The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-18
CAPT. HANSEN
In PORT.
He Tells of Finding a
Floating Boat and
Dead Body.

yesterday by Captain Hansen, of thu
staunch cryolite bark Salina. now a
Philadolphia from Ivigtut. Greenland
Hor voyage to Philadelphia was marked
by an Incident which will probably DeyeI
be forgotten by the muster or his crew.
At the lf-way point Of most favor
able run, when everything pointed to q
successful termination to the cryolite
venture, ordinarily attended by 80 many
periis, the Salna encountered far out to
sea floating boat and dead body.
The unexpected meeting was a wild and
saddening one, 1t was days before the
hardy men of the little bark reco vered
from its depressing effect One and all
interpreted ths experience asan evil omen
fcreshadowing bad news awaiting them
at home.
In the case of Captain Hansen at feas :
that small boat and It's 81 rucsomeoccupant
fnflled the prediction. His pathetic story
has been told. The grief Of the sturdy
mariner when ho reached the city last
Tuesday and learned of the death Of bis
wife and child brough tears even to the
eyes of the rough longshoremen who saw
1t.
On July "a, while.,he Salina with SWELL
ing canvas, was speeding to the south
over the snnny summer sea the lookout re
ported small beat just pereeptable on the
eastern horizon.
Steadily the bark preached TIE lonely
occupant on the silent ocean waste. With
in an hour it was close abeam. Surprise
which had first been the sentiment of the
Salinas crew then gave way to nameless
fear, for in the words Of those who wit
messed IL the boat and its dead occupant
made upa ghos;ly and foroboding spec
tacle.
The former was evidently large 'long
boat" 1t had partly been stove in and
seemed as though it had but little longer
to stay above the water. On the sloping
bottom lay the corpse Of dead seaman.
Dead many days in all probability, even
from a casual inspection. Tho waves,
washing the shattered side1 Of the boat,
lina's crew. appalled,, looked on in silence.
Captain Hansen was more affected than
any of his men by the general fear In-
voluntarily his mind roved toa well re-
membered scene in Philadelphia so far
away and he thought again, as often he
had done before that day, Of his wife and
little ones.
In frightened groupes the sailors stood
near the quarter dock and discussed In
awcd whispers the unsolvable mystery
presented to them. But the SAina sailed
fast and before long tho boat was left
astern. Still.a strange feature Of tho en-
tire weird occurrence, by seeming fatal.
ity it seemed to linger in tho wake Of the
homcward- bound cryolito for hours.
When night came on and tho floating
death had blended into gloom Captain
hansen by his cherry example raised to
somo extent the spirits of his men. The
impression on their minds. however, was
too deep for rapid effacement. They all
longeh fer the sight of familiar shores aud
to meet again their loved ones.
When In the middle watch Captain
Haneen would gaze sadly over the moon
lit ocean, LIeHas impressed BY thought
Of future sorrow, he could not dispel
from his mind that tie littls boat was a
hnrbingcr of WOO 1hut bis sIpresertimont
met with dire fulfillment has already been
told. y
Ifln the vicinity Of the/ corpse Captain
Hansen saw floating gfatings and other
small wreckace and also black can
marked mo T." He is unable to give
any explanation for the presence of the
objects, but seems to think that 1t implies
some great disaster Inwhich the occupant
of tho boat had been probably the solo