Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1898-12-12

NN ONS
down from the earliest navigators,
hat if rats leave a ship the ship is
certain to sink. Lakemen's absolute
and general credence in this makes up
for their incredibly regarding other
marine prognostics. 1t is hard to find
Il lake sailor, from a captain down to
a deck hand, who does not place full
faith in the old rat sign. Not ali of
them will admit it to an outsider, but
they admit it to one another.
There is nc reason why these fresh
water sailors should not be creduious.
The superstition has been handed
own from the time boats first be-
an to ply on the lakes, and the sto-
ries told of the sinking of various
craft on the lakes have served to con-
vince the present generation CT navi-
gators that there must be hing
supernatural in the eXoduses CT ship
rats. Take the story of the Vernon,
for instance.
The Vernon was a three-master
which did Il tramp business. Built in
Euta,0 III 1850. she was fer many
wear: regarded Us one CT TIE best craft
on the lakes. Late in the fall &bcE;
- years ago she un!oaGCd Il cargo {
""@;m IL EuEc@,o a3d reloaded with
..A"hame freight for Chicago. Ter cap
-, had hired What ezra sailors he
r"CGed. and about seven o'c.CCk OF the
:i,ht CT November . lie was ready 10
-"H' to and start west. There Aas
"".3"r2Jie CT a sea outside and the
.%'.!'%iiC"s were that the weather
":H . !" heavy for several days. Sill.
''r. I'p-,HD XN'o nNnrilrr rel =, St-,nh
vessel, and no one thought /! rizky to
;",.2 der Cut. just before the lines
were let eff one Of The Gamer saw
Il rat run over the hawsCrs. to the
wharf. In Il m another was
seen. The sca!ren called others OF the
crew TO see the unusual! sight. Be-
tween - AID rs rats poured en-: Of the
ship and took refuge along ;hc wharf.
FiT" sailors accordingly informed the
81 ,laia that they would not go out
with the vessel.
Not having seen the exodus the cap
tain believed that his crew, frightened
at the possibility of big blows, had told
the rat story as an excuse for quitting
the ship. He swore at them and or
dered them to &c ashore and stay
there. The superstitious sailors tried
TO convince the captain that they were
not deceiving him, and they asked him
rot to make the trip. He was skepti-
cal and obstinate. He got a new crew
and that night started out of port.
The story spread, and the trip Of
the Vernon was watched. In Lake
Michigan she pounded several hours in
a terrific sea; her seams opened, and
she went down. Not a soul was saved.
There was probably o a sailor on
the lakes who did not hear this story,
and those who had been disbelievers
before now had full confidence in the
rat sign.
Seven or eight years ago a schooner
which had no name was deserted by
rats while she lay in Milwaukee. Two
Of her crew quit Immediately. The re-
naming two stayed on the craft. This
schooner was blown ashore at Silver
Cree. Lake Erie. The two men were
taken off by a life-saving crew.
:. more recent case of this kind was
that of the steamer Idaho, which went
down off Long Point, Lake Erie, last
November. This boat put out of Buff
falo just ahead of the hardest blow
Of last season. C2ce she was regarded
as the finest passenger boat on the
lakes. On this, her last trip. she was
buffeted about for several hours. She
pounded by Long Point, so miles
northwest Of Buffalo. and then her
captain ordered her brought about
that she might run under Long Point
for shelter. The rush Of waves was
too much for her. She was caught
in the roll Of the sea and she gradually
filed and sank. Of her crew of 81
men 10 were drowned. The first mate
and 4 cana named Gill climbed into
the rigging, where they remained &c
hours. They were finally taken off by
the steamer Mariposa.
IT IA learned shortly after the
wreck that just before the vessel left
her m%oorings, Il swarm of rats crawled
over the hawsers to the wharf. This
was known to part of the crew and
fnur mon Ipeerted NJ ftn 1ost rnomept