Wichita eagle., 1888-08-28

SAILORS SUPERSTITION.
ODD FANclES OF THOSE WHO
LIVE ON THE OCEAN.

Warnings from the sptrits az the Depart
ed-Gloemy Forebodings-F.se az the
Good Ship Friday-Biras of the Sea.
Norwegian Sailors.
Sailors believe that the spirits Of the
departed. IS in life. possess all their own
peculiar ways of warning CT commuui-
eating to their friends on earth such In
formation Is they deem essential to their
welfare and happiness. Il is not an un-
common occurrence for them to credit the
shades of some friend with many of those
trifng little changes In the flowing and
ebbing OF the sea rs Indicative OF some
prospective i'll luck or JOY
Rarely does it happen that the etymol-
cgy Of their superstition contains q pre-
cursor for Joy. Such gloomy forebcdings
IS they ere capable of Interpreting are in
variably omens of misfortune. Truly
may it be said that superstition forms the
alphabet of the seafaring man IS one
ignorant Of Its varied branches is gener-
ally looked upon as green" and becomes
q butt of his more fortunate aud enuSht-
ened "chuu,s."
Their transformation into the ethereal
realms Of space does not, in the belief Of
those whom they have left behind. alter
their IDEAS one iota, and hence it Is that
the several trifiing rIlshaps aad other cir
cumstances incidental to voyage arc Ia
terpreted by the sailors into realities
which would fill q volume in themselves.
In Justice TO them. however be it said,
that such fatuitions conceptions are net
without foundation, as the loss of the
steamship Friday many years sgo viii
testify to.
FATE OF THE FRIDAY
This vessel was huge ironclad, built
In Scotland regardless Of expense, and
named after the unlucky day She was
manned and commanded by capable and
experienced officers, selected for their
capabilities, and altogether thoroughly
adapted for such q task as the trial voy-
age OF an ocean steamer. She set sail On
Friday, and when nearing the Cape of Good
Hope few weeks afterward on that very
same day, sank, drowning all her crew.
1t Is believed that owing to this disaster
seanen have considerable fear of putting
to sea on Friday, and some go so far as TO
say that their fears date from this sad
catastrophe. Captains Of small vessels
have always dreaded the prospect of sail
ing on Friday, while those of larger ores
look upon that day with the greatest non-
chalance and unconcern
The sailor on land and on sea are two
distinct characters. each possessing his
own singular attributes. On land nc
other being has q more utter disregard oS
premature danger or mishaps. as his daily
actions and nocturnal orgies demonstrate,
SO when once on sea he blossoms out
again into smiles Of excessive obsequious-
ness. There when danger dogs his foot
steps ut every track superstition is his
idol; to It he sacrifices every selfish seuti-
ment, and In it be trusts for those happy
which may afterward save
him from destruction
Even while partaking Of their meals
sailors rarely lose an opportunity Of dis
cussing and rehearsing stories which the
average man would regard as the product
Of a marliac's brain. The days happen
ings are interpreted By each and notes ex-
changed. Tho most gifted romancer Is
then looked upon with feelings of rever-
ence and respect. 4 visit 10 their sleeping
quarters will reveal miscellaneous eel
lection Of horseshoes, nails. palmlike
leaves and numerous other articles, each
Of which has O history Of its own When
birds are swept aboard In storm they are
invariably left untouched as sailors eye
them with delight and satisfaction as the
spirits of some dear departed friend met
The birds of the sea,
notably the petrol, immOrtalized by Proc
tor, and the sea gull. are held sacred In
Of the latter apparently rest
ing ON the surface of the sea after the
of the Saviour on the Lake of
Whenever this occurs in the immediate
vicinity of ship calm is predicted, and
the jolly tars lose little or no time in
notifying the captain of their glorious
vision. In sailors eyes the porpoises are
never pleasant objects 90 contemplate.
When they suddenly appear during u calm
the sailors look for another wind from the
same quarter as that which was blown
out, and if they skip about it Means that
q gale Is coming.
IN AWE OF rIIE SHARK
The common barnacle which adheres to
D ships side becomes, according TO their
belief, later ON in life goose. But among
all those signs nothing Is so well calcu-
lated to Gil them with awe as the appear
ance of shark. When this monster Of
the deep is seen 20 follow q snip for
several days death is to occur on board,
and while olAmbering up the rigging
extra pains are adopted In making their
Journey safe and successful ona- Tho
ship is then evidently haunted. GDd the
faces Of her crew. but recently smiling.
are now decorated with expressions at
once thoughtful and lugabriouA
The common mirage flls sailors with
dread, and betokenS an early death to
some of It's observers. Carrying corpse
On board appears to them to be inviting
disaster, and cases are on record where
the crew have become nnutinous and TO
fractory until the distastefu freight was
lowered into the sea-
Norwegian sailors are inveterAte elsves
10 form Of superstition exclusively their
own. They believe In the existence Of
heck or norman, sea animal represented
as having fish body with the head OF .
man and the flowing ringlets Of beg.
The norman sits upon the waves. plays
The harp, and. following ths example OF
many Oh k,e Morse fisherman, wears = rod
cap II is nevgr seen more than oacetn
Bsvcn yeTa. and no matter how n1sny
vessels appear IN It's sight they gu must
pkaaeh
The crew, according 70 their belief. grc
then sranspaanted Ia the r,erraans 70
gions. where. after G brlef STAY. they go
% swell the shn.l Of hechs. and are Thea
tn then solves as disastrous o Tie oHgf
pals. The krAkeo, o SEA monster vhoes
existence has been 50 often sttested b.
the evidences Of alleged ego w.tnesscs
that ore u q. kEs 70 know vhetheR u 10
real on hAs being only Ia the minds Of
superstitioos sailors. u constant sor-ns