Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-08-26
SPECTER AT THE HELM.
NOT A GHOST, BUT A HALF
DROWNED SAILOR.
Dumped Overheard for Dead While In a
Trance, Jack Returns to Cause
Considerable of IL Sensation
on shipboard.

in the summer OF 1889. the shir
Vulcan. under the command of Cap.
tain Isaac Johnson was on her home.
ward bound passage from the Indies
with Il cargo OF tea and ivory when
the dread cholera broke out among
the crew. Young Addison who was
the first TO suffer. was the favor.te oil
both the officers and tho crow, and as
it was reported that he was thus ill q
general CONSERVATION seized upon all
hands. The young man felt at first n
glddiness and sickly chill and in
the course OF two hours he sank into
an alarming debility his coantenance
assuming deadly paleness and his
skin bearing all tho appearance of Il
corpse. Poor Addison suffered till
noon. and then the startling an
nounccmcnt went through the ship
that he was dead.
The captain finding that no could
not induce the crew to do
it turned to his mate and
asked HIM if he would assist him
self a throwing the bod of the dead
man overheard. The mate at first
hesitated but in moment he signi-
fed his consent and together himself
and the captain went down into the
forccastlc. They dared not ROMAN
long enough with the corpse to sew it
up nor even to attach TO it IL sinking
weight but throwing over it single
blanket they managed TO get it on
deck and lay it across the bulwark OF
the starboard bow. A moment Cap
tain johnson hesitatcd-he opened his
lips, breathcl prayer for the soul
OF tho departed and then, while a
shudder ran over his frame, he let the
cold form OF Walter Addison slide
into the blue water. Instinctivoly he
cast his eyes over the side as the deed
was done. and by the pale phosphor-
oscent light he could Just see the
corpse sink then rise and sink again,
and then with heavy step and still
heavier heart he walked aft.
1t was l2:30 o'clock, a. IN. An old
seaman named Bill Shipper had the
helm whilo the remainder of the
watch were in the gangway or else
forward. The wind continued fresh.
but yet steady and the old ship was
clo5e-hauled upon it, laying some two
points off from her true course Tho
ships bell was suspended over tho
pinnacle and old Shipper reached
over and struck the first half hour
after midnight He had just resumed
his position. and was gazing intently
at the compass when he felt hand
laid upon his shoulder and on turn
ing around he beheld by tho strug-
Cling beams OF the pinnacle lamp the
pale. deathly features OF Walter
Addison.
For an instant the old sailor re-
manned rooted to tho spot, and then
uttering sharp cry OF fear he let 90
the wheel and darted forward. In Il
moment the ship began to fall off,
and as she brought the Hat surface OF
broad canvas in the wind she keeled
over r'armingly; but soon the pale
spoctcr that had frightened the helms
man from his post caught the wheel.
and laid the helm hard down. and ere
long the ship was once more to the
wind.
Shippen's cry had started all hands
from their listlessness for they thought
the cholera fiend had assailcd him
but from his broken CALCULATIONS they
soon learned what was the matter
and in "a body they crowded aft and
by the dim light Of the pinnacle they
saw the specter helmsman. Every knee
trembled and every tongue Glove TO
the roof OF its mouth. None dared to
approach him. nor did any move
back. At this juncture tho captain
came on deck. His eye caught the
corpse-like form that still held the
wheel. and he, too was riveted to the
spot where no stood.
.pmates relieve me from here
or | shall faint / am cold and weak"
at length came from the lips OF the
seeming specter in faint. agonized
tones Captain johnson hcsitated nm
instant and then he rushed 70 ward
and laid his hand upon the trembling
form before him. 1t was cold and wet
but he know that 1t was q living man.
One after another OF the men gathered
abo At, and before long all knew that
young Walter Addison still lived. The
CAPITA had him conveyed TO the
cabin whore everything that could be
thought OF was adm nistered for his
comfort and it was not long before he
sufficiently revived to give an account
of his strange escape from the cold.
deep grave TO which he had been con-
signed.
1t seemed that young Addison had
fallen into that 'deathlil<e lethargy
which not infro luently results fro m
sudden cholera and which. us all who
-rc ac qua nted with tho disease must
be aware, so nearly resembles death
that even the best physicians have
been deceived by it. The sudden i'm
mersion in the cold water had revived
MS dormant senses and rs the shin
had but II slight motion at the time
ne came TO partial realization o. his
siluation before she had pasaed him
ana by considerable osePslon no nan.
hgea 10 gu bold o. ihu Fnaaer
ehn'us lie tried Ia psli far nssist.