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

of some Of the older river men of New
York, there were great many sloops
engaged in trading on the Hudson river
between New York and various points
on the river, and among these was one
that will probably be remembered long
after the others are forgotten.
Tho Martin Wynkoop was designed
to be one Of the swiftest Of thu river
feet, and her builder put into her con-
struction only the very best material that
could be procured, while her designer,
Captain Peter Van Corlear, had model.
ed her with such care that when she
was finished she was indeed a thing of
beauty, but the zeal Of her oommlndcr
was responsible for the tragedy which
bliRhted the marriage of tho wynkoop
to the Hudson and seemed toput an evil
spell upon her which followed her
throughout her brief career.
On the day set for the launching Of
| the sloop the captain was here, there,
everywhere, issuing orders and guard
| ing against anything that might occur
to mar tine beauty of his beloved craft
| He had kept her name profound secret,
intending to proclaim it as he left the
stocks, and had provided magnum Of
champagne with which To baptize her
as she few To the embrace of her bride
| groom, but unfortunately for the captain
fate had decided that he was not 10 car.
ry out his plans. for 10y some mischanco
the sloop started from her resting place
and slid into the water before the prep
arations were completed, seeming to
choose moment, too, when her noble
commander was directly in tho way.
and TO the horror of the bystanders he
was caught between the vessel and the
stocks aud crushed to death. He was
not instantly killed, but lived only long
enough TO whisper TO his mate, 1.-The
sloop-Martin Wynkoop. A" thereby sig
nifying his desire to have that name APP
| piled to her, and so she was duly chris
tened.
Captain Morris Blocker succeeded the
| i'll fated Van Corlear and fitted the
sloop out for her first voyage. When she
was ready to sail, she'was craft that
would have caught tho eye of any sea-
man. for she was as buoyant as IA cork
and graceful as swan upon the water.
Her quarter deck, like the poop Of aman-
of-war, stood high above the main deck,
and her immense main boom extended
far and clear beyond her stern.
AT last she was finished. and Captain
Blocker took i'll u cargo for Poughkeep-
sic, leaving New York i'll the afternoon
and continuing under way till night,
when he anchored bohind Clcrmont
point, not caring to cross the Tappan
Zee that night.
About midnight the captain was arous-
ed by the steady clank, cliHk, clank
| Of the windlass, as if some one were get
ting the anchor. Angry and amazed at
this apparent breach Of discipline, he
| sprang from his bunk and ran ON deck,
to find the crew coming aft in - body.
"What is the meaning of this-mu-
tiny?" he roared. And no backed up
against the poop bulkhead, determined
TO fight to tho last
"No, sir, answered one of the men,
his teeth chattering as he spoko, while
his companions crowded about HIM, pale
and silent. Its ghosts"
"Ghosts?" repeated tho captain an
grily. "What do you mean?"
"Why. sir, we heerd the wlndlass
| goin like some un was gettin the anchor,
and when we runs on deck to 500 what
the matter was there was nobody there,
and the windlass hadn't been touched. "
| The captain had recovered his wits by
this time and saw that he must do some
thing to quiet the frightened men.
lis that alp he said lightly. why,
that was some vessel around the point
heaving short, and the sound came across
tho water. 1t was not aboard of us. Go
below and turn in, and I'll look out for
the vessel" The men, seeing that the
captain was not frightened, went below
together, leaving him ON deck alone.
Scarcely had they got into the iorecas-
tie when there broke ON their ears the
sound Of the chain rattling and swapping
rs it paid out through the hawse pipe.
as. if the whole cable were coming out
Of the chain locker.
Up started all hands again, and the
captain ran swiftly forward to find that
nothing had been disturbed and the
vessel swung to her moorings just as she
had when they anchored her. There was
no more sleep for the crew of the Wyn-
koop that night. for no sooner did they
leave the deck than the anchor was ap-
parently either hove up or let 90, and
the noise only stopped when the first
gray streaks Of dawn appeared over the
eastern shore. The men were in state
of excitement bordering on mutiny, but
as they could not leave the vessel till
she arrived in port they got the anchor
and made sail.
That day will live in the memory OF
the unfortunate mariners on tho Wyn-
koop as the stormiest of their lives
| Three times did the captain attempt to
weather the headland at the base OF
Hook mountain, only to be blown to lee
ward by the gale and swept around the
| foot of tho cliff. The sloop acted as II