Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-01-07
THE HAUNTED SHIPS.

In the twenty years Of my seafarina
life had two experiences with haunted
ships. The term may provoke a smile
but IL there are haunted houses why
shouldn't there be haunted ships, As "a
the question Of the supernatural, / may or
may not he "A believer ] will give YOU
the incidents just as they occurred, and II
you can explain everything satisfactorily
TO yourself shah be eratified.
An English brig called the Charles, in
making her first voy age from Liverpool to
Boston, had some trouble with her crew.
and in putting il down the captain shot a
sailor named Jack Wallace Jack lived
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 rs 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 up such a
| 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 it 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 Won
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
long passage. and she had scarcely tied to
the wharf when everybody deserted her,
the captain going with the rest There
was q regular stampede, and the vessel
| was left in the hands Of the consignees at
the drop OF the hat. found her two
| weeks after this with her load Of cotton
all aboard and her sails bent for saiaing.
| Her old crew had talked more or less. and
| double wages were being offered for
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
OF investigate any mystery. BY our 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 nore 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
q steady breeze and a moderate sea, and
the captains watch had had an easy time
offt. The men of my watch took . pull
at q brace here and there, and inside Of q
quarter Of an hour all except the lookout
were slowed away here and there to catch
cat maps. l was pacing the deck with
everything very quiet allow and alOft,
when my attention was attracted to the
sight Of a sailor coming aft. was on the
starboard quarter, and lie cams along
down close To the port rail, and made as
II to go to the wheel. His footsteps gave
out no sound, and he came along with q
sort of glide never could describe. Il
was a breach Of discipline for a fore
mast hand to appear on the quarter
deck without special errand or with
out saluting, and when l saw this mar
making his way along the quarter toward
the man at the wheel it stfuck me that
he was walking in his sleep. ! picked
up a ropes end and started for him,
but he glided ahead like q shadow, passed
within two feet OF the man at the wheel
and went out Of sight like flash. Next
instant the sailor let go Of the spOkes Of
the wheel and staggered about, and the
brig would have come up into the wind
had l not jumped for the wheel.
yelled out and raised an alarm, and the
men threw buoy over and we presently
stopped our way and made ready to lower
o boat. 1t was then discovered that no
one was missing. Every man aboard that
craft was there to answer to his name
The captain set out to give me keel
hauling for eating such an alarm, but l
took him aside, called to the sailor who
had seen all, and We told our story in q
way which put the old man into 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
foremast hand when asked for his version
Of the matter. Il think saw the spOOk
before Mr.. Temple did. Thought it was
one Of the men coming hack to make q re-
port to him, but when saw him bear of
to port, and saw Mr.. Temple start for him,
believed it was a case Of sleep walking.
The thing came SO close that could have
touched it, and there was smell Of dead
folks about it. There was sailor look
to the FACET being q youngish chap
and his two hands were clasped on his
side like this He fetched sort Of groan
us he passed me, and he went over the
stern as softly as leaf falls to the ground,
and without splash. This is q haunted
craft, sir, and give"-
'Shut upH' Kissed the captain. "Tell
me that again and Ill clap you in irons"
"But, who was it, sir,'
Both of you were dreaming, and If
hear any more Of it somebody will hear
from me-"
He further requested that nothing be
said to the men, and, although be tried to
make light Of the matter, knew that he
was deeply puzzled. The sailor was as
good as his promise, and said nothing, and
nothing further happened until the third
night. The second mate, as yOu may know,
is really in charge Of the captains watch,
and this officer, Nh. Graves, was on duty,
and the time was IL O'Clock. with my
watch all below, when something hap
pened His watch had just been trimming
the yards, and could not, therefore. be
charged with dreaming. All OF q sudden
figure appeared among them. It was
fist seen at the scuttle hutt, and one Of the
men, who was after drink Of water, spoke
" it under the impression that it was one
of his shipmates. glided away, and at
the same moment his nostrils were greeted
with such an odor that he cried out in dis
gust. The strange figure was seen by four
men Of the watch rs it glided to point
few feet abaft the foremast, and there
stood for two or three minutes with hands