The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-12-04
Thelrmorrat-S Star
OCEANS DEATH FLEET.
A yERITABLE GRAVEYARD OF FOR
GOTTEN HULKS.

Far out In the Atlantic ocean, away
from the regular tracks Of ocean
travel and avoided with superstious
dread by sailors OF all nations, is a
vcritable ocean graveyard.
There, amidst a silence never broken
saw by the scream Of the sea gull or
the wild shrek Of the storm, rides
the Death Fleet, drcary and desolate
by day, under the burning glare OF the
hot, scmi-tropical sun; grim and spec
tral 10 the silvery light Of the moon.
Fleets may go, and fleets may come
in the world OF men, but this Death
Fleet moves silently and gllostlikc on
its ccaseless journey toward the inev-
liable end. Regularly each month
there comes additions to this silent
fleet, but no booming guns welcomes
the newcomer and no colors dipped;
the only greeting is a waving OF tat
tered sails and broken shrouds and
ratlines. Slowly, but surely, the new
conner takes her place in the fleet, and
the endless cruise continues, says the
New York Journal.
However madly the Storm King may
lash the waves into fury or the sum
mer hurricane sweep up and down the
waste of waters, the Death Fleet
needs it not. The ships do not head
TO the wind, moi run before the tenn
pest. Silently and weirdly they move
in their way, needing neither wind
nor wave, nor calm. nor storm.
More weird aud ghostly than any
conception Of sea romanccr in this
ocean graveyard with its Fleet of
Death, known to g%eographers and sea-
men as the %Saragossa Sea. 1t is a sea
Of death in fact as well as fancy, and
1t is in this midst of death and silence
nine-tenths Of the derelicts which are
abandoned in all parts Of the Atlantic
eventually find an end TO their wan
derlngs, and, joining the Death Fleet,
cruise about the seaweed sea until
water-loggc and weakened, they sink
to the bottom of the ocean.
That peculiar portion OF the ocean
known as the %Saragossa Sea lies in
the Atlantic west Of the Azores
Islands, approximately in latitude
IS north, longitude 40 west, and is in
appearance unlike anything else on
earth or sea. 1t lies just at that point
In the ocean where the eastward cur
rents turn southwark and, half cir.
cling the Saraeossa Sea, move sharply
westward.
The ocean here is nothing but
solid mass of seaweed, so dense ir
places as to support theweigllt of ;
mar for a short time. 1t is here thai
the majority of dcrelicts, caught by
ocean curredts, which seem TO centre
at its eastern edge, finally drift, and
once within the confines of the SEA, i
is rare that a ship ever escapes with
out the aid or steam or sail. Thi
mass OF seaweed, miles in extent, i
so solid that even the heaviest sea
have little effect upon it, or ~anythin'
that may be within its confines. 1st
lated, so far away from the Ordinar
track of ships, it is seldom visited ex
cept by occasional scientific parties
and some Of the reports which the
have brought back read more like fl
tiOn than fact.
There are ships in all stages
wreck; some lying on their beam end
others turned bottom up, while otheI
are apparently as staunch and SC;
worthy as on the day they we
launched. Some are partially di
mantled, while the rigging Of all I'll
different craft is in all stages of d
lipidation. Sea gulls find a Iestir
place everywhere about the abandon(
craft. They scampcr over the surfa'
of this strange sea, and there are u
calmly crabs and shel1nsh unlike an
thing in any other part of the globe
Several attempts have been MAJ
by venturesomc salvage seekers
capture some of the craft Of til
Death Fleet, but owing to the densi
of the sea weed, and in every case
combinations Of unforeseen circuI
stances, the attempt has ended
failure. In the majority of cases Il
wreckers considered themselves lucl
to get away with their lives and
" reach their homes in safety. Thu
told wild tales of hidcous monster
with hundreds Of arms that reach,
out in all directions from aboard Il
abandoned craft, e%ntwining in a gr
of death the men who had the hare
hood to invade their lairs.
They told Of strange, uncani
sounds al night, when through u
darkness the raging of the storm al
the flashing Of the lightning cou
be seen and heard outside the limi
Of the mysterious sea, while with
its confines all was silent as &
grave. Not even a sail would fl;
against the masts, and the adventu
ers would stand in speeches. fe
upon the deck OF their own ship al
gaze in horror as they saw pale, gree
ish-blue lights 1iteabout the decks
Death Fleet. Under such circuI
stances it is hardly to be wondered
that the average sailor refused to co
tinue the work Of salvage seekin
and was only too glad to abandon Il
enterprise,