Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-01-17
GHOSTS OF THE SEA.
SAILORS DREAD TO SEE THE SHIPS
THAT NEVER SAILED.

THAT NEVER SAILED.
An Old salt Tells of His First Experience
with a Phaatom shir-WhiIe a Terri
BILE Hurricane nowls 1t Rides Easily
! with All Sails set.
"Thcso tales Of the ships that never
came back are sad enough, but it's the
ship that never went out, the ghosts Of
the sea, that give the sailor man O
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 so years. Surrounded By
a group Of interested listeners in the
public room of the Sailors Happy home
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
the stars and stripes
''As said, boys" the Old man went
on, ''it's the ships that never went out
from any port that a sailor never forgets
when he sees one Of them. We may re-
member the ships that went out and
never came back for time If we had a
shipmate aboard. but we can forget.
But there's no forgetting ghost of the
sea-
1T was back in the early fifties that
| saw my first sea ghost, and today l
can shut my eyes and see it just as plain
as could see it then. was a sailor on
a fishing schooner, and we were catch
ing cod off the coast Of Newfoundland.
We had been out ten days and were al
most ready to start for home with full
cargo when a nasty of shore breeze
came on late one evening. We stood out
to sea, for there was heavy fog along
with the wind. 1t was stiff and steady
blow, so we rode the waves under bare
poles during the night, waiting for day
light and the fog to lift before shaping
our course for home.
"All through the night we sent up
rockets at intervals and kept the ship
bell going, because we could not see
ten feet ahead at times ON account of
the fog But it was nearly morning be-
fore we heard'o or saw an answering sig
nal to warn us that another vessel was
near.
II was on the early morning watch,
and about half an hour before daylight
made out a signal light n short dis
tance ahead on our port bow. 1t was a
strange light, pale blue in color, and
it flashed up and down at irregular in
tervals. The fog was still thick. and it
was impossible to tell how near we were
to the vessel.
II called the mate on deck and point
ed to the strange signal light. He look
ed at it long time, and, with a shake
Of his head, said he could not make it
out at all. The lights showed that the
vessel could not be far away, SO we
changed our course little, and then
fired gun. There was no answer, and
we fred 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 the 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 made so bold
as TO ask the mate what he thought Of
it.
"'It's q ghostr he said, looking at
me with plying look.
"A ghostf" says !.
"Yes, a ghost Of the sea, Wait ill
tho fog lifts. You may SOC IL then,
"The fog lifted biz when daylight
came, and then saw the ghost, as the
mate said ] would,
Rising grim aud white out OF tho
fog and waves that were rolling high,
saw full rugged ship Of queer design
The wind was blowing half q gale, but
not mast or pole Of tho ghost ship
bent an inch, and not one Of the broad
white sails seemed tosEain at tho ropes
The phantom was close on our port
bow, and a. tho fog cleared away we
had a splendid view from her water line
10 ths cop Of her masta With the waves
pitching and rolling mountain high, and
ihs wind bowling around our poles, tho
ghost ship was rlding out the storm ~
steady as . painted ship on painted
oanyas ocean,
"EyeTy mAn 0n board crowded on
deok, aud while they had 20 hold op a.
the railing ~ keep fFom being washed
overheard they stood aud gased AZ tho
phsntola ship ~ Long ~ it waa Va sight
honle pf them that were bic religious
lke made the slgp " the @0ss, And oih
en tried % say be ~ q prayer The |
fact h that eYeTy aAa 0p boaTd lhoushl /
ihe phantom fbip . vaFpiaE ~ death
The captain ssnl below and dvalk /
h0i ggas ON he sas that reckless no |
shasi had any lsnogs fW him Thou, ~
lhs wiRa went down 8 bil he ogduFua |
us ~ msks sall apd hsA aowa op lhs
alsa4