The Winslow mail., 1898-10-29
DESERTED BY RATS.
When the Rodents Leave a Ship
She Is Doomed,
A Superstition of sailors Which Has
Many COnfirmatOry Instances
of Disaster for a Foun-
dEfiGn.

1
daticn.
There is only one saltwater super
I stition accepted by sailors Of the great
lakes. That is the one which has come
down from the earliest navigators,
that if rats leave a ship the ship is
certain to sink. Lakemen's absolute
and general credence in this makes up
for their incredulity regarding other
marine prognostics. 1t is hard to find
Il lake sailor, from q captain down TO
deck hand, who does not place full
faith in the old rat sign. Not all of
them will admit it to an outsider, but
they admit it to one another.
There is no reason why these fresh
water sailors should not be credulous.
The superstition has been handed
down from the time boats first be-
gan to ply On the lakes. and the sto-
riCs told of the sinking of various
craft on the lakes have served to con-
vince the present generation Of navi-
gators that there must be something
Supernatural in the eXoduses of ship
r2tS. Take the story of the Vernon,
fer instance.
The Vernon was three-master
which did tramp business. Built in
Buffalo in 1850, she was fer many
years regarded as one of the best craft
on the lakes. Late in the fall about
l5 years ago she unloaGed a cargo of
grain in Buffalo and reloaded with
package freight for Chicago, Her cap
tain had hired what extra sailors he
needed. and about seven o'clock OF the
night of November he was ready to
heave 10 and start west. There was
considerable of Il sea outside and the
indications were that the weather
would be heavy for several days, Still,
the Vernon was considered Il stanch
vessel. and no one thought ( 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 a moment another was
seen. The seamen called others Of the
crew TO see the unusual sight. Be
tween 50 and IS rats poured out Of the
ship and took refuge along the wharf
Five sailors accordingly informed the
captain 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 go ashore and stay
there. The superstitious sailors tried
10 convince the captain that hey were
not deceiving him. and they asked him
not to make the trip. He was skepti-
cal and obstinate. He got new crew
and that night started out CT port.
The story spread, and the trip of
the Vernon was watched. In Lake
Michigan she pounded several hours in
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 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 life-saving crew.
\ mere recent case Of this kind was
that Of the steamer Idaho. which went
down eff Long Point, Lake Erie. last
November. This boat put cut Of Buf
falo just ahead of the hardest blow
of last season. CGce 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 Cf the sea and she gradually
filed and sank. Of her crew of 21
men 10 were drowned. The first mate
and 4 seaman named Gill climbed into
the rigging, where they remained SO
hours, They were finally taken off by
the steamer MaripOsa.
1t was learned shortly after the
wreck that just before the vessel left
her mOOrings, a swarm of rats craWled
ever the hawsers o the wharf. This
was known to part of the crew and
! four men deserted at TIE last moment.
Their places were filed by two vag-
abonds who were loun9ing 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 that the
rats had left the ship the hour of de-
parture. lie cursed because the fact
had been kept from him. When the
boat began to roll and plunge and the
great waves broke over her old Laly.
the steward. got down on his knees
and prayed. He was the first TO be
washed overheard.
The captain Of a sailing vessel was
asked recently why he and other lake
men placed so much confidence in the
movement of rats.
/ because 1t has been shown that rats
are an unfailing sign" he said. "It
has been proved a hundred times.
There are whole lot Of things in this
world that we don't know anything
about. Why isn't it sensible TO believe
that God designated rats as messen-
gers 10 warn navigators of danger?
Rats live in the very fibers of a ship.
They see what we can't see When the
rim hers