Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-07-07
HAUNTED OR WHAT ?
A SEA STORY.
BY W. II. ROSS.

and fifty tons register, built at Bath, hle.,
she was one of the tautest and fastest veg
sells ever launched in the Pine Tree State.
But for all that she never madea dollar for
her owners, or more than bare living for
Capt. Sam Stone, who sailed her from the
day she left the stocks until she went
ashore five years later on the bar off Chat
ham. Her ill-luck began on her fret voy
agefrom Portland to Fernsndino, wh-n she
los, the mate overheard and never knew
break. She was haunted, or, if not
haunted, pursued by an intangible some
thing that made her Stunned by sea-
men and shippers alike. 1t was my ILL.,
fate TO sail as mate of the Emily on her
final voyage had krocked about Port
land out of berth for two months, and
was penniless and hopeless enough to have
shipped for the North Pole in a long boat,
when Capt Sam offered me a chance as
mate for a run to Charleston. l knew her
bv reputation, az indeed did every sea-
faring man on the mast, and it was only
the hardest sort of circumstances that
forced ne over her rail az second in COM
mand. We left Portland or the 1lth Of
November, 1879. Before we had Gated
the anchor and had the Scotland light Oh
our port qnarter the trouble began. She
carried a crew of three before the mast
cook, and myself and the skipper. Two
of the sailors were NOTWegians, and the
third Russian FinD, and, according
to seamne's superstition, regular mag
net for misfortune. l had Just come aft
10 take the wheel while Captain Sam ate
supper, when a loud cry from for'ard
brought the skipper on deck. Janson, one
Of the Norwegians, came lumbering aft
holding his left wrist in his right hand and
utsering EXPLANATIONS of pain. He had
been overbauling length OF chain With
the Finn for'ard Of the windlsss, and in the
darkness and lurching of the vessel-there
was quite sea runDiDg-the latter had
missed his footing ard struck JansOn q
heavy blow on the wrist with the chain
hook. I was enough of d surgeon to
zee that some bOns had been fractured
We patched the injured member up
as well as we could, but Captain
Sam would not turn back, and he went to
sea short-hauded, with poor devil lying
helpless and grooming in the forecastle.
The wind was blowing fresh from nor
nor west, and backing to the north'ard.
By eight bells it was blowing so fresh we
slowed the outer jibs, and I was reefng
the msinsail. But Captain Sam wanted
to drive her and wouldn't listen to me.
At the changing of the next watch Of
sight bells, or midnight, it was blowing
half gale, and when 1 turned out-the
skipper had stood the first watch
she was dipping the jib boom
into every other sea- I had
Thought the skipper's breath smelt
pretty strong of liquor 20 passed him in
coming on deck, bat when 1 saw him u
few moments later taking long pull and
strong pull at a bottle, l concluded that
my suspicion that he always kept his main
sheet pretty we'll started was very close
reckoning. ] had the Finn in my watch.
and was standing the first trick at the
wheel myself, and could see dimly as be
emerged from the shadow Of the fore-sail
lust forward of the traveller and peered
over the bow TO windWard every other
minute.
Suddenly there came a crack like the
report of g rifle, only ten times louder, and
the jib sheet parted IN an instant. In
stead Of standing by, the Finn came eff
like a crack yacht on the wind, uitering
the most blood -curdling yell that ever
startled my cara. He came up 10 me jab-
beripg like mailman, and before | could
get anything ineligible out OF him and
bring the vessel up in the wind we had
shipped half dozen seas, and everything
movable on deck had been washed clear
aft and into the lee scuppers. The racket
brought all hands on deck, and when the
skipper hsd relieved me Of the wheel
found the Finn crouchiDg behind the star
curses in FinnisS and shaking like man
with the Chagres fever. Hewas half crazy
With fright, and when grabbed him by
the collar he spit and snsrled at me like a
cat, and l literally had to kick him of the
quarter to get him for'ard.
By the time we had rove a new sheet
and got things shipshape the Finn had
righted sufficiently to steer, and l sent
him to the wheel and stood lookout my
self. The wind was still freshening, and
was now blowing northeast. Some i'll
looking clouds had blown up to the
BASTARD and settled over the whole hori-
ION like big, black pail. We had made
the course well OFF shore TO get Cape God
well on the les, and according to the log,
if the wind held, would be off Highland
Light nv doy break. What bothered me
most, next 10 the certainty of bad wealth
er, was TIE parting c f the lib sheet. 1t was
new rope, and, even if r poor one,
the strain had not begun 20 be
sufficient to warrant It's parting IN
the way il did. examined the
ends ss well 40 I could, aud they appeared
to me to have been cut as clearly as
though the JOB had been done with sharp
knife. should certainly hove suspected
the Finn of having hand in the matter If
he had not been so badly scared. No
nan. I thought, could simulate such an
intensity of fear as ne had manifested.
The whole affair, coupled with the accident
10 Janson, and the reputation of the vessel,
made me q trihs uneasy, but | had been
going to sea long enough to have come
across good many things that couidn' t
explain, and l tried to put the whole
thing out of my mind by lighting my pipe.
But had hardly got settled into COM
Portable smoke when l saw or felt some
thing that literally made my hair
stand on end, my heart feel like lump
of ice, and the blood recede from my
cheeks like the ebbing tide in the Bay of
Fundy. I say something" for I don't
know what il was, nor have l ever been
Abe to give it a form even in my own
mind. much less describe it. The shock
must have effaced, like wet sponge on
the log slate, all recollection or distinct
ness Of memory, and momentarily para
lived my mind, leaving only the deepest
and most abiding impression of horrors
the brain can receive. AS near as can
recall it, seemed to feel horrible, blood
curdlipg influence rather than to perceive
any distinct shape, and yet impression of
something tangible, something partly
palpable TO toe vision is dinly recalled.
It seemed to be in front Of me, beside me,
Il ! \ 49,. T. ..N 60.