Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-02-12
A SAILORS REMINISENCE.
. BY A. q. MoDRICKER.

Yes, yes, believe in the Flying Dutch
man, mates" said Tom Kieffman, as he
took sip from his can in the fo'ksel of the
Csspertow, and set it down again. 81
most certainly do, for we seen the like, in
my cruising among tbs waters of the
world.
"I'd heard great deal about the Flying
Dutcbman and other spscter craft, but l
was sceptical. However, ter my own ex-
perience, am willing o ieve in phan-
tom ships, witches, a-serpsnts, aud in fact
everything.
81 had just gone home after five years
cruise, and had saved up my money so as
to take nice little sum home to the old
woman, and was welcome
"Having been gone for SO long, and being
no hand with pen to write home, I was
afraid Mary might have got spliced again.
helieving that 1 bad set sail for the port of
Paradise.
But, no; she was true to tie sailor lad,
though the country parson was cruising
round her pretty sharp, and trying to beat
wind ward of her affections.
''But then, Mary had comfortable home
which was all paid for, and the parson only
got half hundred year.
However, broke up that matrimonial
voyage az sile ICED his yarns of affection
for Mary, when run in and dropped an
chor at the old home.
SIT was in 1916, that Got connected with
the ship Falcon, cruising for right whales
in the South Pacific.
"We were away down in latitude sixty.
three, having followed the whales south.
ward with ext emely good luck, although
with constant danger from bodies of ice,
which were drifting from the Antarctic
circle, when we fell in with the Lauguedoc
from our own port; and her captain, Bos-
worth, bringing with him his mate and two
boat crews, came en- board of Us to see
Captain Collier, our commander. Ofcourse,
a 9ond chat was had among officers and
hands.
Having left home year later than our
selves, the Lapgnedoc's meu had the ad-
vantage of US in the way of news; and they
told how such a ship was lying in docks
when they came away; how such another
was leading at the head of the wharf; how
the Morrison PlImmer had just got in, and
the L. B. Stafford been heard from; and
who had got married III the years interval,
and who had died, etc., etc.
But presently they Informed US Of a sin.
gular circumstance, which only few days
before had occurred in connection with
themselves. Right in the midst Of a school
of whales. they had encountered the FLYING
Dutchman, which bad just cleared their
ttern by not more than ten feet, and on Der
deck they saw that the crew were dressed
in white. which were as silent and motion
less as corpses.
Nov, mates, you know it is embarrass-
ing to deny, to PERSONS face, the existence
of thing which be assure us that he has
reep; however, I'm not over nice in this par
ticular.
One of our crew said that be would try
to believe enough of their story to ob'ige
them; but this, with an old tsr like Perry
Davis was-poor Davis! be is dead and gone
bow-is en- unusual condescension with re
gard to yarn involving doubt Thus it !
may we'll be imagined that no attempt was
made to disguise the incredulty with which
the account Of the Languedoc's crew was re-.
ceived in our o'ksel.
my mates evidently thought that there
might be some foundation of fact for the
story, but they were not prepared to accept
all its embellishments.
cit was desirable to know what the Lam
guedoc's Captain would have to say on the
subject.
'.Yes.' said our visitors, ask the old
man. You can't take the turns out of what
he says
We soon found that Captain Bosworth
corroborated the story of his men, and re.
lated the extraordinary yarn to Captain
Collier, while his mate was no less positive
in the same direction.
'My mates, therefore, concluded that the
Lapguedoc's crew had seen something very
remarkable, although to what degree fear
and wonder might have clothed it with
terror beyond the reality was still uncer-
tain.
AT all events we were placed sharply on
the lookout for an object so astonishing, |
hoping, yet half dreading, to see it.
stFor some days the Flying Dutchman |
formed the chief theme of conversation op |
board the Falcon, ard all that any of the |
crew had ever beard or read concerning the |
mysterious craft was brought up afresh and |
related with rev interest.
One night as we were running slowly we
sighted large schooner which was com
ing right down upon us, and the captain
iammed bis helm to port and hailed her
ha,d.
''But be paid no attention to US, ard came
straight on, just clearing our stern by not
more than six feet. 1t was narrow shave,
and the crew, most of whom we're on deck,
were terribly frightened
"But I noticed something that did not
like.
''First the schoor err was white all over
from hull to truck, and OF her decks the
crew I saw were dressed in white, and they
were as silent and motionless as corpses
The schooner also carried with her chilIyf
air that made me shiver, ard felt uncom-
monty uncomfortable. In fact, it was the
Flying Dutchman, and it had appeared to
us in the same manner as it had to the
Ian euedoc's crew.
"We got safely into port, but we sent a
dead body ashore, for one of the crew had
died the day after we had seen the phantom
schooner. and this set me thinking more s
about the craft
"Three months later we again sighted the