San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-15
PHANTOM SHIPS AND SAILORS
The Wandering Indiaman and the
Murderous German Baron.


From the New York Times.
To the Dulchmen we have to look
for the original of relationship tales,
which form about the most familiar of
sea legends. The famous phan tom
ship that remains off the cape as the
harbinger of wreck and woe is a
Dutchman. whose skipper dresses in
yellow, wears night cap, smokes a
short pipe and is always kind enough
to heave in sight when a vessel is
going to founder or run ashore. The
idea is of course, that the old
fellow has been trying for several
centuries to double the.cape, and can
not manage it with his old tub. He
is so jealous of others who succeed
that he delights il doing all he can
to frighten away competitors.
There is, however, another spectre
that haunts these waters. Years and
years ago ship was homeward
bound from the Indies with a cargo
of specie and spices, but in cOnse-
quence of some wickedDess on board
she added disagreeable and unwel-
come individual to the muster list
in the shape of Yellow Jack, and at
no port of call was she allowed oven
to enter quarantine. So she cruised
about until the crew all murdered
each other, and now she is doomed to
cruise about forever, manned by the
ghosts of the defunct mariners. Some
times it is said that the ship was q
slave ship that was attacked by the
plague, but the facts as gathered
point to her as being an East India.
man, deeply laden with bullion, and
well worth a search by savage
hunters.
Then tsere is the story of Baron
Falkenberg and how he came to haunt
the German Ocean. One day he was
invited to the wedding feast of long
lost brother who returned home sud-
denly with pocketful of coin in Or
der to marry gentle village maiden
upon whom Falken berg himself bad
his eve. 1t was annoying, but still
as the Baron found his brother was
the favored one, and as ne himself
was short of cash, he thought it
better to be amiable to his
brother, so he went to the feast
prepared to perform the "bless-
you-my. children" act in due ortho-
dox style. The champagne was cap
ital, and the menu one that the soul
of the Baron loved. Therefore, by the
time the bride withdrew to don her
travelling dress, and the guests were
gathered in the hall with mysterious
packets in their hands, the Baron
was "mellow" enough for anything.
Unfortunately, however, his brother
touched him up in the wrong place
and turned his good nature to a per-
feet frenzy which resulted in his
seizing champagne bottle and hit.
ting his brother on the head. The
brother fell like a log just as his
bride ran screaming into the room.
The Baron tried to induce her to ac-
cept his love and fly with him, but
she declared she would sooner die.
Taking her at her word, the Baron
plunged knife into her heart.
AS the guests, attracted by the
noise, began to arrive to inquire into
its cause, the Baron thought he had
better 90 out for q short walk, and
he wept-in fit of absentmindeness
taking his brothers purse and pocket
book with him. He sauntered down
to the shore as the quietest place fol
considering what was next to bt
done, and there he found q boat with
her nose on the beach and mar
sitting in her, who got up as tn,
Baron approached, and respectfully
extended a hand to help him aboard
"The Captain expects you, Baron,
said the boatman: "Our ship lie
out yonder.n The Baron entered tn,
boat and was rowed off to the ship
from which he has not landed for go
years. How is this known? Why
on wild winter nights the phantom
ship is constantly seen in the German
Ocean, heading for the north, bu
without helm or helmsman. She i
painted gray, has colored sails ant
flies q yellow flag, so that she ca
not be mistaken for any modern Graf
Upon her deck the passing marine
can plainly see the Baron sittin
alone, playing dice for his soul, Will
about the masthead u blue flame ca
be seen Pickering,