The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-08-17


n ively gale-had broken the mo-
notC.>Y.
The snip was bound for Rio, Brazil,
with cargo Of wheat, and 1 was her
only passenger seeking health in
this manner according to my physi-
clans urgent request. She was COM
manded by sturdy old navigator,
Captain Collins, man who Oh first
acquaintance might appear to be cold,
distant and reserved, but who proved,
IN my case, at least, to be exactly the
opposite, for l soon found him a ee-
NAL, hearty good fellow. He was
strict with his>men, but not tyran.
nical, and he was good story-Iciler.
But monotony was not to last us all
through the voyage. There was soon
singular and SINISTER change. e.
One day, about noon, at the begin
ming of the third week, n sailor named
Bates was placed in irons for striking
messmntc with ?narlinspike and
breaking his arm. The punishment
was undoubtedly deserved, but there
were angry muttcrings and more than
one sullcn lncr among the crew in colia
sequence; FOR Bates, whose only fault
was an uncomfortable temper, was II
general favor,tG. But when the nm.
fortunate man was found dead tn,
next morning, things began to looA
black for the officers
There was no sign Of wound or struc-
gle upon the body of the dead man,
but the atmosphere Of the forccastle
where he had been confined was odor.
ous with the fumes of chloroform. l
called tho captains attention to this,
but he thought | must be mistaken
and would not be convinced, even when
the boatswaln and one of the mates
argued on my side. lie declared that
there was none of the drug on board
and never had been. And so it hap
pened that poor Bates was buried in
the deep sea Mt the very hour at which
he was to have been libenstnd.
At eight bells the following night.
when the first mate went on deck
to relieve his fellow officer,
the latter had disappeared and
could not be found. ! happened to
be leaning against the miZzcnmast,
smoking, when the alarm was given,
and could have sworn that / had been
smelling chloroform for half an hour,
although I did not call the fact 10
mind until the dreadful cry of "NIan
overheard !"was sounded and all hand.
pipcd on deck. A boat containing the
first mate and four men was lowered
at once, the ship was brought about,
and two hours were spent in fruitless
search. In the mean time every ac-
cesslblc nook III the ship, which was
facklnS back and forth in the locality,
was inspected with iiko results. At
last TIN" searching party was taken on
board, and tho ship resumed its
sourse.
The captain now took turns at the
watch with the mate, and everything
ran smoothly till the following night,
or rather tho next morning-four
bells of tho first watch. Then, when
he turned out to relieve the mate, that
officer corld not be found. The same
efforts were made to find the missing
man, and with the same result rs on
the previous night. and the captain
was nearly frantic Tie was not only
deeply gricvcd at the death of his two
officers, bat greatly shocked and mys-
titled at the strange manner Of their
disappearance. On both occasiOusthc
water, aside from heavy swell was
comparatively smooth, the wind only
brisk enough to ill the sails, and tho
stars were shining. This, together
with the fact that both the mates were
known to he expert swimmers, so that
they should, under ordinary clrcum.
stances, have been able TO keep adoat
for hours, dcepcncd the mystery.
The captain would Dot admit that the
presence Of chioroform, if it existed
at ali, had anything to. do with the
mystery.
On the afternoon following the
second disappearance the captain
called mo into his cabin, shut and
locked the door, and beckoncl me TO
char at small tubIc. | saw nothing
remarkable about this, believing that
ho only wished to talk over his