Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-23

Agbuiy Park, n. j., March 9g 1895.
An the summer resorts along the New
Jersey coast are In their winter gnrb,
ana tho sGolnl aspect OF the places haH
completely changed The rival hack
N an. who few muntha ago hated one
another worse than poison. now inter-
change weather prophecies aud swap
lies around the stove In the village
store. II Ia the time OF year when mar
NelDus tales Of shlpwrcck and death are
presented highly seaspucd to the audi
tors, who listen with mouths ngnpe
Ana should q listener doubt the vcrnc-
ny OF the story teller he win be In
formed that truth " stranger than
hctiOn. an no one hut burned fool
would doubt the story o one who seed
these air things hlsself."
one Of he stories which never fail TO
interest the dwelers by the sea vs. that
several years ago nm unknown briE
sank within a stones throw " the
shore almost at the renr Of the cottage
Of the late Gen. Grant at Elbcron, nnd
from the bodies that were subsequently
east ashore no clcw could be obtained
that would lead 20 the identity Of the
vessel.
A ships bell was heard ringing n
short distance from the wreck one
stormy night not long aftcrward The
lifo-saving men thought vessel would
come on the beach and waited In vain
for 10 to drive into the breakers, AZ
though thuy waited all night, no wreck
often after that tho mysterious bell
was heard ringing at night In storms
and almost always there would be u
vessel wrecked before dawn,
The supcr8tltiouR fishermen regarded
the strange ringing Of the bell with
dread and fear. and ut last they as
n.atfaN
to Indicate that another craft would
soon be dashed Into Fragments on the
New jersey coast
Tho "spirit bell" as It was called
was heard one night about llfteen years
ugo, ana the dawn revealed the mnatu
Of small schooner rising above the
sea, about two miles from shore For
a week nftcrward the sea cast up bodies
until SIX had been thrown upon the
shore Practical persons tried TO solve
the mystery of the spirit bell" but
meyer succeeded. hut this mysterious
bell no more nlarmn the residents Of the
sh ire on stormy nights. II has not been
heard for ton years,
Another story 10 % miraculous en-
cape from death. which happened about
forty years ago. a Russian bark was
wrecked On the outer bar. near Long
Branch iron pier. and this was long
before the brooches buoys ana life cars
were IN use FOR the rescue ~ persons
from ships. A boat manned by fisher
men tried TO put on 10 the rescue, but
tremendous surf prevented.
Meanwhile Danish sailor on the
bark was swept overheard by big
wave. IIn succeeded In catching hold
or n hatch, on which he mounted. After
laHhing himself 10 the rings In u, he
waited for the waves Ia cast his HE
raft on the bench; but instend Of going
inRhore he was cnuRht IN a current JuAt
outside the surf and was swept down
the const He screamed for hclp. and
the fishermen endeavored TO throw a
line 10 him.
Time and sRain were attempts made
IN rearuc him by the mon who followed
tho hutch IN Us course 60 the south
ward II was cold and Ice formed on
the clothing OF the sailor, and all that
day he drifted al the mercy OF the
waves Never was his support swept
lar from shore. and thus he was borne
along until evening. when he mad drift
ed fourteen miles and was near squnn
Inlet
rent, which cnried him safe ana sound
through the big breakers into the calm
waters of the inlet. an1 he was rescued.
lie vas nearly frozen. and his clothing
had 70 BE- cut on Win q knife. He
was ns likely a. a cricket a day Or two
aftcrward and was sent 10 New York
where. nj the Danish conmrs office,
he met the other survivors OF the ill-
fatsd Russian bark.
Here " one Of the greatest mysteries
OF the cnnst. A trim and pretty brig |
nntinc flying q black nag appeared one !
MILD day N october, nifty years ago, |
faw miles from shore. Her hnndsome
model and ralsish look attracted atten-
lion. and when q black nag was per-
celycd az the main topmnnt all agreed |
that the stranger was q pirate
While the spectators on shore wore |
talking and endeavoring 10 explain the |
piente'a presence 70 close 10 New York. |
and while all eyes were nxed on her
the bow Of the trim little craft sudden
~ plunged beneath the waves, ana a |
minute afterward the entire hull disap- I
ptafcd from sight.
The rnen on shore were thunder
ftrucs. They could not account for the
sudden sinking 81 the vessel on n mid
October day. when the sea WIS almost
as smooth NJ a mill pond. Then II sud-
denly occurred TO sorasody that not