The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-07
GHOSTS ON OUR WARSHlPS.
OLD CAPT. nun SIILL SEEy on ~
CONSTITUTIONS QUaRTERDECk.
A s~omnambuiist on the F~roiic-Tales That
the Fern Has Been Haunted since the
Maine Disaster - The P~nyinaster Who
Came Rnck-The IIrondernrn,. GhnAtA.

Came Back The IicOnderO.a's Ghosts.
Though steam and steel have displaced belly.
ing sail and sturdy oak In the nayics q the world,
Jack Tar Is still u supers,itious soul on every
sea. And young and modern though lac be.
Uncle Sam himself posscs>ss n fleet Of haunted
ships. The natural flagship Of this squadron
Is the famous old Constitution. a relic OF the days
when the Flying Dutchman was as much a
reality In the minds Of many mariners a. any
craft that ever p~loughed the waves,
II Is eighty seven years since the Cpnstitu.
lion whipped the British frigatc Guerriare, and
the stAnch old craft has long been used as a
receiving ship in the Navy Yard at Portsmouth.
Nevertheless, some Of the soamcn attached to
her say she Is still haunted by the ghost Of Cap.
Isaac Hull: every midnight they allcge, the
wrath Of the gallant old sailor may be seen pacing
the quarterdeck. arrayed IN a uniform coat shin.
ing cooked hat and the famous white trousers
that were split in the memorable engagement
Of August, 1912. He carries n long glass under
his arm, now and then lcyclling it at the horizon
as il In search OF an enemy's sail.
The Frolic, an old fashioned craft Of about
700 tons that was used for years AZ n despatch
boat and tender, was long alleged to b. haunted.
because Of certain extraordinary noises heard
in the wardroom about the beginning Of the mid
watch every night. So persistent were these
sounds that none Of the wardroom boys could
be persuaded To enter the apartmcnt. unless ac-
companicd by a commissioned officer. after 10
o'clock. when lights were put out. Even the
officers were annoyed, since the noises not only
interrupted the slumbcr Of men Liable to b. called
for duty at any hour Of the night, but also in
creased the natural superstition Of the sailor
Mr.. X the junior watch officer, ~protessod to have
been kept awake several hours one night and,
on his motion, a party was formed thc following
| evening with the intention Of surprising the ghost.
ly yisitant The officers sat up To an unusua
hour, but nothing happened by | o'clock and
they turned in, About forty minutes later tho
First Lieutenant was Weakened by the sound
Of a heavy body moving stralthily around the
wardroom 70 the accompaniment Of a muttcring
voice. Tho Lieutenant arose and stepped out
into the light that came dimly from a single lamp
over the Comfortable. On the table itself he be.
held the figure Of Mr.. X, dressed only in pajamas
and moving in a circle on hands and knees over
the polished mahogany. Meanwhile he repeated
over and over in sepulchral accents a mystic
phrase; Little pieces OF orange peel; little pieces
Of orange peel" Being reused. MI. X explained
that h. had dreamed he was on tho verge Of an
important scientific discovery. Tn. disclosure
tndl MI. y was y Sl'TpNdlN'G was tnOuhnN 70
solve the mystery; but though he was carefully
watched thereafter, the noises continued, and
on the grolic's arrival in New York SHE was sold
aud broken up.
The newest of American haunted ships is the
Fern, used Throughout the Spanish war as a sup
ply vessel, but now turned over as a practice ship
10 the naval militia Of he District Of Columbia.
After the Maine disaster the Fern was the first
I'nit,I Stataa yays,l O., yi.it na,ar. -.,n.l
Of the injured sailors were taken aboard and two
Of the victims died on her dccG. Now it is stated
that the snip is peryalcd by a peculiar and mex.
pIlcable mystery. Being an old wooden vessel. she
never went 10 Soa, before her visit TO the Names
wreck, without carrying a large cargo of rats,
On her return from havana, II was noticed that
the rats were deserving her, singly, OF IN parties
Of three or four. Little attention was PAID 10 tins
until one night n wathr-tendcr, who had Dccu sent
down INTO tho coal-bunAet came up trembling
and white as u sheet, This man, a Maine sur.
yivOr, affirmed that while below he had distinctly
heat ri the voice Of one Of his old shipma tes RroAn-
ing; Several officers started down toward the
coal bdnkcrs, and, when nearing them plainly
heard noises such as the sailor had described.
As the party went on the sounds grew fainter
and finally ceased. They arc said 10 have been
heard since on several occasions.
Another Fern ghost story Is based on the al.
] legged appantol OF a strange beast that roams
about the coal-bunkcrS and, when any one ap-
proacheS, takes refuge near the propeller shaft.
II is described as n shadowy creature, somewhat
resembling a wildcat though larger, with Two
big yellow eyes that glare fcrociously out u tho
darkness. Dogs have been taken down 10 attack
this mysterious creature several times, but they
have fled TO the deck invariably with bowls u
terror, after noSing around n few moments.
The Coast Survey schooner Eagrr, formerly
Iommodo-e Gamers yacht Mohawk, is also
declared by the sailors 10 be haunted. Some
twenty years ago the Mohawk was lying at an
ChOf oil Tompkinsville, Staten Island, the pres
cHt naval anchorage. The weather was calm
and pleasant with lust enough wind TO keep
the yacht pointing due east, crossways to n gen
tic tide. There was no watch on deck save the
sailing master, Commodore Garner and his party
being in the cabin at luncheon The ship had
had n net sser6osrd Boy ancGof oai and both main.
unaccountable reason, the Captain hauled OIL
the main sheet and secured II before he went 10
his dinner, He, had hardly gone bolow when
a furious squat came up, In a moment the
yacht was on her beam ends and nearly every
one OF the merry party in the cabin was drowned.
Since then, they say, the sailing master comes
on deck every night, precisely at IL, PUSHES aft
to the main sheet and tries franucally to cast
II loose and save his vessel.
Down to 1890. when the wardrOom country
Of the old corvette MononGahcla was ovcrhHu'cd
and reconstructed, the second room Of the port
side Of the vessel had been left vacant for three
cruises. Il was the Monnngahcla that was
washed ashore in Peru in the sos by tidal wave
ard then washed Ia sea again without suffer
ing serious injury, and with tho loss of only a
single man; but this has Eothing 10 do with tho
ghost story AMI is mentioned only 10 identify
the vessel. Years after the tidal wave incident
thcr" was n onC-rved phymaster with a red bear
on the MOnOngahclA, He was known through
out the navy as one Of the three or four best story
tellers in tho entire service. He was also famous
for HIS love Tor %whiskcy. The former made him
q general fayOrite and the latter ultimately brought
hirl w. his end. Whom told that he was going
70 Ghr, he summoned his fellow officers to his
bedside.
Dear boys" he said, you have liked me and
| love you for it. I've often heard you say the
wardr1om mess wouldn't be n mess al sll without
me, and 81 III tell you what I'm going to do:
I'll be around ms usual in my old room, No .,
~ the port side, so that YOU can't say, old fell
lows that | ever left the ship"
More than one veteran seaman wiped his eyes
two or three days later when the pay master was
the ,paymaster came back, as he promised, it
would he with the intention of annoying any
one But his alleged Teappeeranccs caused
great CONSERVATION They hogan the day fol.
lowing his burial, and years afterward every
officer who was quaTtcfcd in NJ > on the port
side Of the Monongahelc,s w%aItroom sought
an early opportunity Of rclinduiShing the berth,
though few were willing 10 admit any ghosily
experiences But among the sailors q the ship
tHlk about the peynlhSters ghost began within
a few weeks o. bis departure, The earliest yarns
were spun by the men on duty in the stOreroOms
and paymastcr's office, Nearly every night
they reported that be was seen puilcring round
among the ships stores and figuring up accounts
on the desk by tie sale. One - the men, the
Pay Woman, whS sent 10 the sick bay. His
Illness was tritling. but he told the doctor one
morning thnt his time had surely cone. fnr the
dead pay ma stcr had stood by his bedside at two
bells In the middle watch and hrckoned him away
About three months after this passed
Assistant Paymastcr s. Joined the shin
He was a lively young chap lie had no
supersltions whatever, hc said, and cheer