orders
in sepulchral Tones.
IEall River tMass.l srecIal.l

in sepulchral Tones.
tFAll River tMass.) specIal.l
The big three-masted coallng schooner,
William II. Jourdan, lies at the iron-works
dock at Somerset deserted by all except
her colored cook She is reputed among
the villagers to be haunted, and her owners
find it impossible to ship crew. She ar
rived at Somerset three weeks ago with
cargo of coal, and, as usual, the crew was
discharged, leaving only Captain Thresher,
the mate, the cook and the cabin-boy
aboard. During her trip the Jourdan had
fouled and damaged one Of her lower
anchors, and the Captain sent it away for
repairs when he arrived in port A week
ago Saturday the anchor was returned, and
while experimenting the loading Of the
heavy piece Of iron at the railroad dock
Captain Thresher was thrown be-
tween the cars by the sudden
starting Of the train and was killed.
The unfortunate Captain was order
ing the men to take hold of the anchor and
turn it when the accident happened, and
the words of command were on his lips
when death seized him. The day after the
Captains death tho mate seemed nervous
and looked as though he had slept but lit
tie, but he made no confidant of anybody,
The next day the mate told man in the
iron works that he didn't want any more
tricks played around that schooner in the
night, and when asked to explain, he said I:
" Somebody was aboard last night and
kept me awake for hours with the most out
rageous performance you ever heard. The
boy and turned in about nine o'clock, and
as we we're pretty tired we soon fell asleep.
] don't know how long | had been sleeping,
but it must have been two or three hours
when awoke suddenly-not with start,
you understand, but just found myself
awake all at once-with a feeling that
something was wrong. My first thought
was that something had happened
to the ship, forgetting for an
instant that we were not at sea; but in a
second noticed that the schooner was as
steady as a house, and remembered that
we were at the wharf. 1t was just coming
into my mind that must have had sort
Of nightmare when plainly heard the
Captains voice giving the order; Take
hold of that anchor.' ns....
Snow, Pm not more given to believing in
such things than most men. l knew that
was the Captain voice, and those were the
very last words i heard him say on earth.
might think was dreaming If the boy
hadn't heard the same thing. He asked me
II was awake and wanted to know if I'd
said anything, and said no, and asked him
if he was playing any monkey tricks. He
said he had heard voice like the Captains
but supposed 1t must be me- That gave me
a queer sort of feeling, but | didn't want
him to know, SO said guessed I'd been
talking in my Sleep and told him to snooze
away again. 8H ati @ 92
"But somehow couldn't sleep; it seemed
to me something was in the cabin
couldn't see anything, but | could feel 1t,
| just as you can feel when somebody behind
| you is looking at you hard. don't say
anything was there, but know l was
mighty uncomfortable. At last doEed
again, and just as | Twas about to lose my
self heard something going on up forward
on deck. thought it might be the cook
rasslin' barrels about and paid no atten.
ton to it until heard fearful thump on
the deck. Then sprang up and rushed up
the companion way and looked around.
couldn't see soul on board, and after wait
ing awhile Invent below and laid awake
until daylight. When l went on deck
! Pnu0A that tha ho,Uar ,oI,o,. hod hnas,
dropped from the bows aft nearly to the
waist, where the shore plank is. 1t takes O
good many men to handle that piece oi
iron, and how it got there don't know"
That same day the mate and cabin-boy
quit the vessel and left the town for parts
unknown. The mates story, as told to an
iron works watchman, from whom the
above version was obtained, was told and
retold among the villagers, gaining with
each repetition, till some of the towns peo
pie relate that the vessel is peopled with al
entire crew Of spooks, under command o.
the Captain, and half the people of the
town would not be surprised to wake W
some morning and find that the schooner
had been sailed away during the night by
her ghostly crew. r.. ...
There is enough sailor about the Somerset
people to make them superstitious, and es
pecially is this the case with the older resi-
dents, who have fresh in their minds th,
tradition Of the old schooner Jefferson Bor
den, which formerly hailed from this port
and which has for years borne the reputa
ton of being haunted, since number he
crew was killed in q mutipy several year
ago. The Borden since hasbeen sent dow
to Maine, her rig altered and her nam
changed, but she still bears the reputation
Of a haunted craft, so the mates story find
general credence in Somerset and has pro
duced such an impression that an offer o
FIVE dollars per night for night watchmal
finds no takers, though there are plenty O
able-bodied men in town out of work. Blu
a night-watch is scarcely needed, as no on,
In town will 60 down to the wharf afte
dark. The trouble is generally attributes
to the anchor, which was the cause of tn
Captains death. The cook still remains Of
board the schooner, and claims he doesn'
believe in the ghost story. The villager
look upon him with awe, and he is not both
cred with many visitors. The owners wan
to ship crew, but it is impossible.
Big Brain In Little Head.