San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-01-30
A SPECTER OF THE SEA.
THE BARK THAT SAILS By THE
SHORES OF THE uNSHAPEN LAND.

Stout John Hansen, wrapped all In
furs, stood a. the wheel Of the bark Rein
deer, a whaler of the Arctic seas. II was
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 II
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 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."
THE PHANTOM OF THE NIGHT.
Suddenly, right out Of the pack came
another bark, bow on. Her mizzen was
gone and she veered and yawed strangely,
but her sails were set and sho was making
fair headway. Hansen could hear the
swish of the wind in her shrouds and the
swash rs she munched the bone In 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. u
Hansen hailed her. There was no an
swering hail. His voice rang hollow and
strange as the wind took II up and seemed
to make Of 1t mocking echo. Then no
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 muttered
n 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 80 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 30 low in the water that she seemed
almost awash-but she kept on into the
darkness, reeling, 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 spec
ter Of the seas; nor was 1t the grim vision
of fever stricken brain. 1t was some
thing far more dangerous than an airy
phantom---a dcrelict Of the deep. II was
the wreck of the Young Phoenix, which,
since the 9th Of Aug, 1883, hns been sail
ing through ice and gale, breasting the
crushing pack, lodging the toppling
bergs, guided by an unseen hand, and
sailing for no known port. No one may
say she has not touched the northern
pole. No man may tell where she will
be seen again.
On Aug. 8 of that year the whaling
fleet was riding between Point Barrow
and Cape Smythe, waiting for the ice
pack to clear, when down came the SOUTH
west gale, beating the sea into ridges
and tossing the stout ships like the paper
argosies Of children. Down went the
bark Fleetwing that had outlived many
an arctic storm. The Mary and Susan
strained, plunged and foundered. The
pea's great nav took In the schooners
Ino and Jane Gray.
LEFT TO THEIR FATE.
Things were lively on the Young Pho-
nix then. Both anchors were let 90 and
the men were ordered to the pumps. She
was leaking badly and the heavy seas
swept clear over her. With the night
the wind shifted to the west and came
in stronger gusts. One after the other
the cables parted and the bark drifted.
Then an effort was made to get to sea,
but the vessel fouled the Triton when
trying to get over the bar. Her rudder,
stern post and jibboom carried away and
the leaks were started freer.
The crew of thirty seven men stuck by
the bark until Aug. O. BY that time the
water was at her lower deck. Her miz-
zenmast had been cut away. twas not
thought that she could float more than
an hour or two longer. The sails on the
fore and main masts were set or partially
furled when Capt. MiIlard ordered the
men TO the boats, and tho Young Ph9nix
sailed away, rudderless and undirected,
to meet whatever fate might come.
She was not seen again that year, and
It was supposed sbe had foundered or
been squeezed between the noes. But
she kept on her erratic course, bufeted
by the winds, caught by the currents,
lonely and forlorn.
On May 8, 1889, she was seen and
boarded by Mr.. Deavitt, manager Of a
station on Cape Smythe. She
was then close I'm shore, some sixty miles
from where she had been abandoned A
few relics were taken from her, and the
next morning she was gone again She
was little changed. and though water
logged. made good beadway.
This abandoned craft is probably ths
phantom whose ice-sheztbed shrouos
md silent decks loomcd upon the start
ed vision Of big John Hansen that chilly
night in July. and gave him that shock
rom which be may never recover. Fer
Yearly year she had roamed the chart
go "a. touching az no port, pilcted -
70 hand, answering no bail, purposelees,
fleut and alone.-San Frnncisc0 i
irnineT-