Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-02
SECRETS OF THE SEA.
TIE Fate Of SHIPS that Have nSystsrioas.
Disappeared.

TIE Fate OF siskrs that Have Mysterious.
Disappeared.
ship leaves port apparently in
good condition, her cargo well slowed.
her spars sound, and generally we'll
found. After that nothing is ever heard
Of her, and conjecture is vain A sud
den squall may have taken her aback
and sent her 10 the bottom stern fore
most. or she may have foundered in a
gale after all her boats had been de-
stroyed, or her boats may have got
away and persisted one by one on tho
wide ocean plains. Sometimes, but
rarely, there has been u mutiny and
massacre, and the survivors may have
made their way 10 some tropical island.
there TO live as ''beach-combers' or
turn savage with the savages.
When fire occurs at sea on merchant
vessel, unless the weather Is very bad
MT the time, tho crew generally succeed
In getting away. A mutiny may be
followed by the burning OF the ship as
means OF destroying eliminating evil
dence. In the China seas there are
calmed In the neighborhood OF some OF
the islands scattered In groups there
might incur tho danger OF attack by
the wicked-loolsing junlss that are
usually concealed In the passages be-
tween the islets. In such case II there
We're no firearms ON board II might go
hard with tho ships company, but a
good supply Of shotguns or rifles in
the hands OF white men IL usually a
guarantee agninst Chinese pirates.
Still. many vessels have met their fate
in that unlncky region. and nothing
has remained TO tell the story. Ty-
phoons, too, are doubtless responsible
for not a fcw mysterious disappear
ances o, vessels, and once In "a while
probably wnterspout bursts over a
ship and sinks her suddenly with all
hands. In the Indian Ocean furious
squalls often come up at night with u
swiftncss very menacing 10 any heavy
sparrod clipper slipping along with
studdingsails set allow and aloft. and
here again Is "a possible cause of de-
struction, and one which might over
take the most cautious skipper II his
officers were less sedulous In consult
Ing the glass.
occasionally the mysteries are pre-
sented In the most bewildering way.
Such case was that OF Il vessel which.
several years ago, was found drifting
with all sail set and not souls on
board. All her bonts were on the
davits, the materials for meal were
In the galley coppers, the chronom-
eters. compasses, charts and instru-
meats were in the cabin, but no ships
papers. The name on the stern was
painted out; nothing had been left by
which to identity her. Yet all these
precautions had been taken deliber.
ately. while the final evacuation
seemed to have been effected with n
suddenness suggesting mortal panic
The mems things were all In the top
gallant forecastla; the captains ans
officers effects were all In their respect
i've cabins under the poop The who'll
appearance OF the vessel indicated
that her people had left her or
the spur OF the moment, driven b.
some commissioning impulse o.
fear. She had encountered no bm
weather since the desertion. Hei
yards were braood up as for trade
wind. aud there was no disorder on
her decks or down below. No line OF
writing was found TO give u clue tc
this dark secret Of the sea, and TO this
day It has remained an insoluble puz.
zie to every seaman acquainted Will
the facts. Sad and mysterious as ARE
disappearances such as that OF the Far
ragut. it must be admitted that there
Is something even more perplexing in
the discovery OF dereiicts abandoned
10 incomprehensibl as was the vessel
here referred to. Ii should be added
that she was not leaking. nor were
her spars sprung or strained. and no
reason could be perceived in any thing
about her for the disappearance of her
crew aud officers. N. r. Tribune.