The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04

copy of his book. entitled, Health and
| Beauty" "''~
mems absolute and general credence in this
makes up for their incredulity regarding
other marine prognostics. 1t is hard 10
find a lake sailor, from a captain down to
deck hand, who does not place fun
1alth IN the old rat sign. Not all of them
VIII admit 1t TO an outsider, but they adj
NIT it to one another. The old captains
who have been on the lakes since the civil
war, and still sail vessels of the old TYNE
would no sooner take their craft out of
port If the rats had deserted her than thew
would pull anchor in a December nor
wester.
There Is no reason why these fresh-wa-
Ter sailors should not be credulous The
superstition has been handed down from
the time boats first began to Div on the
lakes, and the stories told of the sinking
OF various craft on the lakes have served
to convince the present generation of nav
| igators that there must be something SUI
pernatural in the exoduses of ship rats.
Take the story of the Vernon. for in
stance
The Vernon was a three-master which
did tramp business. Built In Buffalo in
1901, she was for many years regarded as
one of the best craft on the lakes Late
in the fall about fifteen years ago, she
unioaded cargo of grain in Buffalo and
reloaded with package freight for Chicago.
Her captain had hired what extra sailors
he needed, and about o'clock on the
night of Nov. 2, he was ready to heave
to and start west. There was considerable
of sea outside and the indications were
that the weather would be heavy for sew
eral days. Still, the Vernon was consid-
cred stanch vessel, and no one thought
1t risky to take her out. Just before the
lines were let off one of the seamen saw a
rat run over the hawsers to the wharf
In moment another was seen. The sea-
men called others of the crew to see the
unusual sight. Between fifty and seventy
five rats poured out of the ship and took
refuge along the wharf. Five sailors ac-
cordingly informed the captain that they
would not go out with the vessel
Not having seen the exodus the captain
believed that his crew, frightened at the
possibility of big blows, had told the rat
story as an excuse for quitting the ship
! EIe swore at them and ordered them to 90
! ashore and stay there. The superstitious
| sailors tried to convince the captain that
| they were not deceiving him, and they
| asked him not to make the trip He was
! skeptnaI and obstinate. He got new
| crew and that night started out of port
| The story spread, and the trip Of this
| 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 not 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 remaining 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.
A more recent case of this kind was
that of the steamer Idaho, which went
down off Long Point, Lake Erie last No
Vember. This boat put out of Buffalo just
J ahead of the hardest blow of last sea-
! son. Once she was regarded as the finest
! passenger boat on the lakes. On this her
last trip, she was buffeted about for sew
eral hours. She pounded by Long Point,
eighty 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 filled and sank.
| OF her crew of twenty-one men nineteen
were drowned. The first mate and a sea-
| man named Gill climbed into the rigging
where they remained thirty-six hours.
| They were finally taken off by the steamer
| Mariposa.
1t was learned shortly after the wreck
that just before the vessel left her moor
! ings, a swarm of rats crawled over the
| hamsers to the wharf. This was known
| to part of the crew and four men de-
serted at the last moment. Their places
were filled by two vagabonds who were
! lounging along the docks When the old
ship was well out of port and was beating
! hard, the old steward who was the Oldest
| of his class on the lakes, learned mat
! the rats had left the ship the hour ot
| her departure. He cursed because th9
| fact had been kept from him. When the
! boat began to roll and plunge and the
! great waves broke over her old LAZY, tina
| steward, got down on his knees and pray
ed. He was the first to be washed over
board.
The captain of sailing vessel was ask
cd recently why he and other lakemen
| placed so much confidence in the move
ments of rats.
Because 1T has been shown that rats
are an unfailing sign" he said. 1T has
been proved a hundred times. There are
a whole lot of thing in this world that
! we don't know anything about. Why Ism I
! it sensible to believe that God designated
! rats as messengers to warn navigators
of danger? Rats live in the very fibers OF
| a ship. They see what we can't see-
! When the timbers are followed and the
| Geams open, these little animals know th3t
! the snip is unsafe and they desert It.
knowledge of some kind was probably set
tied on them by one of the powers or
which we know absolutely nothing"
!
-Bertolinis, in ST. Martins street, Lon
don, which was a famous eating house
/ lana