The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-04
A Strange Tale OF the sea..Grue.
some Derelict Pursues Vessel
for over a Week.
THE SAILORS LOST REASON.
Weird Wreck Kept Pace with a
British Ship, and Then 1t
Suddenly Disappeared.

in all annals Of navigation than that
which was an incident Of her voyage
through the loveliest part Of the Indian
ocean.
For many days on that homeward
run, never to be forgotten by Captain
splcer and his men, the GloOscap was
accompanied on her way by battered.
almost shapeless. hulk, a nameless dere-
llct. which without sail and without
steam hung persistently in her wake.
The mystery OF the occurrence was
appalling to the crew of this good ship.
with 1t were incidents which go TO
make up a true tale, stranger than the
widest dreams Of the noyellsts Of the
sea.
The Glooscap. heavily laden with
sugar for Philadelphia, weighed anchor
from IloIlo on March 2s. Her voyage
was to be a long one and through the
most unfrequented of earth's oceans.
Nevertheless the ship sails fast and
there was no reasonable suppositlon on
the part of the crew or captain but that
the run would be an uneventful one.
AMER was passed on April % and for
twenty succeeding days nothing occur
red worthy Of special mention. No sail
appeared to break the monotony Of sea
and sky. The GlooscaH, logging ten
knots, ploughed steadily over the dreary
waste of waters. On May IA, at Z
O'Clock in the morning. a drifting hulk
was reported on the western horizon.
The day broke cold. misty and rainy,
with a leaden sky. No more cheerless
scene could have heralded the advent
of the derellct. sun on the same tack
the Glooscap steadily approached 1t
Victim of Disaster.
There is no more saddening incident
which can occur in the life of sailor
than IN accidental meeting with one
of these grim reminders Of great and
unsolyed disaster. 1t Is silent appeal
to their oft-bluntcd better natures. An
appeal never lost. in view of their peril
Gus vocation.
The battered hulk, now abeam Of the
Glooscap, appeared to be that Of full
rugged ship. Her masts had gone by
the board and she was partially water
logged. The waves gurgled dIsmally
through her deserted deck houses and
splashed heavily on the rottlng boards.
She was n melancholy and gloomy spec
tacIe; an embodiment of death and suf-
ferlng; OF the passing OF many hardy
souls.
Captain splcer scrutinized the wreck
closely. There was absolutely no clue
to her identity. The Glooscap contin-
ued on her way. Rain began falling
and fog descended, intensityIng th'
general gloom.
The unexpected meeting had It's effect
on the crew. There were no songs in
the forecastie that night. The sailors
endeavored in sleep to forget the sad
spectacle which they had invoiuntarily
witnessed.
Captain splcer was aroused the next
morning at daybreak. A frightened
group stood outside his cabin door.
"My God, Cap, the wreck! Look! 1t
is following u.s." and the boatswain
pointed his finger astern OF the Gioos-
cap.
Sure enough, scarcely three miles in
his wake Captain splcer saw the omln-
Gus visitor of yesterday.
Harbinger OF Death Follows.
Scarcely believing his eyes, he COM
puted the distance Travelled during the
past twelve hours. A rough guess
plncod It at TO miles A fear seized the
sturdy old mariner.
ut is nothing, boys, only the effect OF
an unchartod ocean current which must
exist here. We will lose her In few
hours"
Nevertheless the crew continued to
stand in trembling silence. They gazed
with a nameIess dread on the supposed
Ncmlsls which followed closely. A
sharp north-northeas gale was blow
ing. at the request OF his men Captain
spicer set all sail on the Glooscap. To-
ward 10 o'clock the wind increased and
blew with frightened violence. Carcen-
ing far to starboard and under cloud
OF canvas which bent the mighty spars
like reeds the ship tore through the
foaming waves with race horse speed.
Night again came on, but # was
night of horror. The dread harbinger
OF death followed on relentlessly. Day
succeeded day, but her apparent posi-
tion remained the same. The more
sensible ones Of the crew sought to de-
lude themselves with the thought that
they were the Victims OF hallucina-
tlon. The remainder never turned their
eyes aStern.
sailors Become Dcmcntel.
For week the novel chase continued.
Despair and desperation had by this
time seized the wrctched tnrs. The
long continued mental excitement at
last had its efect. They were like de-
mentcd beings and the officers feared
they knew not what from their mad-
ness OF terror.
May 81. when AFFAIRS on the Gloosrnp
had reached climax. ;he dcrellct dis
appeared. At noon or eight bells. her
motion was observed to be retarded
She soon appeared mere speck on the