The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-08-27
SPECTER AT THE HELM.
NOT A GHOST. BUT A HALF
DROWNED SAILOR.
Dumped Overheard for Dead While In n
Trance, Jack Returns to Cause
Considerable OF n Sensation
ON shipboard.


tain Isaac johnson. was on her home
ward bound passage from the Indies
with a cargo OF tea and ivory when
the dread cholera broke out among
the crew. Young Addison who was
the first to suffer. was the favorite of
both the officers and the crew, and as
II was reported that he was thus i'll a
general CONSERVATION seized upon all
hands. The young man felt at first q
giddiness and n sickly chill and in
the course OF two hours he sank into
an alarming debility his countenance
assuming deadly paleness and his
skin bearing oil the appearances OF a
corpse. Poor Addison suffered till
noon. and then the startling an
nouncement went through the ship
that he was dead
/ The captain finding that he could
not induce the crew to do
it turned to his mate and
asked him II he would assist him.
self in throwing the body of tho dead
man overheard. The mate ut first
hesitated. but in moment he signi-
fled his consent and together himself
and the captain went down into the
forecastle. They dared not remain
long enough with the corpse to sew it
up. nor even to attach to 1t a sinking
weight but throwing over 1t single
blanket they managed to get it on
deck and lay 1t across the bulwark Of
the starboard bow. A moment Cap
tain johnson hesitated-he opened his
lips. breathed prayer for the soul
OF the departed. and, then. while a
shudder ran over his frame. he let the
cold form of Walter Addison slide
into the blue water. Instinctively he
cast his eyes over the side as the deed
was DONE and by the pale phosphor-
escent 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 1890 o'clock. q. m. An old
seaman named Bill Shipper had the
helm. while the remainder of the
watch were in the gangway or else
forward. The wind continued fresh.
but yet steady and the old ship was
close hauled upon it. laying some two
points of from her true course The
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 the strug-
Cling beams OF the pinnacle lamp the
pale deathly features OF Walter
Addison.
For an instant the old sailor re-
manned rooted to the spot and then
uttering a sharp cry of fear he let go
the wheel and darted forward. In u
moment the ship began to fall of,
and as she brought the fat surface of
broad canvas in the wind she keeled
over alarmingly; but soon the pale
specter 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 assailed him
but from his broken CALCULATIONS they
soon learned what was the matter
and in 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 the captain
came on deck. His eye caught the
corpse-like form that still held the
wheal. and he, too was riveted to the
spot whore he stood.
'Shipmates. 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 hesitated an
instant and then he rushed forward
and laid his hand upon the trembling
form before him. 1t was cold and wet
but he knew that 1t was living man.
One after another OF the men gathered
about, and before long all knew that
young Walter Addison still lived. The
captain had him conveyed to the
cabin. where everything that could be
thought of was adm Mustered for his
comfort and 1t 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 deathlike lethargy
which not infrequently results from
sudden cholera and which as all who
are acquainted with the 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
his dormant senses. and as the ship
had but slight motion ut the time
he came to partial realization OF his
situation before she had passed him.
and by considerable exertion he man
aged to get hold OF the rudder
chains. He tried to call for assist
ance, but his tongue was so swollen
that he found it impossible, and alter
remaining upon the chains long
enough to regain moro strength he
worked his way up till he got hold of
the lanyards OF the cabin headlights.
From there he reached the lashings