The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-18
UNDER A SAILORS BAN.
A Spell Put Upon the whaler Iy.n
Indian Who Had Been Abandoned
On an Island
From the St. Louis Globe-Demoo-at.

g.
Indian Who Had Been Abandoned
On an Island.
From the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
Twenty-Five years ago one of the
stanchest whaling crafts that sailed from
New London, Conn, was the schooner
Franklin. She was new and able She
made several successful voyages to the
Antarctic and then a slilor pout a boodoo
on her that resulted in her being tied m
at wharf, and there she remained until
lew nights ago, when she was DESTROYED
by fire.
The story of the Franklin is one of the
most interesting yarns that the old whale
men relate. In 1871 the Franklin was in
charge Of man named Holmes. While
cruising around the Antarctic ocean for
seals he one day landed a boats crew on
an island for the purpose of killing what
seals they could while the schooner kept
on prospecting for rookeries. The CAPTAIN
told the men that he would r. surn in
about ten days, and provisions sufficient
TO last the men that length of time were
given them. The vessel didn't come back
and the men concluded that she was lost
Two hundred and fifty miles distant was
a locality known as Potter's Cove where
the whaling bark Nile had hcadouarters
With the idea of reaching that point in
time TO take passage on the Nile, the men
took the careasses Of several seals and in
a small boat started. They arrived at
Potter's Cove the day after the Nile left
From an old try works that had been
left there they made shelter for Them
selves, living on the oil o Il seals aud sea ele-
plants until the neXtspring, when they
concluded to go to Cape Sheriff and kill
all the seals they could find before the
vessels began TO arrive. They got TANNED
in the ice and were obliged to return
Three of the crew refused to make an
other attempt to cross the strait and
were left behind The three remaining
passed through terrible hardships. FL
nally two of them died, and, according to
the story of the survivor. a Montauk In
dian named CARLY, he ate the flesh of his
companions. He was found nearly dead
He was finally brought back to New on
don on the schooner Il. T. Simmons.
CARLY learned that the Franklin had re-
turned all right, The captain told him
that he didn' t return for the men on ac-
count of head winds that made itimpossi-
bic. The Indian sued the owners of the
vessel, with the idea of recovering dam
ages, but the case went against him.
This Infatuated the man, and he ran
down to the wharf where the Franklin
was moored, and, standing in the midst
OF the deck, called down a curse on the
craft. The man was arrested and locked
up. He was called crazy. This charge
was not sustained, and CARLY was set
free. He suddenly disappeared, aud has
not been seen since. It takes but little to
arouse sailors superstition and when
the story of Garby's strange action ran
along the water front there was an
ominous shaking of sailor heads Con
siderable trouble was experienced in get
ting crew for the Franklin, but one was
finally secured through the medium of
shipping Office, and the craft started for
the sealing grounds. Everything ran
along smoothly until the vessel
was in the vicinity of Cooper Island
in the South Atlantic ocean. One night
a sailor on watch ran into the forecaste
and8 aroused his mates. The man was
lab6ring under great excitement, and told
the men that while pacing the deck he
had seen six skeletons grinning at him
from the bow of the vessel The men
ridiculed the sailors fears, bat he re-
fused to return TO the deck The mate
was told the story and he ordered the
sailor back to his watch The man under
a threat Of punishment if he refused to
do duty, went on deck again. He had
been alone but short time when he rushed
into the forecastle again with the same
cal, and within an hour was raving
maniac. He was secured, but before morn
ing managed to get free, and, running on
deck, jumped overheard and was drowned.
Two days later the men in the fore
castle went to the mate with the story
that they had seen the night before six
skulls in the forecastle hatch. They
wanted him to land them on Cooper
Island. They had already had enough of
the Franklin. The captain refused to DO
as the men requested. The following
morning the second mate told the captain
that about midnight he had seen six skel-
etons in the rigging and that they shifted
about from one part of the ship to an
other. The captain reprimanded the man
warmly. A few hours later the second
mate, at the head of the men in the
forecastle, demanded to be set ashore
on Cooper Island. The captain re-
fused, and the men, by force, took
possession of the vessel They landed
on the island, and, telling the captain to
ship another crew if he could, lett The
first mate was loyal to the captain, and
they managed to pick up twelve men on
the island who were willing to face the
spooks of the FRANKLIN. No trouble was
experienced with the new crew for two
weeks, and the captain congratulated him
self upon having got rid of the drunken
crowd that he had shipped at New Lon
don so easily. One evening a sudden storm
came up and two men were sent aloft to
furl the main topsail. They had hardly
begun their work when they both came
sliding down the throat halyards and fed
TO the cook S galley.
The mate, surprised at the course of
the men. asked the reason of their strange
action. They told him that while they
stood on the crosstrees at work skele-
ton slid down the topmast and stood be-
tween them. That was as far as they
had investigated. They got to the deck
by the quickest route. and they intimated
that if the topsail was furled some other
members of the crew must do it, Two
other men were sent up, but they had
not gone more than half way up the
shrouds when they came back,
saying that they had seen three skel-
etons on the crosstrees. Once more the