The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-02-16

EXnerICncG
With Phantom ship-whne a Terri
BILE Hurricane uowIs 1t Rides Easily
with All Sails Set
These 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 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
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 n 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
I L
can shut my eyes and see it just as plain
as l could see it then. / was 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 homo with full
cargo when a nasty off 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 ships
bell going, because we could not SEQ
ten feet ahead at times on account Of
the fog. But it was nearly morning be-
fore we heard or saw an answering sig
nal to warn as that another vessel was
near
Il was on the early morning watch,
and about half an hour before daylight
I made out a signal light short dis
lance ahead ON our port bow. 1t was a
strange light, a 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.
81 called the mate on deck and point
ed to the strange signal light He look
ed at it long time, and, with 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 a gun There was no answer, and
we fired again and again with the same
result
by and by 1 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,
5 " It's ghostr he said, looking at
. me with plying look.
" "A ghost?" says |.
d" Yes, ghost of the sea. Wait till
the fog lifts. You may see it then.
! 1.-THE fog lifted a bit when daylight
came, and then l saw the ghost, as the
$ mate said would.
2 "Rising grim and white out of the
e fog and waves that were rolling high, l
: saw full rugged ship of queer design.
The wind was blowing half gale, but
not mast or pole of the ghost ship
. bent an inch, and not one of the broad
: white sails seemed to strain at the ropes
J 1.-The phantom was close on our port
: bow and as the fog cleared away we
. had q splendid view from her water line
Q to the top of her masts. With the waves
' pitching and rolling mountain high, and
Il the wind bowling around our poles, the
I. ghost ship was riding out the storm as
T. steady as n painted ship ON painted
T canvas ocean.
S Every man on board crowded on
a deck, and while they had to hold ON 60
the railing to keep from being washed
overheard they stood and gazed at the
phantom ship as long as it was in sight.
= = Some of them that were a bit religious
N like made the sign of the cross, and 9TH
ID ers tried to say bit of aprayer. The
l. fact is that every man on board thought
t, the phantom ship warning of death.
E. 1.-The captain went below and drank
{, hot grog till he was that reckless nc
" ghost had any terrors for him. Then, a:
n the wind went down a bit, he ordered
T. us to make sail and bear down on tht
phantom ship
10 up went our sail in a jiffy, and We
Dr. flew along before the wind, but We
it could get no nearer the phantom ship.
Suddenly we saw the white ghost shlI
lurch forward, her sails trenbied for al
instant, and then she seemed to sini
straight down into the sea. Ten seconds
~ from the time we saw the first culver o.
40 ho,. cos1c tbo chr, had vanished and WI