The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-30
AWFUL THINGSATS
The Storm losses a Cat on the
Deck of the Mabel.
TWO MEN IN A SklTTISH YACAi .
They started for Ballard. but Were
Unable To stop This side OF
Port Townsend.

OF all the disasters daily reported in
the Post-Intelligencer as having occurred
during the recent storm, not one compared
IN grueSome feaTfulness with the expert
ence OF the steamer Mabel on Friday
night, on her return trip from the Skagit
river. II was one of those singular. blood
curdling stories that would not obtain
moments credence on the unsupported
evidence Of single witness. To this one
all the crew have testified, some with
hushed voices and paled faces; others with
clustering swear words and the strange
Oaths which characterize the true mari
ner In fact, Lilly. Bogardus * Co, the
owners OF the Mabel thought for a time
that they would have 10 seek a new crew.
and this might have been a difficult mat
ter. for the reason that the strange APP
pearance on the Mabel may be supposed to
have tainted her in the superstitious mind
OF the seafarer.
When this terrible thing occurred the
Mabel was eight miles out between West
point and Ten-Mile point. Pilot John W.
Brooks and Assistant Walter Alenby were
both in the pilot house and attending
strictly 10 duty, and during the tremend-
Gus excitement which followed subse-
quently one or the other braveiy stuck to
the wheel. or there is no knowing what
would have become OF the vessel; for all
the crew were incapaCitated by terror,
even Chief Engineer Charles Sperry, NTH
erto believed 10 be a man OF thoroughly
well-balanced mind. leaving his cuddy hole
and rushing on deck screaming: For
Gods sake, put US ashore"
Pilot Brooks says that al the time the
crew was so suddenly struck with terror
it was blowing living gale, whatever
that may be, from the southwest. The
wind hOwled and mOaned around the
smOkestack as it does around the solitary
palm Of the desert in the opera of Queen
Sheba." The waves ran higher than some
foothills and some forty or fifty of them
came splashng and crashing on the Ma
beTs decks.
After this, one wave more mightier than
it's fellows raised it's crest aloft from the
mighty deep. almost bringing the bottom
up with it. reared itself nearly as high as
the foremost, and broke with a roar across
the Mahels bows.
That wave brought the thing with it.
As the wave scurried through the lee
scuppers. the deckhands saw a most I'M
canny object that had ridden in on its
crest and they We're paraiyzed with hor-
rOr.
On the forecastle hatch sat a cat licking
the salt water from its paws and calmly
combing out its whiskers with long, white
claws.
Those claws! how they made the crew
shudder.
And then those glazing eyes, How the
blood mounted to the paled checks of the
men as they caught the Svengali glances.
What was the color of this monster that
even the sea had refused TO harbor it was
difficult 10 ascertain. not for want of wit
nesses, but because they would all talk at
once. and no two would agree.
Meanwhile. as the cat went calmly on
with its toilet, the crew grew a trifle bold
4 IL
a potato at it: another a stick of wood;
and then all of them were throwing any
thing and everything they could lay their
hands on. Action gave them courage, and
they yelled TO encourage one another Kill
it, Kin It."
But not a single missile struck the
creature
This will prove 50 anybody supersti-
tious as a sailor man that IL was no cat.
but fiend that had stolen the shape of a
cat. 1t was when this natural conclusion
forced itself upon them that Engineer
Sperry yelled in agonized tones:
For Gods sake, put ashore 'Tain't
natural. Put ashore at the point"
While the crew turned appealingly to the
pilot. the cat disappeared That proved
everything. Demons act just like that in
the fairy stories.
II was later seen climbing the mast one
Of the boys is sure he saw il making for
the Hold. The steamer was brought up at
Lilly Bogarius x Co.'S dock in fear and
trembling. That Of course. refers 10 the
crew And they were persuaded to make
another trip on the Mabel with many mis-
givings. For there was this terrible. haunt
ing thought; Suppose the demon cat
should he female. and they generally
are: and suppose she should bring up
family in the hold that would ride the
storms ana haunt every ship on the Sound.
HI. .t,-fltl H. N..nltIA IL