Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1895-07-04
GHOSTS OF THE SEA.
SAILORS DREAD TO SEE THE SHIPS
THAT NEVER SAILED.

bic Hurricane HowIs 1t Rides Easily
with All Sails Set.
These tales Of the ships that never
came back arc sad enough, but it's the
ship that never went out, the ghosts Of
the sea, that give the sailor man a
creepy feeling when he meets them out
where the waves are rolling high and
the winds are singing funeral songs"
The speaker was Mate Bob Alling,
who has followed the sea as boy and
man for nearly 90 years. Surrounded by
q group Of interested listeners in the
public room Of tho Sailors Happy homo
in South street, Mate Bob, as all the
sailors call him, was telling stories Of
strange sights that he has witnessed at
sea Alling is now mate Of coastwise
fishing schooner, but in the old days he
sailed in some of the largest trading ships
and the strongest whalers that ever
sailed out Of an American port flying
tho stars and stripes.
Gas I said, boys" tho old man went
on, its the ships that never went out
from any port that "a sailor never forgets
when he sees one Of them. We may re-
mombcr tho ships that went out and
never came back for u tirno if we had a
shipnate aboard, but we can forget.
But there's no forgetting ghost Of tho
sea.
ut was back in the early fifties that
] saw my first sea ghost, and today I
4 lad,
rs l could sec it then. was sailor on
o fishing schooner, and we were catch.
ing cod of the coast Of Newfoundland.
We had been out ten days and were al
most ready to start for homo with full
cargo whom nasty off shore breeze
came on lato one evening We stood out
to sea, for there was heavy fog along
with tho wind. 1t was stiff and steady
blow, so we rode tho waves under bare
poles during the night, waiting for day
light and the fog to lift before shaping
oar course for home
"All through tho night we sent up
rockets at intervals and kept the ships
bell going, because we could not see
ten feet ahead at times on account Of
tho fog. But it was nearly morning be-
fore We heard or saw an answering sig
nal 70 warn Us that another vessel was
near.
II was on the early morning watch,
and about half an hour before daylight
T mado out q signal light short dis
lance ahead on our port bow. 1t was a
strange light, pale blue in color, and
it flashed up and down at irregular in
tcrvals. The fog was still thick, and it
was impossible to tell how near we were
TO the vessel.
I called the mate on deck and point
Cd to tho strange signal light. He look
cd at it "a long time, and, with shake
Of mis- head, said 10 could not mako it
ont at all Tho lights showed that the
vessel could not DO far away, so we
changed our course little, and then
fired "a gun. There was no answer, and
We fired again and again with the Same
result
"By and by saw that the mate was
very grave and queer looking. He was
pacing back and forth on the deck, not
minding tho cold, misty rain that was
falling, and all the time he kept his
eyes fixed on that queer looking blush
light that flashed up out of the fog and
darkness ahead. At last I made so bold
as to ask tho mate what no thought Of
it.
Its ghostp he said, looking at
mo with plying look.
:" "A ghost:" says l.
Eyes, ghost Of tho sea. Wait till
tho fog lifts. You may SEQ it then.
"Tho fog lifted u bit when daylight
came, and then / saw tho ghost as the
mato said | would.
''Rising grim and white out Of tho
fog and waves that wero rolling high, I
saw q full rugged ship Of queer design.
Tho wind was blowing half gale, but
not mast or pole Of the ghost ship
bent an inch, and not ono Of tho broad
white sails seemed to strain at tho ropes.
'Tho phantom was close on our port
bow, and us the fog cleared away we
had Il splendid view from her water limo
to the top of her masts. With the waves
pitching and rolling mountain high, and
the wind bowling around our poles, the
ghost ship was riding out tho storm as
steady as q painted ship on painted
canvas ocean.
every man on hoard crowded ON
deck, and while they had to hold ON to
the railing to keep from being washed
overheard they stood and gazcd at the
phantom ship as long as it was in sight.
Some of them that wcrc bit religious
like made the sign of tho cross, and 9TH
ors tried to say q bit Of q prayer. Tho
fact is that every man on board thought
tho phantom ship warning Of death.
'"Tho captain went below and drank
hot grog till he was that reckless no
ghost had any torrors for him. Then, as
the wind went down bit, he ordered
us to make sail and bear down on the
phantom ship
Cup went our sail in jiffy, and we
flew along before the wind, but wo
could get no nearer tho phantom ship.
Suddenly we saw tho white ghost ship
lurch forward, her sails tremblcd for an
instant, and then sho seemed to sink
straight down into the sea. Ten seconds
from tho timo we saw tho first culver OF
her sails tho ship had vanished, and wo
never saw her again.
During tho day the storm went
down, and putting about we made port
in safety. But when that schooner sailed
for tho fishing banks again it was with
an entirely now crew from tho captain
TO cabin boy. Not man who saw tho
ghost ship from her deck would sail on
that schooner again.