The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-02
A SPECTER OF THE SEA.
THE BARK THAT SAILS BY THE
SHORES OF THE UNSHAPEN LAND.

Canvas Set, but No One at the Helm.
skirting the Crushing Pack and Dodg-
Hansen Was Shocked.
Stout John Hansen, wrapped all in
flIrs, stood at the wheel of the bark Rein
deer, a whaler of the Arctic seas. It wat
night. and the vessel was working along
the ice pack with Cape Smythe just
looming in the distance. The biting
wind twirled about Hansen's feet, catch
ing up the light snow and sending it
swirling across the darkling water.
There was brisk breeze and the night
was too cold for comfort by reason of
the proximity of the foe; but Hansen
cared little and cheerily whistled the
tune of a folk lore song he learned while
a child sporting on the shore of Nor
wegian ford. He seemed as strong and
fearless as one of his Viking ancestors
when they faced the unknown Atlantic
until "cloudlike they saw the American
shore stretching to leeward."
lhE IhANlOM VI lllL
Suddenly, right out of the pack came
another bark, bow on. Her mizzen was
gone and she veered and waved strangely,
but her sails were set and she was making
fair Roadway. Hansen could hear the
swish of the wind in her shrouds and the
swash as she munched the bone i'll her
mouth. In an instant she tackled and bore
away. Then, before going 100 yards, she
came about and made straight for the
Reindeer again.
Hansen hailed her. There was no an
swering hail. His voice rang hollow and
strange as the wind took itup and seemed
to make of it hooking echo. Then he
hailed again. No return.
Hansen's lips grew white. His knees
shook. He put his helm hard over and
made for the open sea- Then he mutL9ced
prayer which had not come to him since
ship burned under his feet in the South
ern ocean way back in the COS.
He had seen the spectral ship, the Fly
ing Dutchman Of the frozen ocean. The
phantom came so near that he could see
the glisten of the salt spume frozen on
her rigging and the icicles which hung
from her spars. There was ice upon her
deck, and upon her wheel, and upon her
battened hatches-ice, and nothing more.
Her decks gave back no echo Of foot
steps. Her sailing lights were out. She
was. so low in the water that she seemed
almost awash-but she kept on into the
darkness, Keeling, staggering, unsteady,
but on and on and out of sight.
John Hansen came into port. Death
sat watching by his bedside. He chat.
tered and glibbered, and stared with
straining eyeballs. For no man may look
upon the phantom ship and live.
THE WRATH OF THE YOUNG PHOENIX.
But what John Hansen saw in the
depths of that July night was not a spec
| ter of the seas; nor was it the grim vision
| of fever stricken brain. 1t was some
thing far more dangerous than an airy
phantom-a derelict Of the deep. 1t was
the wreck of the Young Phoenix, which
since the 9th of Aug, 1888, has been sail
ing through ice and gale, breasting the
crushing pack, lodging the topping
bergs, guided by an unseen hand, ant
sailing for no known port. No one may
say she has not touched the northern
pole. No man may tell where she vii
be seen again.
On Aug. 3 of that year the whaling
fleet was riding between Point Barrow
and Cape Smythe, waiting for the ic'
pack to clear, when down came the south
west gale, beating the sea into ridges
and tossing the stout ships like the pape
argosies of children. Down went tn
bark Fleetwing that had outlived man.
an arctic storm. The Mary and Susal
strained, plunged and foundered. Tn
seas great NAV took in the schooner
Inc and Jane Gray.
| LEFT TO THEIR FATE.
Things were lively on the Young Pho
nix then. Both anchors were let go ant
the men were ordered to the pumps. Sh
was leaking badly and the heavy sea
swept clear over her. With the nigh
the wind shifted to the west and cam
in stronger gusts. One after the othe
the cables parted and the bark drifted
Then an effort was made to get to sea
but the vessel fouled the Triton whe
trying to get over the bar. Her ruddei
stern post aud jibboom carried away an
the leaks were started freer.
The crew of thirty sc zen men stuck b.
the bark until Aug. 6. By that time tn
water was at her lower deck. Her miz
zenmast had been cut away. 1t was nc
thought that she could float more tina
an hour or two longer. The sails on tn
fore and main masts were set or PARTIAL
furled when Capt. Willard ordered tb
men to the boats, and the Young Pheni
sailed away, rudderless and undirectec
to meet whatever fate might come.
She was not seen again that year, an
it was supposed she had foundered c
been squeezed between the foes. Blu
she kept on her erratic course, buffete
by the winds, caught by the currents
lonely and forlorn.
On May 5, 1889, she was seen an
boarded by Mr.. Leavitt, manager of
whaling station on Cape Smythe. Sll
was then close in shore, some sixty mile
from where she had been abandoned.
Al