Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-11-16
GHOSTS ABOARD SHIP.
Superstitious Sailors Scared Nearly
Out OF Their Wits.

The arrival Of the harkentine Hattie
G, Dixon from Frey Bentos, Uruguay,
q voyage on which she started for
marks the conclusion OF Il run replete
with more unusual experiences than
generally fall to the lot of crew In
a lifetime, 1t was the fate OF the
staneh little craft to remain for many
weeks ON the unacceptable east coast
OF South America during which a pc
culiar incident occurred that will In Ill
probability never be forgotten by Cap
tain Southland and his crew OF eleven
men,
In July last the Hattie G. Dixon W
rived at the port OF Frey RCutus, whore
she loaded to nearly her full capacity
a cargo of bones for this port. An ac-
cident, however, detained the barken-
tine and she was subsequently, ordered
to payoauder under averages and to re-
main there until differences were set
tied with her owners, II was while on
the voyage from Frey Rentos to the
last mentioned little town when tnc
crew were driven to the masts by an
array of supposed demons and TO re.
main there for nearly two days with
out food, trusting to good fortune to
guide their vessel on it's way,
Scarcely had the vessel weighed an
Choir when murmurtngs of tho crew
surprised the captain that somothiuR
was wrong To his inquiries they in
formed him that the vessel was over
run by an array OF imps with green
eyes and otherwise frightrul makeup
THE men had not been drinking,
said Captain Southland, who does not
look like n believer in ghosts himself
yarn, I naturally concluded that they
wanted to leave the ship ut Payoandcr
In preference to remaining there mdef-
initely However snid to the ring
leader; "1f YOU give men any more OF
this stun will put you IN irons
THE next day the men came to ne
In a body and said that they would nc
longer bunk in the forecastlo, as II was
haunted Completely disgusted told
them to lie on the deck. All the same
| was puzzled and resolved to spend a
night myself in the forccastle went
there at o'clock and remained there
until midnight without seeing a thing
or hearing sound out of the general
rum
"A few minutes after midnight my
ears were assailed by the most fright
full chorus of shricks which have ever
heard, Picking up club lying near
by | hurried ON deck and was myself
confronted by II spectacle well caleu.
lated to paralyze anybody with fright
A dozen or more ilreballs were scurry
ing across the deck with the ut
most rapidity, They glistonod with n
strange light and their appearance was
most unoarthly, Meantime the crew
had taken refuge In the rigging, and on
the disappearance Of the strange vsi-
tants they absolutely refused to come
down.
There they remained for two days
The steward also retained his nerve
Luckily the sea was calm, the trade
winds were on and he and took our
turn at the wheel. At the end of the
second day the steward said.
Cap | have found out something,
| think ! can explain them grosts
Il put n stop on the wheel and went
with him 10 the cabin companionway
At the bottom was one Of those iire-
balls. II moved, but slowly and pain
fully. To my surprise, and. | must ad-
NIT, CONSERVATION, the steward seized
the ball in his hands
1T was rat. Slightly wounded by
u club which had been hurled at 1t by
the steward he had captured 1t with
ease. Then the whole truth flashed
upon me. We had In the hold som,
fifty bags of PHOSPHORUS, and an in
spection showed many Of them torn By
the teeth of the rats, which infested Tho
ship In numbers. Afterward they hat
probably rolled In the stuff, CAUSING
their coats to shine fcarfully in thu
dark.
IL climbed the rigging myself, ex
planning the matter to the men, ant
they came down. hardly blameC
them, for the experience was n mos
novel one, and one which has probabl.
never before been duplicated, an
very glad, however, that the myster!
was solved in the manner In which I
was, as we would never have reached
port. "--Phladelphia Times.