Wichita eagle., 1889-08-30
-xxsSNMLzaaes
Daily Eagle
SHOT At A PHANTOM SHIP.
A TALE OF THE SEA THAT READS
LIKE TIE REGULATION YARN.

It Brings to Light the Record OF a Lost
vessel-The specter Ship Had Silver
Sails, silken Ropes and strouds of Gold.
Sunk by the Swivel Gun.
The members of the Ananias club were
PLYING their fans vigorously, and in language
quite emphatic were finding fault with the
weather. Sergeant Al Taffe passed his hand
YEARLY across his brow and remarked: "Fhis,
my lads, is the anniversary of an event so
deeply burned in my memory that 1t can
never be effacedn
"a storyi Let's have it!n shouted the
club.
"An right, my heerties," continued the
sergeant, Indicating that tale of the sea was
in his mind, Il win tell it to you, and as
have done thousand times, you viii wonder
what it means.
THE SPECTER SHIP SIGHTED.
"Forty-two years ago was in command
of the brig Three Jacks, as stanch craft as
ever plowed the raging main. We had a
crew of forty men, all experienced sailors
who had spent the greater part Of their lives
on the deep The Three Jacks was engaged
in the Boston and Liverpool trade, and a
voyage ia those days sometimes occupied an
entire month Pirates were not unknown
then on the high seas, and for protection we
carried three six pound howitzeTs and a
swivel gun, the latter being mounted on the
fo'castle. On the 1st Of June we sailed from
Boston with load Of merchandise Tor John
nv Bulls market, and for the first time in
NV life | felt as if ought not TO attempt TO
make the trip You know, my lads, am not
chicken hearted or given to love poetry, but
when saw the steeples sink away and the
hills grow smaller and smaller, until they
BECAME mere specks, ard l realized that I
was leaving the grandest country that ever
lay out of doors, did feel a little blue, and
something awful hard to swallow came up
in NV throat. But after week had gone
by the souearnishnesS left me and felt all
right.
Zone night just forty years ago was lying
in hammock swung on the deck. Two bells
had lust struck aud the watch had been
changed. was smoking my pipe and gazing
I'D at the stars, wondering II dear ones l had
left on the far Off shores Of America were
looking at the same stars and thinking OF me.
The wind was just strong enough to I'LL the
sails, and it sung low and sweet through the
cordage as the ship rose and fell on the waves
sounded like a mother rocking the cradle
and singing TO her babe.
THE lookout sang out;
q Sail hop
4" Where awayp | asked.
" East of noreas by east
50 East of nor'east by east?
"'Aye, aye, sirP
% Can you speak herF
" No, sir
'oTo meet a ship in 1nid-ocean is nothing un
common, and lay down again to draw pic
lures on the moon. But had not been long
engaged in the pleasant occupation wher
again the lookout shouted:
sail hol sail ho!
"'Where awayp
lizard on the larboard quarter, sir, anG
bearing down on us
an an instant sprang from my couch, anC
with single bound was in the main shrouds
trumpet In hand. Sure enough, on the pori
quarter was a full rugged ship and beautl
full sight she was, my lads Her sails were Of
silver and her rigging was sillhen ropes Of
many hues and colors The shrOuds were
strings OF gold interviewer and her decks IN
laid with diamonds.
Her figuTehead--a golden statue of Mel
pomene--with ruby eyes radiated in the
moonlight, and on her bow l could read the
name, Big Casino, of Baltimore Standing
on the fo'castle was white robed figure. Il
the rnaiutop, foretop and mizzentop wer
clustered a lot of people, all clad in white
and one, whom I took to be the captain, sa
astride the bowsprit So close to us was sh
that / could hear the SWISH OF the waves a
they fell away from her bows.
THEIR NAMES WERE NOT DENNIS"
Ship, ahoyp shouted through my trum
pet.
"'Ahoyl ahoyr was the response carrie
back on the wind.
What ship is that and where are 70
bound9
big Casino, of Baltimore, bound for Ba
timore with artificial oysters. What ship
thatf
"'Three Jacks, of Boston, for Liverpool
with liver and tripe.'
lizard aport there with your helm or 70
will run into US, shouted, for the strang
vessel was coming right at us, bows on, TN
was but a few hundred feet away. co
lision seemed certain, and she was so niue
larger than the Three Jacks that | knew W
would get the worst OF the smash.
"'Ahoy therel ahoy ahOyr l shouted.
"'Your names are Dennis
"'Avast there, you ubbers,' l shriekec
sBear away, or shiver my towhghts if don
send You all to Davy Jones locker
"a low, hooking laugh was the only r.
sDonse | received, and waited no longer, fC
what I must do must Toe done quickly.
dropped from the shrouds, ran for'ard lilS
lightning, unlashed the swivel gun on ia
fo'castle turned her upon the strange ship
booml bangl The night air was thick wit
smoke; there were screams Of agony an
cries of pain. When the SMOKE lifted tha
strange snip was gone. Not . sign of be
was left save the spanker boom, which SLOW
" descended as if from the SKY. Astride tn
boom was one of the white robed figure.
I shall never forget it's look of agony.
at was year after that l was at Bait
more and told the story OF the phantom shi
TO friend We looked up the records an
found that tho Big Casino sailed from Bait
more about 100 years ago and never W.
heard OF after she sailed The ship We me-
In mid-ocean was her ghost that had bee
tramping over the Atlantic for SO man
years. Indianapolis News.