Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-07-14
MYSTERY OF THE SEA
STORY OF A GHOSTLY MESSENGER
IN A GREEN SOU'WESTER.

Being Put In Irons by His Crow For
Changing tho Ships Course-The Four
Shipwrecked Men In . Boat.
At dinner in Creole lodgings, in
Jamaica, some three years ago, the con-
versation turned upon the subject Of
ghosts and apparitions. A person pres
ent quoted the words Of Professor Proc
tor, "There may be some means Of com.
munication, under special conditions,
between mind and mind at distance,
though no one may be able to explain
how such communication il brought
about" One of the guests present made
a reference to tale Of mysterious ap-
partition at sea, adding:
IF you ever meet Captain Blank Of
the Blank line, ask him to tell the
story. The incidents happened to rela-
tive of his. He can tell them better than
and will vouch for their truth"
A few days ago Captain Blank was
found on board his steamer. He is not
only q skillful seaman and navigator,
but also a very courteous gentleman.
Although about to sail. he took time to
tell the following:
In the early thirties Captain Benner,
granduncle of the narrator, commanded
the brig Mohawk Of New York, then
engaged in the West Indian trade. After
leaving st. Thomas, her last port Of
call on one voyage, the brig was steer
ing a northwesterly course, homeward
bound, beating up under short canvas
against high winds and heavy seas fol-
lowing in the wake Of hurricane which
had traversed the tropics five or six days
before Her captain, who had been
some hours on deck went below at mid
night after directing the first officer,
who was on watch, to keep the course
then steered and to call him in case Of
any change for the worse in the weather.
He lay down upon sofa in the main
cabin, but, as the briggs bell struck
twice, became conscious of the figure OF
man, wearing q green sou 'wester,
standing beside him in the dim light Of
the cabin lamp. Then he heard the
words:
"Change your course to sou'west,
captain"
Captain Benner got up and went on
deck, where he found that the weather
had moderated and that the brig was
carrying more sail and making better
Roadway. He asked the mate on duty
why be had sent down to call him, to
which that officer replied that he had
not done so. The captain, fancying that
he had been dreaming, went back to the
cabin, but was disturbed soon again by
a second visit from the man in the
green sou 'wester, who repeated his pre-
vious order and vanished up the COM
panionway. Tho captain, now thorough
ly aroused, jumped up and pursued the
retreating figure, but saw no one until
he met the mate on watch, who insisted
that he had not sent any messenger be-
low.
Mystifled and perplexed. Captain
Benner returned to the cabin, only to
see his singular visitor reappear. to
hear him repeat the order to change the
course to sou west, with the warming,
"If you do not, it will soon be too late, .
and to see him disappear as before.
Although cool headed seaman, fair
ly proof against superstitions, the cap
tain was nevertheless deeply impressed
by these happenings and determined to
see what meaning was hidden in the or
der of his midnight visitor. Going on
deck, he gave the necessary orders fol
the change in the ship g course to south
west. The officers of the brig were not
only surprised but also indignant al
this sudden and to them unreasonable
change of course. The new course
brought the vessel at right angle tt
her proper direction and if persisted IL
: would strand her on the coast of Santt
Domingo. Meanwhile the weather hae
moderated still more, additional sal
had been got upon the vessel, and she
was being driven still farther from bel
l destination.
r Her impatient officers had finally de
i, termined to seize their captain and pu
1 him in irons, when, soon after day
: break, the lookout forward reported
.. some object dead ahead. AS the vesse
kept on it was made out to be ship
boat. AS 1t ranged abeam it was seen tt
contain four men lying under it
thwarts, one of whom wore greer
sou 'wester. The Mohawk was prompt.
1 hove to, boat lowered, and the cast
: aways taken in. The castaways PROVED
to be the captain and three men, tn
only survivors of the crew OF vesse
which had gone down in the hurricane
: and they had been drifting helplesSl.
> without food for five or six days. Tn
$ green sou 'westcr was the property o
+ the rescued captain. A few days later
: when he had recovered sufficiently to b
r able to leave his berth, he was sitting
one day in the main cabin OF the bril-
. with CaptaiN Bcnncr. He suddcnl.
? asked his hest whether he believed ii
dreams.
"Since have been here" he contin
ned, II havo been thinking how ia
miliar this cabin looks. think that
have been here before. In tho night be
fore you picked me up dreamed that
came to you here in this cabin and toll
I you to change your course to sou west
The first time you took no notice of me
and | came the second time, in vain
but the third time you changed you
course, and l woke to find your shi
), alongside of us. y
t Then Captain Benner, who had nc
+ ticed the resemblance of the speaker t
y his mysterious visitor, told his owl
= story of that night.
T. CAPTAIN blank could not recall tn
e hame of the wrt cked vessel, but sal
e that all the facts were confirmed by tn