The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-30
CARGO sPRoUTED.
Vegetable Fiber Spread Itself Over
Vessel and Rigging.

The Italian bark Rebecca, from Oran,
Africa, to Philadelphia, with a cargo of
vegetable FIBRE ended her long voyage Of
sixty days, ont without the accomp AMI
ment of an incident unusual in the his
tory of any vessel arriving up the Della
ware. 1t is nothing uncommon for In
coming captains to spin their yarns, nut
1t remained for Skipper Califano 10 tell
Of another an experience so unusual that
1t will probably never be forgotten by
that hardy navigator or his crew
When the Rebecca weighed anchor in
the distant port of a western Algerian
province, she had on beard 1876 bales of
vegetable fibre. Such a heavy cargo has
been seldom before loaded for Phila-
delphia. After leaving Gibraltar the Re-
becca encountered cold and b!ustery
weather and then torrid temperature,
more characteristic Of the tropics than Of
the north Atlantic. The bark was be-
Gained. This in itself mystifed Captain
Califano and his crew. In few days
more, however, when the Rebecca was
still nearly stationary, more mystery
came to appall the mariners.
Ever since the vessel had left Oran the
matches had been battened down. no
thought had been given to the cargo, but
the intense heat caused some curious de-
velorments. The vegetable fibre com
menced to sprout. While the Rebecca lay
motionless in the calm small blades,
seemingly like grass, appeared In the
deck seams Captain Califano was In
formed of the discovery by the boatswa1n
and he Immediately ordered the hold to
be examined. With difficulty the fore
hatch was opened. It's contents re-
sembled a botanical garden. Long ten
drills Of green had entwined themselves
around uprights and stanchions They
had sought every crevice for an opening
to the sun and from the aperturcs in the
planking, from which the calking had
melted, they invaded the decks of the
vessel
The ship had a superstitious crew
Their first surprise gave way to conster-
nation, which in view of the clrcuin-
stances was readily excusable. In the
grasp of that strange calm, rnrufned for
ten days by the slightest breath OF air
and confronted by the strange growth
which gained perceptibly in every hour
that passed, they were appalled,. Up the
main and foremost of the bark the
yerdure crept in fantastic wreaths ana IN
terlacings. 1t invaded the rigging, caus-
ing the Rebecca to assume an unusual
appearance Captain Califano ordered his
men to cut away the vegetation. Ihey
worked hard, but three days were re-
CURED before the rigging would travel
through the blocks. Fortunately the
wind arose after this novel situation had
continued for a week and the -Repecca
was enabled to resume her Western Voy-
age Under the influence Of the cold
weather which came with the freshenlng
breeze the vegetation in measure dis
appeared. a. oa
WHEN the bark arrived in port 1t was
found that only few of the upper bales
of the fibre which had been SO closely
packed in the hold had sprouted. Inc
explanation given Is that the fibre must
have been In a measure new ana I'M
presnated with some seed. such an III
cident has been noticed before: ouI never
on such an extensive scale.