The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-05
THE HAUNTED SHIPS.

AtlS = 49,
ships. The term may provoke a smile,
but IL there arc haunted houses why
shouldn't there he haunted shipss AS to
the question OF the supernatural, | may or
may not be n believer viii give you
the incidents lust a. they occurred, and If
YOU can explain everything satisfactorily
to yourself i shah be gratiied.
An English brig called the Charles, in
making her first voyage from Liverpool to
Boston, had some trouble with her crew,
and in putting it down the captain shot q
sailor named Jack Wallace. Jack hved
about an hour after being hit, and he
cursed the captain high and low, and he
vowed by all that was good that he would
haunt the brig as long as she fioated. I'm
blessed if he didn't begin the haunting
business that very night, creating an
alarm which made even the first mate
shake in his boots. On getting into Bos-
ton every man but the second mate de-
serted her. She loaded her cargo, shipped
another crew, and on the way over to
England Jacks ghost kicked mp such n
row that the men were for taking TO the
boats in midocean and deserving the brig.
Every man of them, mates and all, left
her at Liverpool, and il was two weeks
after she was ready TO sail again, this time
for New Orleans, before she could find a
crew. News Of an affair of this sort gets
spread about sooner and further than you
would imagine, even without the help OF
the newspapers, and Jack Tar viii not
sail In a haunted ship for any mans
money.
The brig reached New Orleans after a
,,t IL, IoI 1,or.alV tia1 ~
the wharf when everybody deserted her,
the captain going with the rest. There
was a regular stampede, and the vessel
was left in the hands Of the coDsignees at
the drop Of the hat. | found her two
weeks after this with her load Of cotton
all aboard and her sails bent for saiAng.
Her old crew had talked more or less, and
double wages were being offered for a
crew. First mates place was offered
me, while an English sea captain had
come down from New York. We regarded
the ghost business as all nonsense, and
were prepared to grapple with any spirit
or investigate any mystery. BY Il own
personal efforts we finally picked up a
crew, getting hold Of men here and there,
who had Just come into port from long
voyages and had heard nothing to the
briggs prejudice. We dropped down the
river and got To sea without a single
sailor having heard anything. and
Of course none of them were
looking for the mysterious. We
were well out TO sea before night
Of the first day, and when | came on deck
at midnight to stand my watch there was
a steady breeze and a moderate sea, and
the captains watch had had an easy time
Of it. The men Of my watch took a pull
ut a brace here and there, and inside of a
quarter OF an hour all except the lookout
were slowed away here and there TO catch
cat maps. | was pacing the deck with
everything very quiet GLOW and aloft,
when my attention was attracted TO the
sight Of a sailor coming aft. / was on the
starboard quarter, and lie came along
down close to the port rail, and made as
If to 90 to the wheel. His footsteps gave
out no sound, and he came along with a
sort Of glide | never conld describe. II
was a breach of discipline for II tore
mast hand to appear on the quarter
deck without a special errand or with
out saluting, and when | saw this man
making his way along the quarter toward
the man at the wheel it stuck me that
he was walking in his sleep. l picked
up a ropes end and started for him,
but he glided ahead like n shadow, passed
within two feet of the man at the wheel
and went out of sight like a flash. Next
instant the sailor let 60 of the spokes of
the wheel and staggered about, and the
brig would have come up into the wind
had | not jumped for the wheel. /
yelled ont and raised an alarm, and the
men threw a buoy over and we presently
stopped our way and made ready TO lower
a boat. 1t was then discovered that no
one was missing. Every man aboard that
craft was there 10 answer to his name,
The captain set out to give me a keel
hauling for creating such an alarm, but l
took him aside, called 10 the sailor who
had seen all, and we told u story in a
way which put the old man into a pickle
While he had to believe us, he wouldn't
believe in the supernatural, and no man
could have been more uneasy.
''Here is what | saw, sir, replied the
foremost hand when ASKED for his version
of the matter. II think saw the spook
before Mr.. Temple did. thought it was
one Of the mcu coming back to make q re-
port 10 him, but when | saw him bear of
to port, and saw Mr.. Temple start for him,
believed it was n case Of sleep walking
The thing came so close that | could Eavel
touched il, and there was q smell Of dead
folks about it. There was a sailor look
to the FACET being a youngish chap
and his two hands were clasped on his
side like this He fetched "a sort Of groan
az ls passed me, and he W mt over the
stern as softly as u leaf falls to the ground,
and without "A splash. This is n haunted
craft, sir, and | giye"-
shut up Kissed the captain. 'Tell
Inc that again and III clap you in irons"
But, who was il, sx!'
Both OF you were dreaming, and if l
hear any more of it somebody viii hear
from me-"
He further requested that nothing be
said to the men, and, although he tried 20
make light Of the matter, l knew that he
was deeply puzzled. The sailor was rs
good as his promise, and said nothing, and
nothing further happened until the third
night. The second mate, as you may know,