Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-06-04
MISERY o. TIE SEA.
Story Of GhGstly Messenger In a
Green Southwestern

At dinner in Creole lodgings, IN
Jamaica, some three years ago, the
conversation turned upon the sub
ject Of ghosts and apparitions. A
person present quoted the words of
Professor Proctor, "There may be
some means Of communication, I'M
der special conditions, between
mind and mind at distance
thong no one may be able TO ex-
plsin how such communication is
brought about. One of the guests
present made & reference TO tale
of . mysterious apparition at sea, adj
ding
III you ever meet Captain Blank
Of the Blank line, ask him TO tell the
story. The incidents happened to q
relative OF his. lie can tell them
better than aud will vouch for
their truth"
A few days ago Captain Blank
wss found Oh board bis steamer. He
is not only akillful seaman and
navigator, but also very courteous
gentleman. although about to sail,
he took time to tell the following
10 the early thirties Captain Ben
ner, grsnduncle ofthe narrator com
manded the brig Mohawk OF New
York, then engaged in the West In
dian trade. After leaving st.
Thomas, her last port Of call on one
voyage, tie brig MAS steering q
northwesterlY course, homeyard
bound, beating up under short can.
vas against high winds and heavy
seas following in the wake of hur-
Iicane which had traversed the
tropics FIVE or six days before. Her
captain, who had been some hours
on deck, went below at midnight
after directing the first officer, whe
was on watch, 10 keep the course
then steered and to call him in case
of any change for the worse in the
weather. He lay down upon sofa
in the main cabin, but, as the briggs
bell struck twice, became conscious
Of the figure Of 8 man, wearing a
green sou'Bester, standing beside
him IN the dim light Of the cabin
lamp. Then he heard the words;
"Ghange your course to sou'west,
captain"
Captain Benner got up and vent
on deck, where he found that the
brig was carrying more sail and
making better Roadway. BE asked
: the mate on duty why he had sent
Nown to call him, to which that Of
f&er replied that he had not done
SO. The captain, iancying that he
had been dreaming, went back to
the cabin, but was disturbed soon
again by a second visit from the
man in the green sou'waster, who
repeated his previous order and
vanished up the oompanionway.
The captain, now thoroughly arous-
cd, jumped up ana pursued the re-
treating figure, but saw no one I'm.
til he met the mate on watch, who
insisted that he had not sent any
messenger below.
Mystifed and perplexed, Captain
Beaner returned to the cabin, Only
To see his singular visitor reappear,
to hear him repeat the order to
change the course to sou'west, with
the warning, "If you do not, it will
soon be too late," and to see him
disappear as before.
Although cool headed seaman.
fairly proof against superstitions,
the captain was nevertheless deeply
impressed by these happenings and
determined 20 see what meaning was
hidden IN the order OF his midnight
visitor. Going on deck, he gave the
necessary orders for the change in
the ships course to southwest. The
officers of the brig we're not only
surprised but also indignant at this
sudden and to them unreasonable
change OF course. The new course
brought the vessel at a right angle
to her proper direction and if per-
sisted in would strand her on the
coast Of Santo Domingo. Meanwhile
the weather had moderated still
more, additional sail had been got
upon the vessel, and size was being
driven still further from her desti-
nation.
Her impatient officers had finally
determined TO seize their captain
and put him in irons, when, soon
after daybreak, the lookout forward
reported some object dead ahead.
AS the vessel kept on it was made
out to be ships boat. AS 1t ranged
abeam it was seen to contain four
men lying under its thwarts, one of
whom wore a green sou'wester. The
Mohawk was promptly hove to, a
boat lowered, and the castaways
taken in. The castaways proved to
be the captain and three men, the
only survivors of the crew of yes
eel which had gone down in the hur-
ricane, and they had been drifting
helplessly without food for five or
six days. The green sou 'wester was
the property of the rescued captain.
A few days later, when he had re-
covered sufficiently TO be able to
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