New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-28
GREAT DAYS FOR SAILORS YARNS.
, FINE ASSORTMENT or FAIRY TALES FROM
THE SEA.

FINE ASSORTMENT or FAIRY TALES FROM
THE SEA
Sailors. warns are proverbial for their exagsera-
,,,, .rd ex,ravagance and looked upon ~
,bosa who have at one time or another crossed 'ns
ocean as tales which should be taken ioT ""d' 'Ie'
are worth that is something 20 amuse tempo
1T. ard NOT az records Of history. Yesterday
r,ss ono 81 the few days Of the year whlcn WAN
especiallv prolific OF these yarns. and the nntor'",
. lanlsn,,n who listened TO them and DeIe'e"
,hov we're absolutely trIe will by to-day De inc
Laughing stock OF his friends. Warm weathes M
,,avs brings OUT certain vagaries OF human beings
and tho last few days have produced "onne'iu'
eoect on some seafaring men. They nave as
nensed stories NJ wonderful magnitude. ranging
from, having actually captured mermaid 10
voracous shark chasing excursion boat INTO 'n's
harbor Stories Of icebergs and mysterious "'ecNS
have also been palmed of on the unsuspec"ns
public with greater or less success
The first OF the stories TO be let loose yesterday
was that Of the shark According TO sailor ana
ano,bor man who heard the story. shark chased
n HAT from the Fishing Banks clear into the mar
Dor and even came as far as the Battery wal"
This story is that the steamer Al Foster, on her
return trip from the Fishing Banks. on Sunday
night WAS followed by shark. The SHARK was
first noticed at Sandy Hook. in the wake OF the
steamer Finally. after the shark had followed
the steamer two miles the fishermen ana sailors on
board began TO throw over to him bits OF nsh' ana
even ham sandwiches. This attractive food leo tho
shark 10 follow the vessel clear up TO her pier at
the Battery where the aforesaid shark hndihs
that no mere food was to be thrown overheard.
bade an afrect.onate farewell TO those on the
steamer and disappeared
Closely following the shark story as 10 time came
ono Of a wonderful sight In midocean. THIS ro-
nance was brought in by a sailor on the BRITISH
steamer Aral He reported the largest heid OF ICE
horrs ever known in the history Of transatlantic
travel The ice extended for miles and miles on
each side Of the vessel. and at some points peaks
r,se As high into the air as the highest point on
the Rocky Mountains. The sailor believed mat no
shin would arrive IT this port for days 10 come.
owing to this immense field e ice This story
was eagerly taken NJ by some enterpnsins mon
who occasionally write for newspapers. the Jog
81 The Aral shows that nothing out ~ me ordinary
va, nhfn a small iceAeld was In latitude
IS degrees 80 minutes. Longitude ~ degrees, II vs.
rot considered extraordinary at THIS p'rion OF 'hs
Right on top Of these two yarns which. are ar.
olassed among those who follow the doinss ot ne
tars as "deep-sea stories came one with to n
famom. pirate Hicks. The Old oak rec on which
the p'ra, centpy ago had been blown down by the
sf9rn5 ~ saturday last Tho sailor who worked
OF this yarn on ad cronssd the A,lan;ic and he
lung closer TO the ruth HICKS Wss 1890 ~ .n
down THAT Hicks had met his death on eallo~:
which is still preserved did not enter the nina OF
H. eoiior a. he told the story.
''ir 1". ~ mArmaids and mysterious wrecks have
also been frequent in the last few day The most
rarcrt Of these was the immense snip which was
eon notion, up IN midoeean by the French Line
steamer Ia Burgogne. The log OF la Bourgosne
ehows that ship was seen showing either white
Gao or bottom but the lookout could not make
her out clearly As no icebergs were seen IN the
,Icnity the officers OF the French vessel did not
hnieve that the wreck had been caused by an
iceberg but was in fact derelict which had been
The usual instalment Of mermaid stories was
anoat yesterday and tales OF ryng ASH West
Ind,an Goals and I'm fact everything IN the line OF
fsh or marine animals were ralmed on on the
creduous listener