Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-09-29


heer Coenen, from far-away Paobolin-
go, Java, Is now at the Delaware
breakwater, with a story as queer Ss
her long name. Capt. Gotdhelp of the
Coenen spins yarn which makes that
Of the ancient mariner pale into in
significance. The most singular fea-
ture of the entire incident, however,
is that the captain fully believes what
he relates. Stranger than all, the crew
substantiates the story. Shippers from
across the lonely Indian ocean ever re-
fer to those waters with sentiments
akin to fear. 1t may be that they are
appalled, at the vastness Of that long
stretch. Of sea from the Sunda straits
to the Cape of Good Hope, or perhaps
they think Of the weird legend OF old
Vanderdecken and his phantom ship.
Dne Of the first tales poured into their
childish ears in their own Holland SO
far away.
Vanderdecken sailed over that lone
ly ocean waste, but his voyage terml-
mated abruptly at the fatal cape. Vast
ly different was the experience Of this
latter-day ghost ship during her Voy-
age through those same waters. Capt.
Godthelp and his crew saw no mystic
craft, but they found themselves on
one which had involuntarily assumed
that role. 1t will be remembered that
a few months ago the old phantom
ship story was revived in Cape Town.
Some half dozen captains of craft
which touched there while bound for
the Delaware breakwater told OF
Dutch built vessel met with in fear
full sea while around them was calm.
Capt. Dawes Of the Hampton made af-
fidavit that this specter craft had been
sighted on May ~ and described every
thing which had taken place on her
deck. He remembered particularly
that one of the topmasts of the sup
posed phantom had broken off in
sudden squall and came crashing to
the deck before his eyes. The mar
velous spectacle had depressing ef-
feet on the Hampton's crew. They de-
serted their ship in body and the
vessel was tied up there for lack OF
men for months. In the meantime, on
May 10, the Burgemeister Jonkheer
Coenen happened into Cape Town har-
Dor. She had broken spar and want
ed it repaired. The work required two
days, and during that time the bark
was observed by Capt Dawes of the
Hampton. To his horror he recog-
nized in her Dutch lines the mysteri-
GUS apparition which had crossed the
path Of his ship week before. There
she was, the same makeup, the same
faces, and the same topmast gone. The
captains met and compared notes
Capt. Godthelp told how, on the night
of May IL. he had been in storm and
became partly dismasted. The spar
had fallen to the neck, narrowly miss
ing two men who were in the rigging.
Everything correspondent with what
Capt. Dawes had seen, but the mys-
terry deepened. 1t was evident from
the logs of the two crafts that they
were 400 miles apart. Capt. Dawes
commenced to think that the Dutch
man was a phantom after all.
The explanation, however, was sim
pie, and one readily assimilated by the
master Of the Hampton, but no ex-
PLANTATION so peculiar could convince
Capt. Godthelp. 1t was demonstrated
that the phantom ship had been re-
production Of the Dutch vessel by a
mirage which reflected her and her
surroundings a distance of 400 miles.
Thus the mystery was cleared up. But
Capt. Godthelp, however, still shakes
his head and mutters strange German