The Press., 1891-04-30
A PHANTOM WAR VESSEL

When recently Eben Mclaughlin. the master of a small fruit schooner plying be- tween Galveston and Vera Cruz, reported with unmistakable agitation and terror that on his last trip he had encountered q vessel of strange build, filled with men whose ghastly, terrible countenances seemed to him those of the dead, it was laughed at as the ridiculous story of q superstitious sailor, having no foundation except in brain fired by strong drink. But on the same day it received such strong confirmation from Capt. Eric Anderson, Of the Norwegian ship the Fair Hilda, that the authorities began to suspect that some thing unusual, to say the least of it, was afoot.
 Capt Anderson, who had just landed and could have had no previous knowledge of McLoughlin's story, and who is besides a gentleman of tried integrity, states that when half day out from port, and just at early dusk, he perceived close under the bows of his ship a sailing vessel. apparent ly rushing down upon him. He shouted to the man at the wheel to Huff, but before the order could be obeyed the strange craft swept past within what seemed to him ten feet, giving him an instant's glimpse of her decks, crowded with men who struck him as being most extraordinarily calm and indifferent to the peril which had threatened their ship, for leaning over the taffrail or lounging about the deck, not one even raised his head to glance at the Fair Hilda.
 But the thing which puzzled Capt. An derson most was the strange light which pervaded the ship, and which seemed only to outline every spar and rope as if rubbed with phosphorus, without Illuminating her or casting a shadow. Questioning the man at the wheel as to his carelessness in allowing an accident to become so immi- nent, the sailor assured the captain that the strange vessel had seemed to spring into being all at once right under the Hill da's bows, and that she could not have ap- preached gradually without his seeing her, as he had been gazing straight ahead at the time, and 1t was still so light that no difficulty could have been experienced in making her out, covered as she was with full canvas.
 Capt. Anderson described the vessel as an old fashioned craft of the kind known as foretopsail schooner with black hull, and with mounted guns, presenting so unmis takable warlike appearance as to mark her as bound on 8 belligerent errand, and to amaze the captain, who fully expected to hear on reaching port that some un- looked for war had broken out since he be- gan his voyage. The schooner was also accompanied by two feluccas, and was fly ing a huge flag, but owing to the dim light and the rapidity with which she passed and disappeared it's nationality could not be ascertained. No vessel equipped for war could possibly have any business in these waters, and both alarm and astonishlnent were felt over her pres ence. Telegrams were at once sent to New Orleans and Key West, inquiring if aught was known at either port of such craft l and were answered not only in the mega tive, but in tone of perfect incredulity. Suspicion had from the first pointed to Mexico or Central America as the hailing point of the mysterious vessel, clearly en- gagged in no legitimate business, and the seaports of these countries were wired in regard to her, but reply was made in every case, and with undisguised surprise, that no such vessel had or could have left un- seen at any point along the coast. From the little port of Santa Maria, however came an addition to the denial which only served to deepen the mystery. This was the statement that the same vessel, or one answering to the description, had been re- ported seen in that vicinity at intervals of every few years, but though every facility at hand had been employed to find out her errand, or even the slightest fact about her, she still remained a problem to the authorities. No crew had ever been known to come ashore, and every attempt made to reach her, however slyly planned, had ended in failure and bewilderment, for, though in plain view of the land, when the spot where she had seemed to be anchored was reached she was found to have disappeared as completely and with out trace as 1eck of foam.
 It was thought best to pursue investiga- tions quietly, and not to make common talk of the occurrence, but Mclaughlin and the crew of the Fair Hilda, who had also seen the ship that so amazed the cap- tain, openly declared their belief that she was 8 asupernaturala appearance, and spread the story, which is now the absorbing topic about the wharves. The correspondent visited them yesterday to pick up what in- formation was afloat concerning the mys- terious craft, when, joining a group col lected about an old sailor, by name Ben Davidson and familiarly known as "Old Larboard," he was entertained by the fol lowing explanation of the mystery:
 ''Ive bin a-livin' on this here island nearly fifty year now, off and on, 'cept when a-v'yaging, and this here is the fifth or sixth time Ive seen that ere craft stir up Q mighty fuss and wonderin', and I'd bet ships biscuit against 3 sharks tooth that this ain't the las time by & long shot she's 9oin' to do it. What is shee She's Lafitte's Pride, and she ain't goin' to quit these here waters where she did all her devilment till the judgement day sets her free. The crews she carries is them bloody pirates that used to carouse over this here island, and who sent many an honest sailor man to Davy Jones's locker underneath these here dancin' waves Lord, Lord, to think O them a-tryin' to stop her and board her. as hears they're plannin' to! Might as we'll think O ketchin' and holdin' one of these here witch lights what come O nights and run up and down ships riggin' Cord help lem, says, too, if they did work it to git aboard O her and face them there spectral tars she carries.
 "How does know what she is and who's aboard herr knows 1t cause my father, who used to know Jim Campbell, Lafitte's fixst mate fore she took to piratin', seed him starin' over her tafrail onct, with his throat cut from ear to ear and the blood a-bustin' from it and a-spoutin' out into the water like a whale a-blowin', and Jim he waved his hand at the old man and grinned at him, though his eyes war fixed in his head as glassy as the sea fore blow O summer day; and knows. 'cause bout tea year ago run into the 'tarnal thing myself right out here in the bay. The Robert Lee was lyin' out piece, agoip' t9 sail next day, and I'd shipped aboard heF as bos'n; but the evenin' fore got leave to go ashore to tell my Nance good-by, and me and Kit Reeves and old Dumps, the second maGa and I b'lieye Andy HarpeP.