The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-11-05

rowly escaped being Drained by the
heavy boom Ms IL swept across tho deck.
At last they weathered the point, and
from that time made good weather TO
Poughkeepsie, where the crew deserted
10 n man, all of them declaring that they
would rather go to the penitentiary than
to make another trip in such u craft.
Captain Bleeker managed to scrapo
together scrub crew, with which he
made the return trip to New York,
making good time and having no trou-
ble On the next trip up he carried
crew Of old river men, each of whom
swore that he was mot afraid of tho
devil himself" "
than the last All day did they tack
and ratch about the point, losing on one
tack all that they had gained on the
previous one, until about dusk, when
the wind increased to u gale and the
captain, finding that he could not hope
TO weather the point that night, put her
about and ran before the wind. intend
ing TO anchor behind the shelter of the
hills till morning.
yawing aud sheering as the seas caught
her under the stern, the main boom sud
denly gybed. Tho captain was at the til.
Ter when this occurred, and as the boom
swung across the deck blight of the
main sheet fell about his neck, and
when the sheet tautcncd it cut the head
off the unfortunate man and threw il
far out Of sight into the heaviug waters
of the river, while the crew stood pale
and horror stricken ut the grcwsome
sight. Almost instantly the gale mod.
Grated, and the sloop was sailed back to
New York without further difficulty.
1t was several months before man
could be- found To take command Of the
haunted vessel, for in addition to the
other tales that were circulated about
her it was rumored that the huadluss
| ghost Of Captain Blocker could bc seen
every night standing ON the quarter deck,
grasping the tillor III his phantom hands.
At last II man came forward and OF.
fered to take the position, and though
he was u stranger To everybody on the
river his OlfCr was accepted, for lao
seemed 60 understand his business thor
oughly. This man called himself Ru.
dolIh SturdCvant. lie was tall, dark,
mysterious sort of u person, with a Sa-
turnine cast of cOuntcnancc. and was
terribly profanc in his speech. Indeed,
his blasphomy shocked the wharf rats
about the Washington market, and that
was no easier task in those days than it
is now. Captain Sturdcvant brought has
own crew with him, and IL was well he
did, for there was not q man in New
York who would have shipped in the
Wynkoop for love or money.
The day which Captain Sturdevant
appointed to sail from New York was
the 18th of September, and to make
matters worse it was on Friday. II was
one Of those autumn days when the air
seems full of vague threatenings. when
the glass falls apace and the prudent
mariner seeks good harbor for his
craft. The loungers about the wharf
tried 10 dissuade the captain from his
purpose, telling him of the experience
Of her former commander and urging ~
a reason, apart from other considcra-
tions, that it was Friday and the thir.
|
tie less than suicide to leave port in such
vessel as the Wynkoop; but the cap.
tain laughed at their fears and sworc
with terrible, blood curdling oaths that
he would put the sloop around the head
land of Hook mountain that night or he
would land her in hadcs And so he
started on his voyage.
Old river men say that never before
within the memory of the oldest Of them
had such "a fearful night visited the
Hudson river as that memorable 18th
of September. The upbouud fleet an.
chorgd at niehtfall behind tho shelter.
ing hills near Nyack, and the crews Of
the different vessels assembled ON deck
to watch the Wynkoop as shc lahorious-
| ly tackled and filled across the tcmpc5-
tuous Tappan Zcc. Night camo on, and
still in the inky blackness she crept
along amid the buiIcting wind and
waves. The thunder reared and revor.
baratcd among the hills and echoed and
re-cchoed from the sides of Anthony's
Nose aud Hook mountain and then went
grumbling away across the lowlands on
| the other side of the river, while the
vivid lightning ever and anon played
about the toiling sloop as she moved
wearily on. The night wore on, and the
watchers grew weary at their posts, but
still the flashes showed tho Wynkoop
now on port and now on starboard tack,
yet never nearer the headland.
Just at midnight there came IA fash
Of lightning which illuminated the
heavens like the monday sun, and at
the same instant the thunder doomed as
if the universe had split in twain. In
that binding flash of light they saw the
Wynkoop standing out bold and clear
against the dark background Of the east
ern shore, and outlined full TO their gaze
was the form of Captain Sturdevant
standing on the quarter deck, his head
thrown back aud his olinched fist ex-
tended upward toward the sky as if he
were defying the powers of heaven. The