The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-29
Hoodoos of the High Seas,

ture than their fellows but in that won
derfui expanse of sky and water the small
est incident of a mysterious nature il
magnified into an omen. That mariners
of the olden times invested the sea with
supernatural powers and misunderstood
its messages is not surprising. since mod
ern science and the most enlightened UNI
Outstanding fail to account for its baf-
fling vagaries. That is why a strange bird
settling on the masthead OF a ship q;
sea causes panic among the crew, not
a man OF whom would dare to harm the
stranger guest for fear OF shipwreck ard
death.
But the worst hoodoo Of a ship is a cat.
Stories of the i'll luck brought on ship
board by a cat have become history. The
cats Of the steam sloop of war; the Res
AGA. the boat detailed for special duty in
the survey OF the Isthmus Of Panama.
made themselves famous by the persistea-
cy with which they caused disaster. The
first one was washing her face on deck
when she suddenly disappeared as if she
had been An astral body, and two days
later the sailor whose pet she was fell
overheard and was drowned
Six months later the Resaca anchored
off the coast OF Callao, and new cat was
found, but one day an American who was
| i'll and homeSick came on board TO see
his countrymen and the cat jumped on the
| ships rail as she saw him, scratching and
| mewing as il possessed. She would have
gone overheard. but the men jumped to
the rescue and locked up their second
pet for safe-kesping But the vigilance Of
Pussy's guard relaxed and she was on
deck when the American stranger came
the next day, and this time the cat jump
ed into the water and was drowned. And
| the American visitor died on the ship be-
fore daylight the next morning. Nothing
would persuade the crew into a belief
that the one disaster was not the cause
of the other.
But the end was not yet. After long
cruise the Reseca put into the harbor al
Talcuhuano, and here one Of the men
who was less superstitious than the rest
obtained fine kitten. which took kindly
to all on board and grew to be a great
pet, being No. of the ships cats and
an Improvement upon its predecessors.
But one morning at sea NO. 8" killed
herself in mad race after a rat. The
men got together and predicted bad luck.
when the captain Of the starboard watch
of the afterguard said: Boys. l feel
bad and staggered against the bulwarks.
Before he could be helped he died. holding
his throat with both hands and saying
with his last breath. "All throttled here"
There was never another cat taken on
board of the Resaca.
Spanish sailors on certain days of the
week or month lay aloft at sunset and
beat the sheaves and pins of the blocks
10 drive the devil out of the gear, and
the noise they make is a horrid din. This
is said 10 have originated in an order given
which resulted in disaster. A certain Span
ish squadron that had been anchored some
time was surprised by the enemy and
could not make sail and escape, as all the
blocks were rusted and useless.
The Spanish sailor has no prejudice
against starting out on a voyage on Fri
day, that being the day on which Column
bus started on his voyage of discovery.
English and American sailors will not !
sail on that day If they can help 1t. They |
would considerer the whole trip hoodooed |
by such a beginning.
A sneeze at sea would hoodoo the ship |
unless it happened to turn 10 the right, |
when it brings good luck. Sailors have /
faith in odd numbers. and naval gunners /
carry out this belief in the number of /
times they fire a salute
Whistling for wind is another favorite
This is a trick when ships are becalmed,
as whistles rash bid tempest roar" A
'capful of wind" or "a bagful'' usually |
defines the quantity.
The phantom ship, so often seen by nav
gators. is not purely the apparition of
but a mirage. something almost
IS wonderful. but not of the supernatural
,rder
The horseshoe is still popular contri-
,ution by sailors to the fetish of good
uck distinguished precedent is given
or this. Lord Nelson believed in the
uck of the horseshoe. and had one nailed
o the mast of his ship Victory.
A peculiar superstition is that If women
re taken on board a voyaging ship some 1
disaster will follow. This may be the
eason why no government ship is allow
d to carry women passengers. Sailors
90. prefer a ship that has a masculine
ame, or is called after some man. or ,
3 geogra phical a line of steamers viii
ften employ a certain selection OF names
0 the exclusion of all others. The Gu !
ard steamers end all their names with ( {
la feminine terminal. but one that {
as been the reverse of disastrous, since
nat line has never lost a ship. Cap !
aims are not quite as superstitious as their I
rews. being Of better education. and that i
lay account for the names Of sailing
essels being identical with that of wife ! L
r sweetheart. Certain names are known Z
the history of nautical nomenclature n
: hoodoos. They have been painted over :
nd others substituted. but bad luck at
,nded the ship, and not even reconstruc- .
on saved it. Then, II the name must
2 feminine. the crew want something / !.
ley are familiar with. One old tar who ,
as told the name of new ship was the
urora. said:
why don't they leave poetry 20 the G
avy folk and stick to the Susannahs and q
AIRY AIMS and Jemimas OF my day? Au- =
,ral How is a plain. able seaman 10 u
lswer q hail with such a mouthful as
at behind his teeth?" eI
II
Sailors cling 10 their superstitions with q
tenacity worthy Of a better cause. Pos "
bly, 1t is more from custom than from
actual belief in their efficacy. The "
an Of the wheel will tell you that he is
n not steer straight II there is a cross or
ed passenger on board, and he repeats cr
charm OF words 20 anuul the evil
Peter! St Peter. pray give Us a -.
charm.
yainst the bad eye that would DO Us a =,
harm. :
VI. I. RATNE- ..
-=
Naval Police. q
Marines are the police on board ship. q
-~r-.f-. ~ -. .