The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-28
FATE or SHIPS RATS DESERTED.
Why Sailors of the Great Lakes Believe In
This SuperstItion of the Sea.

Why Sailors of the Great Lakes Believe In
This Superstition of the Sea.
There Is only one saltwater superstition &C.
copied by sailors OF the Great Lakes. That is
the one which has come down from the ear
Hest ndvigators. that II rats leave q ship the
ship is certain to sink. Lakemen's absolute
and;general credence In this makes up for their
incredulity regarding other marine prognos-
tics. 1t is hard to find a lake sailor. from q
Captain down to q deckhand. who does not
place full faith in the old rat sign. Not all Of
them will admit 1t to an outsider. but they adj
NIT 1t to one another. The old Captains who
have been on the lakes since the civil war and
still sail vessels of the old type would no
sooner take their craft out of port IL the rats
had deserted her than they would pull an
Choir in o December nor'wester.
There is no reason why these fresh-water
sailors should not be credulous. . :. The SUPER
stition has been handed down from the time
boats first began to ply on the lakes. and the
stories told OF the sinking Of various craft on
the lakes have served to convince the present
generation Of nnvlgators that there must be
something supernatural In the exoduses OF
ship rats. Take the story Of the Vernon, for
instance.
The Vernon was a three-master which did
a tramp business. Built in Buffalo in 1850,
S"S "SO ~ AAtNAy ySoLo4CBuAoC0 u " IuG
best craft on the lakes. Late in the fall, about
fifteen years ago she unloaded a cargo of
grain In Buffalo and reloaded with package
freight for Chicago. Her Captain had hired
what extra, sailors. he needed, and about Z
to he4ye to and start west. Their" was CON-
siderable Of O sea outside and the Indications
s SsIe d sSas &c Ball. Eleafhbe e Te TSold R Rs h soUgis 5S5 ssy :
take her opt: Just before the lines were let
hawsers to the wharf. IN a. moment another
was seen. The seaman called others Of the
s Snd ss e. ssS 1RS u r"ts pos sIsaat; ont se ~ ZEE t ffttg
9Ts aeeordinsiy Informed the Captain Ia
:. Not having seen the exodus the fS CAPTAIN be-
IRIfSiyI tx 4 ih If. f bioS sreS Ssi ,fif slS q tSs posi-:
HEN and nh ordered s6psdst ths% t. q. 4 6ors and stay
vince the Captain that they Me not deceiv-
iinE him. and they asked him not to make the
TIP 4 hssw he lew was an aaEffPttc9l, and ohstinpts; &c get
was watched. n Lake Michigan she pounded
Opened. and She went te downs. SEC Sot 3 nG soa siSa Mas
faxes RsEEes' who Tae ia T Tot 1SP ess 3S,s not sto g sailor 6nd a fb the
Who had been disS66eiieeSveerssn Before sSSsS now Nn had en faIl
confidence In the rat sign. 4
nI seven . I or eight years age 2 schooner which
lnedlately. The remaining two stayed on the
tafsn q B; q IiS saving crew. rev 'Wo men were
tbaa more regent ease Of thlsk kind was that OF
put out. q Buffalo Just ahead Of the Hardest
as the llnsst passenger boat on the lakes On
this tsns,a her blast last trip she was buireted about for
eighty miles northwest OF buffalo. and then
her Captain ordered her brought about that
she might run under Long Point for shelter.
was caught in the roll ofthe sea and She grad.
ually filled and sank. or her crew of twenty
1 mSte m aad h q sSe%an were eSm dSoT GTe c,,G The he f fIt
6 iEs fEEsy we're finally TAKEN Cd BY the
,ui i S ESs isaTRSsd shortly otter the wreck that
wharf. This was known 1 To part aPe o fftSSse crew 70 and
four men deserted pt the last moment. Their
lOSnsln Te SSO llI!G the6 Sd sES vaSGHES sS {ssT he S sSfs
Pa steward, who vas the Oldest q Ills Class on on
ship the, hour d, her departure. He cursed be-
nepse the fact had been kept from him.
When vrhsF HthssssSso boat h, began mt to Eol! and plunge and the
the first L be washed overheard.
much confidence in the movements 81 rats. "
pnfa SiflGaas sIa Il hA e S ssia Sh SfI bs that Ss rats L are an
Elhings II this world that, we don't Know any.
hat God Designated rats I as m%esseSg SSso 70
warn naytgators of d9ngerH Rats live In the
sssy n Wren q tb g f tI%Ssr They S4s zee SSl0 %hsS W SeS S1 ny
rip g dRsefs and they dssertIt knoTiedeS
ne 9 zee bowers q wkloS We kRoT absos,
" 80 rr .... H". A