The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-30

vfsitations Capt Groh was engaged In
guiding his tug and its heavy tow
through the narrow bridge draws Of the
South branch. There was an earnestness,
a conviction, in his voice AID manner
that left no doubt as to his absolute sin
certify. The listener was moved to cast
an apprehensive look over his shoulder
and turn quickly around lest one of the
visiting spirits should be peeking over
his shoulder
DEAD ALWAYS NEAR HIM
There is really little popularity known
known about spirits and spiritualism, ;,
continued Capt. Groh. "As a matter of
fact, the dead are all about US, and are
ready and willing to render US any posi-
bic service. My niece, who lives at nv
! house. sometimes sees whole dozens of
them in the room about her. These
spirits she consults on every personal
matter. Why, the largest dry goods
merchant on State street is a spiritualist,
and always consults his spirit guide be-
fore undertaking any business enterprise
Like many well known society women
he has cabinet in his own home at
which he holds private seances. Queen
Victoria is spiritualist and has a
regular medium always In attendance,
through whom she consults the dead
prince consort whenever anything of mo-
ment is on foot
George Washington was spiritualist
His writings show it. So was Abraham
Lincoln, and so has been every other
great man. The Bible is full of stories
of spiritualists. So 1t is not strange to
me that am able to see these things"
Can ship have a spirit. too, cap
tain?'
What do you mean?"
''WeH, when the Maine was blown I'D
| 1t was said by New England fishermen
that the specter of the destroyed vessel
manned by a spirit crew was often seen
I cruising up and down the coast from
'Quoddy Head to Boone Island light. Ii
uGed. to come along in a fog. and when
it was abreast OF q vessel the breeze
WouIo die out. A chill would coms over
the water and the vessel passed would
seem to shiver as its sails hung idle.
The specters crew stood at the guns and
the fog horn was moaning. From :he
masthead flew the signal, We cannot
/ rest until avenged. The schooner Ethel
Merriam came into Booth Bay harbor
! white all over, though it had gone out
black. and Capt. John Newman could
| not be induced to take it out for weeks
because he said he had seen the ghost
| of the Maine.
THE SPIRITS OF SHIPS
"Then here on our own coast the lost
| Chicora has often been deserted on q
storm wind driving down the sea, with
| white Ice all about it even in midsummer
and with tie ice-clad form of Capt. Shines
| upon tie bridge. Years ago ths Thomas
| Hume sai.ed out of port one evening, and
| since then lot g. vestige of it mas been
found. Annually, however on the date OF
| its disappearance a specter schooner
glideS from under the Ice Of the northeast
| breakWater and moves Off down the lake
regardless Of wind, Once tug captain
followed 1t to find where 1t was going, bit
when it was off Crosse Point and about
ten miles from shore suddenly the InNsts
and sails tottered and fell and the hull
lurched and disappeared beneath the
/ CLASSY sea. while a terrible wall from the
crew came across the water Do you be-
believe that these are really the ghosts of
the ships, captain?"
Capt. Groh looked with dreamy eyes
| out through the window of the pilot
house. He seemed hardly to see the bridge
through which he was skilifully guiding
| his claft. He shifted the steering bar al
MOST mechanically, now to port, now to
starboard, now to steady. He seemed to
| be in communion with his guiding spi--
its" at the moment. His visitor looked
expectantly at the open air, thinking to
see an answer there in letters of fire. -
| written by a spirit hand. If such there
was. none but the captain gaw It. He
'I should say rather spirit ships than
spirits of ships. There's vast difference.
A vessel is. not like person. You think
Of it as alive, and yet 1t is not When 1t
perishes 1t perIshes entirely. But If the
spirits of mariners desired to DO so,
see no reason why they should not build
or call into being a. spirit ship exactly
like 1t. 1t would be as real 10 them as
the original was to US. 1 cannot believe
the MatIe'5 crew would be unable to
rest until avenged, but think it probable
that they might have taken that means
Of urging the people on to war against
the Spaniards who had destroyed them.
So with Shines. He may be showing how
he and his crew went to their death.
have often heard of these ships. and yet,
strange as 1t may sean, have never
seen them myself.
| Capt Groh and his strange beliefs are
| well known on the river. The o. B. Green
is itself one Of the best known boats On
| the stream, and was noted for years as
| the possessor of the only siren whistle
| in port-a whistle so noisy and notorious
! that other sirens, as they were installed,
| received the generic title Of 90 B.
| Greens" Whenever the tug moves along
| the river other captains point Groh out
| as the .'ghost master" They lean from
| their pilot house doors and watch curl
| QUIZ to see If any shadowy forms can
| be detected lingering about his boat All
| their side remarks, however, cannot in
f1uence him. to renounce his faith. Has
he not the evidence of his senses? And
| with that he Is satisfied. and is always
ready to argue for his spirit friends