Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-10-25

1
by philosopher or idiot.
It is comparatively easy Tor great
many persons to deEoutly hslisys in
the reality of spirit manifestations.
but it requires a greater stretch of
imaginations to convince ones self Of
the existence Of phantom insnimate
objects.
But Jack believes in the reality Of
the Flying Dutehman and other phan-
tasmsi objects as firmly s<hSases i,li
the superiority of things marine.
Old Captain Jack Benton. who was
one of the best-known characters about
the Maritime Exchange in New York
half dozen years ago. used to tell the
following story with degree a relig-
ious solemnity that went far toward
convincing the most scepticsl auditor:
Fifteen years ago I was in com
mand of the Walrus in the whaling
trade began the bluff old captain
one night three years ago, "and right
good ship she was. She couldn't sail
with Bangor clipper, and she wasn't
as pretty as a racing yacht, but she
was good and trustworthy, stauach
and strong, and she could ride out the
howlingest old storm I ever saw, and
I've been following the sea, man and
boy, these so years.
ut was on my third voyage to the
North Pacific in the Walrus that a
singular incident occurred that went
far toward convincing me of the exis-
tence Of phantom ships.
"Now, l want you fellows to under
sand that am not one of those sea-
faring men who believe in i'll omens,
and who take their advice from Mother
Carey's chickens. Up to the time l
took command Of the Walrus ! would
not have let any man tell me that
there was such thing as spirit ship.
The men used to call me The Parson,
because of my severe views on !his
subject.
well, on this voyage I speak Of /
had sour, gloomy young fellow for
first mate. I didn't know anything
about him, save that he was said to be
frst-rate seaman. Nobody knew
anything about him save that he had
been first officer on a merchantmen
in the Cuban and West Indies trade
for voyage before he sailed with me.
II didn't like him, for he was taci.
turn and surly; but as he was respect
full, l couldn't find any fault with him,
and he was No. officer.
I'VE sailed out Of Nantucket and
had an unevenful voyage until We
struck the latitude of the islands, when
the men began to whisper about the
mates strange actions and talk about
. weird, sulphurous light seen at eight
bells every night.
This went on for three days, but !
took no notice of it, when, just alter
supper, the boatswain came aft and,
dofhng his hat, said that the ships
company wanted to acqusint me with
the fact that strange sail had been
sighted the night before and upon the
preceding two nights, and that tie
stranger kept abreast of US for five
minutes and then disappeared as if
swallowed up in the sea.
"The boatswain insisted that all the
men in the watch had seen the appar-
ition, and that it was all white-hull,
sails, masts and rigging.
Although the vessel was but a
quarter of mile off to port, no sign
of crew could be discovered, and yet
the vessel kept on in a perfectly
straight course, as though obeyirg her
helm.
"But the circumstance that worried
the men worst, said the boatswaiu,
was the fact that the mate, who w,s
on deck, became exceedingly nervous
few minutes before midnight aud
scanned the horizon with his night
glass, as thoug Ii in search of something.
And then, when the strange sail hove
in sight, as though coming up out OF
the ocean, he mutteered curse and
dove down the after companionway
and did not return to the deck for 10
minutes, and was then CHASTITY pale.
After q few nervous turns of the
deck he would retire for the night.
~ regarded the whole story as a
sailors yarn, but knew better than to
make light of the occurrence, so / told
Blount, the boatswain, to 60 back to
the mates and tell them that would
keep the deck that night and myself
witness the strange appearance.
"That night was . triae nasty. and
the ssud was flying. but we had every