The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-19
THE SHIPS LOST AT SEA.
FACTS REGARDING VESSELS THAT
ANNUALLY DISAPPEAR.

MILLIONS OF OOIIdrS AunQE olQ
Out by Insurance Companies.
From the Ne,o York Star.
A fulI-rigged ship parted from her tug off
the Battery yesterday, and with all sails
bent passed rapidly down the bay. The
wind and tide were in her favor and her
commander and crew expected a safe and
speedy voyage She was one Of the many
vessels that leave this port every day bound
10 the four quarters of the globe. Some
reach their destinations safely, while
others, how many no one knows, we never
hear of again.
A piece of broken timber, the wreckage
of q lifeboat found floating on the ocean or
thrown upon the shore by the breakers, are
the only clews to their fate. The vessels
are reported missing. After a reasonable
time has elapsed, their owners collect their
insurance, and the world in time fOrgets
that they ever sailed. The full number Of
vessels that a Q never heard of after they
leave port is pro badly never known by the
general public. In the month Of April,
1888 seventy-fve sailing vessels and nine
steamers were reported lost and missing.
This was an exceptionally stormy month,
and although some of these vessels after
ward made port, the majority of them
went down with their ships, or else were
picked up at sea by passing vessels.
UNLUCKY SCHOONERS.
Schooners Of all vessels, seem the most
fated. From Jan. l, 1887, up to the present
date, more schooners have been lost or re-
ported missing, than all other classes of
vessels combined. The British schooner
Minnie l.. left Yarmouth, n. s., in the lat
ter part of October, 1887, bound for Ber-
muda with a general cargo Of merchandise.
She carried a crew af six men, including
her captain. Previous to her sailing her
owners had hard work to secure a crew. 1t
had become noised out the Yarmouth
docks that the schooner was unlucky, and
seamen refused to ship on her.
One navigator, in giving his reason for
refusing to join her, said that he understood
her bell began ringing as soon as she left
port and never stopped until she reached
her destination. Another had been Informed
thBt the spirit of her negro cook, who had
been lost at sea, was in the habit of sitting
in her rigging and making faces at her
crew. He did not want to ship on such a
vessel nor did half dozen others who were
approached. The explanation that
these silly stories had been cir
culated by some dissatisfied seaman had no
effect upon them, but crew was finally
| secured and the schooner sailed. She was
never heard OF again, nor was any of her
crew. Following close upon the disappear
ance of the Minnie l.. came the news that
the Norwegian bark Nielsen was missing.
| The last seen of her was wheh she left Per-
uambuco bound to New York on Nov. l,
1887. Nothing was ever found to give the
slightest clue to her fate.
About the same time the British bark
Julia II. was given up as lost. She left
Liverpool on Sept. IS, 1887, bound for AS
4 Lot
until she was nearly three months overdue.
Neither the crew nor the vessel has ever
been heard Of The schooner w. H. Stew
art, on Jan. 2, 1883, left Pascagoula wi h
cargo of lumber for Boston. She was COM
manded by Capt Sparks. One the oath of
the same month the brig SIrah
E. Kennedy sailed from this port
for Savannah. Neither of these vessels
have ever been heard of. They proba bly
went down in the SINE storm that wrecked
the steamer Lutra, which left Cardiff for
the Mediterranean during the previous
month. The British steamer Alget from
Shields for New York and the Meditarran-
can, which left the former port in Deem
Der, 1887, was another of the vessels reported
missing in February, 1888.
MIDNIGHT SURPRISE.
The crew of the bark Sea Witch, which
arrived in Philadelphia in May, 1888, from
Antigua, were greatly frightened during
| their voyage On the night of May / it
was as dark as pitch, and the vessel was
| speeding like race horse under cloSe-reefed
| topsails About mi might the wind came
from the northwest in dangerous gusts that
almost turned the bark on her baam ends
while they lasted. The captain was reused
to take charge. He had just poket his head
out of the companiOnWay When the lookout
shouted: sail ahead"
All on deck looked IN the direction men
toned. Right before them was a bark sail
ing along WITH all her canvas set. She was
low in the water, and although she yawned
dreadfuily, she managed 10 keep her head
to the wind Not a soul could be seen on
her deck, nor could light be discovered.
A portion of her mainsail was torn, and
each time it tapped against the mast it
made a noise like a miniature clap of
thunder The phosphorus in the hull
of the the mysterious vessel flashed aad
| glittered and threw weird light about
| her She looked to the frigh ened seamen
of tho Sea Witch like the mythical Flying
| Dutchman. They clustered on the sides Of
the bark and watched the seemingly specter
ship until the gale drove them past her. Ii
it had not been for an incident on the
! following day, probably the world would
have heard another tale of the phantom
ship of fiction. At daybreak the storm
spent its fury in one expiring gust that
| seat some # the Sea Witchs spars over
| board. While the damage was being re-
paired sail was sighted and in a snort
li ,iI " was made out as bark 1t gradu-
| uiy sulho0 on the Sea Witch until il was
an .,so' iIe, Ten it was seen to be
! the VeSsel thaC nad bOen passed ~, tha nra-
| vlouS night. A crew OF seamen VII -
not quito over their fright, was porsua,5aJ
TO board her, aud then it was dscSNered
that the water was even with her
deck. Her cargo of lumber, however
kept her ahoat, and as Ter wheel had
been dashed, there was no danger CT
her capazing. The portion Of the stern
! be ring her name had been carried away.
and there was no other means of identity
ing her. The body Of a large Newfound-
| land dog tina had probably starved TO death
was found in her deck house. Her sails
had been left as they were when her crew
abandoned ler. Her description cores
ponds exactly with that OF the bark Nielsen,
which had been reported missing. Tbs
crew probably took to the boats and were
lost, for they we're never heard OF.
Two other schoone's that sailed IN Janu-
AIRY, 1888, We're never heard of after " ard.
They wero the Cape Sable, from Halifax
for Porto Rico, and the Lena May, from
the same port for Kingston. Five months
later he brig Hattie rep0r- Cd aaving passed
on her voyage from Brockport TO Bassa
! Tewc, an abandoned schooner, timber laden.
with only or foremost standing. She was
burned 10 the waters edge, and he battered
remains Of an American has were hanging
from her masthead, union down, The StSam-
er Clan Cameron, at Glasgow, reported
having passed the wreck Of a hooner
, on A rrii ~ TSSS Probable, tho. -