The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-14
THE sUPERsTIrIoUs SAILOR.
Signs and Portents Which Strike Con.
sternation to Jack Tar.
From the Bosfo,, Tynnscript


sternation to Jack Tar.
From the Boston Transcript
IL is said that much dissatisfaction has
been expressed in the navy over the selec-
ton of a married lady to cnristen war
ship almost ready for launching at Bath,
Me. Maritime traditions declare that the
| ceremony OF christening ship should be
performed by young maiden il it is to
carry with it happy au ures Cor the future
| career of the craft About such matters old
salts are particular, d youdg sailors in
herit the belief that have come down from
tarry generations that have | Ing res ed in
Davy Jones' locker. Despite the great
cha ges In ships sailors continue to be
pretty much the same they used to be-
| They may not dance horn pipes, they GER
| tainly do not drink grog in the old drunken
fashion, but the belief in certain supersti-
tions is still the text OF orthodoxy with
them.
The sailor OF to-day thinks it is a bad sign
If q cat deserts the ship, and there is almost
! a panic II the rats follow suit. A shark
persis silently following the ship makes the
sailors nervous with apprehension of dis
aster TO come. Sailors are, and always
we're, a superstitious lot. 1t is related that
the Roman Admiral Appius Claudius, not
the one who wronged Virginius, but a much
later character, on being informed by the
augurs, on the eve OF an engagement, that
the sacred chickens would not eat, said.
Let 'em drink, them" and had them all
thrown overheard, after which he attacked
the Carthaginian fleet and got a terrible
thrashing. Doubtless the Roman sailors
attributed his defeat TO his mad defiance If
the auguries, and believed that had he
waited until the sacred chickens had re-
lrHrNu rnH hair IN han
been another glorious victory to inscribe on
the annals Of Rome.
The sailors OF modern days would say
much the same thing of q modern admiral
whose defeat should follow some such dar-
ing defiance of the auguries Marryat,
Chamier and Cooper have made us familiar
with the superstitions of the sailors of their
time. Their time is not far Off after all +,
aud many modern captains could, il they
| would, relate instances Of the force OF
| omens and superstitions. The experience
| of one captain, vol known in Boston, aud
still In his active prime, is a case in point.
He says that "a few years ago he COM
manded vessel plying between Boss
| ton and one of the Vest India
Islands. One very dark night the ship was
becalmed. A silence that was oppressive
| brooded over the sea. The captain had re-
| tired for the night, and was sound asleep
| when the mate woke him, reporting that
| strange sounds were heard on the sea off the
| port bow. On reaching the deck the cap
tain found the crew gathered in group
| for ward listening intently. They said they
had heard something that sounded at first
like shout and atterward ike singing;
that it came out OF the darkness on the
| port bow and appeared at first to
| be close aboard aud then TO pass Off
to a distance. Seeing veteran Swede
who had sailed every sea listen
ing more intently than the other sailors the
captain asked him what he thought the
sound was. With a smile at the supposed
necessity OF the question the Swede an
swered, 1T was a mermaid singing
Don't talk nonsense" was the captains
reply. "You are the oldest man on board. F"
| But retorted the Swede," IL was a mer-
maid. They sing ahead OF ships at night
until boat is sent after them, and with
shudder) the boat never returns"
Just then the sound was repeated. To
the captains ears it was like a a faint far
dstant hail. A boat was lowered lanterns
were hoisted in the rigging and blue light
burned, the captains supposi ion being that
| raft or boatload OF exhausted shipwrecked
people were somewhere in the darkness.
| The boat put Off, made long search and
came hack, having encountered neither
mermaids nor shipwrecked mariners. The
mystery of the strange sounds remained
| forever unexplained to every one but the
Swedish sailor, who, despite the boats safe
return, said he knew it was a mermaid
| all tho time. Probably it was one
of those strange, weird sounds so fire.
quently heard at night at sea, which IN
spire in the hearers an awe, a creeping sen-
sation, very favorable to acquiescence in
the superstition Of the foreoastle and
| quarter deck.
Superstition makes its way aft somewhat
| refined and weakened when it reaches tie
wardroom, but still supers ition Nor does
steam affect it. There is a steamer coming
regularly 20 this port which has a bad name
with sailors. The oats have left her at the
wharf, and other CATS were stolen by the
| sailors, and were kept on board with great
difficulty until she sailed. On another oc-
/ casion the rats ran squeakinR up from be-
| low and took refuge in the piling Of the
dock; aud everything short of a shipwreck
and mutiny has happened to the vessel.
whose crew is kept together only by the ex-
| ertions and persunsIons Of the officers.
| AS evidence that superstition Ia found on
the quarter deck. it may be mentioned that
the Army and Macy journal, which re-
| fleets it's sentiment editorially, protested
against reviving in the new navy the names
OF ships associated with misfortune. BY all
means, let the comeliest OF young maidens
be selected to christen new cruisers.