Smyrna times., 1888-02-01
THE HAUNTED SHIPS.


but if there are haunted houses WHY
shouldn't there be haunted ships? As to
the question of the supernatural, l may or
may not be believer? / will give YOU
the incidents just as they occurred, and if
you can explain everything satisfactorily
to yourself l shall be gratified.
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 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 as she flOated. Pm
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 q
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
NANN. -NNNo vi tlL tAiActlA VI lIllS SOrL QeTS
spread about sooner and further than YOU
would imagine, even without the help of
the newspapers, and Jack Tar Will not
sail in 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 a regular stampede, and the vessel
was left in the hands of the cOnsignees at
the drop of the hat. l found her two
weeks after this with her load of cotton
all aboard and her sails bent for SAILING
Her old crew had talked more or less. and
double wages were being offered for n
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 our own
personal efforts we finally picked I'D q
crew, getting hold of men here and there
who had just come into port from lone
voyages and had heard nothing to the
briggs prejudice. We dropped down the
river and got to sea without n 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
Mt midnight to stand my watch there was
steady breeze and moderate sea. and
the captains watch had had an EASY time
OF 1t. The men of my watch took a DulI
ut brace here and there, and inside Of n
quarter of an hour all except the lookout
were slowed away here and there to catch
car maps. ! was pacing the deck with
everything very quiet Glow and aloft.
when my attention was attracted to the
sight of sailor coming aft. was on the
starboard quarter, and he came along
down close to the port rail, and made as
II 10 so to the wheel His footsteps gave
out no sound, and he came along with a
sort OF glide l never cOnld describe. It
was breach of discipline for a fore
mast hand to appear on the quarter
seck 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. I picked
up ropes end and started for him.
but he glided ahead like a shadow. passed
within two feet of the man at the wheel
and went out of sight like a 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. l
yelled out and raised an alarm, and the
men threw a buoy over and we presently
stopped our way and made ready to lower
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 a keel
hauling for creating such an alarm. but l
took him aside, called to she sailor who
had seen all, and we told our 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.
'IIere is what saw. sir replied the
foremost hand when asked for his version
of the matter. 81 think saw the spoOl
before Mr. Temple did. thought it was
one of the men coming back to make a re-
port to him, but when / saw him bear off
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 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
as he passed me, and he went over the
stern as softly as a leaf falls to the ground,
and without splash. This is a haunted
craft, sir, and give''-
shut upP' Missed the captain. ''Tell
me that again and I'll clap you in irons. +"
''But, who was it, sir?''
'BOth of you were dreaming, and If I
hear any more Of it somebody will hear
from me-"
He further requested that nothing be
said to the men, and, although he tried to
make light Of the matter, 1 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,
nd this officer, Mr.. Graves, was on duty,
I'd the time was II o'clock, with my
otch all below, when something hap
med. His watch had Just been trimming
yards, and could not, therefore, be
urged with dreaming All of a sudden
figure appeared among them. It was
!,rst seen 4t the scuttle butt, and one of the
N"n, who was after drink Of water, spoke
ID % ln-cr the impry ssiOn that it was one
or lis sHpmates. / glided away, and ut
the same moment his uOstrils were greeted
with such an OdOr that he cried out in dis
gust. The strange figure was seen by four
men of the watch as it glided to a point a
Few feet abaft the foremost, and there
stood for two or three minutes with hands
pressed upon its side, and its body weav-
ing to and fro. A man Of the name of Will
| Ketch-a chap who had never feared man
or devii-called out to the mysterious
parsonage:
''If you are playing trick on us, look
out for yOurselfp'
With that he picked up q bucket, OF
Delaying pin, or weapon of some sort
which was handy by, and gave it a fling
at the figure, and the mysterious person
age vanished at the snap of your finger.
There was a row which brought us all on
deck, and now the fact that there was a
mysterious something aboard the brig
could no longer be concealed. The cap
tain raved and clustered, but the men
had seen what they had seen, and It was
no use to browbeat them. The watch
below refused to turn in again. The cap
tain undertook to drive them at the
muzzle Of his revolver, and they threat
ened to jump overheard.
There may be q haunted house I'm a
neighborhOOd, but no one fears it unless
he passes it, Here was a ship believed To
l be haunted and -, 80 .e..ra -