The Press., 1891-04-30

an hour, and Kit Reeves, gone plum crazy, tried to jump overheard, and would a-done it if I hadn't helt him tell he got sorter calmed down. When we shot though the spook vessel '.yin look up at her, and Pm a Dutchman from Amsterdam if l didn't see row O fcces looking over the sides at me, and hear 'em a-laughin' and a. screechin' like mad and pintin' their fin gers at us; but them faces was the worst, for they warn't jest the phizzes O. dead men but O men that had been dead so long that the flesh done turned green with cor ruption and grave mold. But didn't get morn glimpse O them, for the next min nit the ship was gone like puff of smoke.
 'She visits this here port bout every ten years make it, and reckon in between whiles goes cruising round the spots where she ust to scuttle honest ships. Pve heern O her onct or twict down on the Mexican coast, and sailor named Abe Tucker told me last year, think twas, that she scared the life out O the watch on one O the Nal lory steamers off New Orleans; but the captain, who war one O these here cock sure know alls, swore they was all drunk when she was reported"
 That "Old Larboard" was right in his opinion that the ship is 8 supernatural visitor is beginning to be shared by even
 
 community, who have totally failed to find any natural explanation of the appearance. A party of young people enjoying a cruise about the bay in the steam yacht Rosemary, belonging to Col. lily Wiseman, encount- cred the phantom ship lying at anchor about two miles out, and passed within 1OO feet of her. They say that she was ablaze with 8 pale bluish light which cast no radiance about, and that the clash of arms and the shrieks and words of com mand could be distinctly heard and occa- sionally body would seem to be thrown overboard for the dull splash of water parted was discernible, as at intervals the bay for a space of twenty feet around her would appear blood red, and which was not to be attributed to the sunset sky, as the hue was too deeply crimson for re- 6ection.
 Last week every available boat was out securing the bay looking for the phantom bark which answers to the description of the Pride, Lafitte's favorite vessel, and which is believed to have foundered near here, with treasure to the amount of $7, ,OOO, GOO in gold, jewels and goods, in the midst of a drunken riot among the sailors after the death of the pirate chief, after which they returned and carried off the booty he had buried on the island. near the site of the village Campeachy, witch he built.
 In regard to previous appearances of the ghost ship Capt. Louis Billings says:
 T never told it before for fear of being laughed at, but that vessel helped me to run the blockade in '64, though she scared me 50 bad in doing it I did not thank her for 1t. It was late one October evening that sighted the Federal boats lying off the harbor here, and I was wondering yy baf hu to of me, when saw that they were firing at a foretopsail schooner about half mile dis tant, which was flying big black flag, and taking no more notice of the pepper ing she was getting than a duck of a shower, but was apparently lying motion less, though she was carrying full head of canvas and the wind blowing some thing that wasn't very unlike gale, and stiff one.
 "Pretty soon one of the gunboats-Ih heard afterward that 1t was the Niagara, but may have been misinformed-evidentl made up it's mind to see what the schooner meant by such extraordinary behavior, and went for it like battering ram. watched it with good deal of interest through my glass, for was puzzled too. The gunboat, keeping up it's fire as it went, seemed rather disconcerted as it drew near the
 
 without furling sail or manning a gun, and she had fourteen of the latter as l counted-old fashioned ones, too. no- ticed all at once the gunboat threw itself bodily upon her, and I said to myself, Look out, now? when to my amazement the Federal vessel seemed to shoot clean through the other as through mirage, and the schooner faded in blood red mist. '"The other blockaders must have been absorbed in watching the affair, too, for I am persuaded they never even saw me, though I was in full view of them It was dark by the time the gunboat resumed its former position, and unmolested I crept into port under the friendly wing of the night. But just before I anchored was startled by shriek from one of the men, and running to him saw that we were jammed against this strange vessel, which seemed afire with sort of cold, weird light which lighted up the figures of crowd of picturesquely dressed men, unmistakably buccaneers, who pulled at the ropes and performed their duties with countenances set in death and glassy eyes that glared upon us hideously, while each bore in head or breast or body a bleeding wound.
 "The man beside me had fallen on his knees, his teeth chattering while he gasped out a prayer. But overcoming the terror that was chilling the very marrow of my bones I rushed forward, shouting as ran, only to find all dark and quiet over the side of my own vessel, with the water lap ping gently against the hull. The schooner had actually vanished before my very eyes, and in the twinkling of an eye, as com pletely as the lightning flash that mo- ment before divided wonder cloud. ."-True Flag.