St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-29
EVIL oMnNs oFrHE SEA.
!ome Things That Sailors Dread
20 see While on Board q Shin.


80 see While on Board Ship.
Boston Transcript.
About Vineyard sound there are
numerous legends of a famous Indian
giant. 1t is said that the rocks at Sea-
comet are the remains OF his wife.
whom he threw into the sea there. He
turned his children into fishes, and,
emptying out his pipe one day, formed
Nantucket out OF It's ashes. This latter
story OF NantucketS source MUST ac-
count likewise for the weil-known story
OF that Old Nantucket captain who was
accustomed to make his reck onings by
tasting the earth brought uD sounding.
One day the lead was dipped in some
earth brought Oh board snip from the
island, ANA the captain, after tasting,
Ieaped from his berth in great excite
ment. eXclaiming: ''NantucKeiS SUNK.
and here we are right overold Marin
Hackett'S garden" Naturally we
would recognize the taste of tobacco
ashes.
MermaidS work dire mischief, whether
in the shape OF the famous Loreiei of
the Rhine or as frequently seen by
sailors, and are sometimes regarded as
the sign of coming disaster. Naturally,
many terrible disasters have followed
the discovery OF Those beautiful Great
ures. and as people are always waiting to
put cause ana effect together the result
has been this belief. Tales about the
sea serpent are growing too common,
but together with everything else of a
kindred nature the appearance of this
monster Is associated with impending
disaster IN the nind of a sailUr.
4 sailor always regards the prese nee
nf shark about a ship a most fatal
Smen to tie sick OH board. The highest
uXuitation ever witnessed OIL man-of-
war was oeeaSioned by happening
shark that was hanging about while
favorite was sick; but the appearance
of shark is often fatal to the life of
bather IN the ocean as well as a sailor
upon II, ana it is quite as much to be
dreaded.
Ghosts of all sorts and kinds prefer
travelling by water 70 almost any other
mode, and our own Cotton Mather tells
US of a specter that visited a colonial
ship, carrying OH III ghoStly canoe seven
OF the,crew at time. He also says:
MANY persons who have died at sea
have been seen within day of their
death by friends at home" As late as
the seventeenth century they tell story
of a ship about TO sail for England that
had as passengers strange man and
Kill VI ELCdI DCduil ioO III y SlSIlOuS were
their actions that they were supposed to
be- demons, land many feared to satin the
ship. The vessel sailed on Friday and
never reached her destination, but ap-
peared as narrated, after storm that
lasted three days.
Near ana more near the ship came on
With all her broad salts spread;
The night grew thick. but q phantom light
Around her path was shed.
And the waters shuddered as on she came,
For against the wind she sped.
LOngfellow also tells a similar story
IL his Phantom Ship" while all lovers
of good music will remember the story
of the opera. The FLYING Dutchmau."
There is 4 superstition that 4 ship no
longer seawortty, just before breaking
| up between the strains OF wind ant
wave. has been known to give forth
wailing. sounds like moaning. The sailor
| cannot account tor this. but he knows
| too well Its import. and loses heart at
, the melancholy sound. This is also
| noticed by Cooper in his RED Rover"
| where one of the characters is made TO
say, "a ship which is about to sink
! makes her lamentations just like any
| other human being"