The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27
GRIM sPEcTERs OF THE SEA.
The Flying Dutchmnn That Sails in
the Teeth of the Fiercest Gale.

guide
The prov. with sails opposed to wind and
tide,
The specter-ship in lurid glimpsing light
Glares baneful on the shuddering watch
at night,
Unblest of God and man.
The sea is full of the unexpected, with
countless secrets and CHASTITY, shadowy
mysteries finding a safe resting place in
its broad bosom that will only be revealed
with the end of time. Closely associated
with every varying mood, dwelling amid
the immensely and impressiveness of its
solitude and grandeur, it is scarcely a
matter of wonderment that the simple
children of the sea should be tinged with
superstitions, and ruled to certain extent
by love for the marvellous. exaggerated
and distorted in many instances; but in
others, attended with facts and demon
stra tions that have startled the deepest
thinkers, battling all mans puny know
ledge and theories to penetrate the faith
omless enigmas of the sea.
Specter ships and the legend of the
Flying Dutchman have always been
standard traditions and favorite yarns
with the old-time sailor, now rapidly dis
appearing before the resistless march of
ern seaman, it is doubtful if superstitions
of the sea will find place or credence on
board the huge leviathans that have
crowded the sailing ships from the ocean.
Every maritime country has its own
phantom ship, and the legends of these
specters of the deep are practically end
less. The first alleged cause of the curse
upon the ceaseless wandering of the
sea, and the whole story is that of the
Wandering Jew on land. The Dutch lay
claim to the origin and authorship of
the ghostly cruiser, although during the
plague in Europe, in Justinian's time, it
was said that spectral brazen barks, with
black and headless men as crews, were
seen off infected ports, and thus laid the
foundation to the more elaborate story of
the phantom ship.
With the old deep-water seaman, Van
derdecken in his evil craft is still cruis-
ing, bringing disaster to every vessel he
encounters, as he grapples with the gales
in futile attemps to double the Cape Of
Good Hope as he swore to do, in spite OF
God or satan, if he sailed till the crack
of doom. He is usually sighted to lee
ward, making good weather under all sail
in the teeth of a gale that is sufficient to
cause other ships to run under bare poles
According to Sir Walter Scott the Fly
ing Dutchman is seen off the Cape of
Good Hope only in stormy weather, and
always DTluBS QlSdSlGT u SOHlE klIlu. II
is the specter of a vessel that was laden
with the precious metals, but on board of
which, after a mutiny and murder had
been committed, the plague broke out and
attacked all the crew. The ship was there
fore refused entry to any port, and has
since been doomed to cruise as ghost,
and never to reach its destination.
Marryat facile principles in nautical ro-
mances, has constructed out of the legend
his plot of the phantom ship, in which the
Dutch captain, when homeward bound
from the East Indies, met with continuous
head winds and could not round the cape;
whereupon he swore a terrible oath that
he would round it, and would not put back
even if he had to strive till the day of
judgment. He is striving yet, and al
though constantly beating makes no head
way The Flying Dutchman is the evil
genius of the sea, and to sight the vessel
is the forerunner of disaster. Nothing
must be taken from Vanderdecken, not
even a letter, for the person who touches
anything he has touched is lost.
A phantom ship is known to Baltic sail
ors as the "Carmilhan," and the captain
of her is called Klabotermann. This ship
has her cruising ground of the cape, which
it is destined never to round. When the
sinister craft heaves in sight with Klabo-
termann sitting on the knightheads, dress
ed in yellow. wearing a nightcap. and
smoking a short pipe, the fate of the I'M
fortunate vesse. is sealed.
Scotland has her haunted ships of the
Firth of Solway. Two Danish pirates
were seen coming in one clear night, one
crowded with people, the only only having
on its upper deck dog barking on the
bow When near the shore two young
men put off in a boat to join the first ship,
which. when reached, both vessels sank.
If boats approach too near, fishermen say
they will be drawn down to join the rev.
cling crews.
"A Chinese legend runs as follows: A
party of tiger hunters found horned SER
pent in tigers cage, near Foochow. They
shipped it to Canton, but during the voy-
age 1t escaped from the cage. 1t rapidly
consumed the cargo of rice, and the mas
ter offered a reward to anyone who would
Kill the monster, but without avail, and
the junk was abandoned. 1t is still seen
cruising of the coast, and Chinese sailors
cannot be brought to board the derelict
junk under any circumstances.
The old Venetian legend of the ring had
Its origin in the following manner: Dur
ing a storm in the Adriatic a fisherman
was called upon to row three men out to
sea. A hugh spectral galley bore down
upon them, manned by demons. But the
hsherman's craft ran il down, and the
sailors were then presented by the pas
sengers with ring. By that token they
were known TO be st. Nicholas-the me-
dieval patron saint of sailors and fisher
men-St. Mark and St. George. and II was
because the city was thus miraculously
saved from destruction that the Doge of
Venice went annually through the cere-
mony Of wedding the Adriatic with ring
in the Venetian academy is a painting OF
this demon craft, the demon sailors Of
which, in terror of the saints, jump over
board, while spars and sails fiame with
fire, casting lurid glare upon the water
An English version of the phantom ship
has its origin with a man-of-war. The
crew had mutinied ana rugged her so as
20 resemble the ghost ship. The plan was
20 terrify the vessels met with In order
20 facilitate capture, for the decision was
70 engage IN piracy. In the early part Of
che ships career the real speeter ship was
fallen in with. which so terrified the
guilty crew that they sought the nearest
English port and gave themselves up TO
Justice.
Queen Victoria's two grandsons. Prince
Albert Victor and Prince George. IN their
cruise on board the "Bacchante," 1S79-1S82
give an account in their private journal
OF their experience with the Flying Dutcn-
man which they encountered near sydney
July II, 1851. al 4 a. m. the Flying