Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-08-18
SAILORS SUPERSTITION.
opo FANclEs OF THOSE WHO
LIVE ON THE OCEAN.

Warninss frcn the Spirits Of the Depart
sa-Glssmy Fossseainss- q the
Good snip FridAy--Birds Of the See.
NorwesiAn sailcss
Sailors believe that the spirits Of the
departed, as In life, possess all their own
peculiar ways Of warning or communi-
eating 10 their friends on earth such In.
formation as they deem essential 70 their
! welfare and happiness. IL is not an un-
common occurrence for them to credit tho
shades Of some friend with many Of those
trihng little changes In the flowing and
,ebbing Of the sea ~ Indicative Of somc
prospective i'll luck or Joy.
Rarely does 1t happen that the ctymol-
cgy Of their superstition contains . pre-
cursor for joy. Such gloomy forcbodings
a. they are capable Of interpreting are In
may II be said that superstition forms the
alphabet of the scafaring man as one
ignorant Of It's varied branches is gcner-
ally looked upon as green" and becomes
butt Of his moro fortunate and enlight-
cned "chums."
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 IL is that
the several triflng mishaps and other cir.
cums'.nsey lnoiuen'sl W W" soYsso Ny IN
scLPIcVN " lug ss.ols my Iesi,.les
Whcn wouio MI volume IN ,nemseives'
IN lusuce 20 tnen', however, % ~ seio,
tnas sucn Ia.u,tions conccP.'Gns are nCo
nnouS Iouna.on. .s as sne loSs oi ..', .ne
soo.msaP Fr'oay many years ago VIII
FATE OF THE FRIDAY
T'1,iu al xrou a hnN> tv,pclod b,,t1t
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 task rs the trial yoy-
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 b crew.
It is believed that owing to this disaster
seamen have considerable fear Of putting
TO sea on Friday. and some go so far as 70
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 ones
| 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 no
other being has more utter disregard Of
premature danger or mishaps, as his daily
| actions and nocturnal orgies demonstrate,
| 40 when once on sea he blossoms out
again into smiles OF excessive obseouious.
ness. There when danger dogs his foot
stems at every track s1perstftion is his
mont. and in n he tr,,sts for those happv
| prescntiments which NAV afterward save
| him from destruction.
| Even while nartakin0 Of their meals
| sailors rarelv lose an o1portunity OF dis.
| GUESSING and rehearsinR stories which tho
average man would regard as the product
| Of maniac's brain. The days happen
ings are interpreted by each and notes ex-
changed. The most gifted romancer Is
then looked upon with feelings OF revcr-
| ence and respect. A visit to their sleeping
quarters will reveal miscellaneous col
lection Of horseshoes, nails. palmlike
leaves and numerous other articles, each
Of which has history Of its own. When
birds are swept aboard In O storm they are
invariably left untouched, as sailors eye
them with delight and satisfaction as the
spirits Of some dear departed friend met
notably the petrol. immortalized by Proc
tor, and the sea gull, are held sacred In
consequence OF the latter apparently rest.
Ing ON the surface OF the sea after the
manner OF the saviour ON the Lake oi
Genesareth.
Whenever tins occurs IN the hmmediate
vicimty Oh snip cain ID Preoic.eo, "nu
the lohy tars iose nttie OF no Tins ln
houiyin& tne captain oi Ineir glorious
VISION. IN SAILORS eyes .ue porpo,ses ale
never PleasanS ople..e W son.oapaaSe.
neh .ney suuuey ~ apPosr .,.I uus ao.il. ~ =
the SAILORS HOOK Ior sioInei wno ironi .ne
sano qusf.eL 40 .haS ~'n mas u'vwn Nv.
ous, anu II .uey oAiP @o'"' ~ ihe3ii9 'ha'
gaze is coming
IN AWE OF THE SHARK.
| The common barnacle which adheres to
ships side becomes, according to their
belief, later on In life goose. But among
all those signs nothing is so well calcu'
lated TO fll them with awe as the appear.
ance OF shark. When this monster OF
the deep Is seen TO follow ship for
several days death Is to occur on board,
and while clambering up the rigging
extra pains are adopted In making Their
journey safe and successful one. The
ship Is then evidently haunted, and the
faces Of her crew, but recently smiling,
are now decorated with expressions al
once thoughtful and lugsbrfous.
The common mirage hlls sailors with
drcad, and betokens an early death Il
some of It's observers. Carrying a corpse
on board appears to them to be inviting
disaster, and cases are on record WHERE
the crew have become mutinons and re
fractory until tho distasteful freight wal
lowered into the sea.
Norwegian sailors are inyeterate slaves
TO form Of superstition exclusively theil
own, They believe in the existence Of I
heck or norman, sea animal represented
as having fish body with the head of I
man and the flowing ringlets Of q boy
| The meyman sits IinOn the wayes piay