The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07

| been left vacant for three cruises. 1t
was the Monongahela that was washed
ashore in Peru in the SOS by tidal wave
and then washed to sea again without
suffering serious injury, and with the loss
OF only single man; but this has nothing
to do with the ghost story and mentioned
only to identify the vessel. Years after
the tidal wave incident there was one
eyed paymaster with red beard on the
Monongahela He was known through
out the navy as one of the three or four
best story-tellers in the entire service He
was also famous for his love of whisky
The former made him general favorite
and the latter ultimately brought him
TO his end When told that he was going
to die he summoned his fellow officers to
his bedside
Dear boys" he said, you have liked
me ana love you for it. I've often
heard you say the wardroom moss
wouldn't be a mess at all without me and
SO IL tell you what I'm going to do.
II be around as usual in my old room
NO z, on the port side, so that Won cant
| Ship '"e
More than one veteran seaman wiped his
Eyes TWO or three days later when the
paymasted was dropped overheard and
TWO or three youngsters in the mess fair
! ~ blubbered aloud. Nobody believed that
IL the Paymaster came back as he rronr
lseu' IL would be with the intention of an
hoylhg anyone. But his alleged reap-
, Pearances caused great CONSERVATION.
lhey began the day following his burial,
ana years afterward every officer who
was quartered in No. 2 on the port side of
the Monongahelas wardroom sought nm
! carry opportunity of relinouishIne tho
! berth, though few were willing 10 admit
any ghosty experiences. But amono the
s snt, OF the ship talk about the pay
master ghoSt began within a few weeks
OF his departure. The earliest yarns wera
| spun for the men on duty in the stove
rooms and paymasters office Nearly everv
! night they reported that he was son
! potterlng round among the ship's stores
ana hguring up accounts on the desk nv
the SAFE One of the men, the pay yeo-
man, was sent to the sick bay. Hts IN
ness was trifiing, but he tod the doctor
one morning that his time had sur Nv q ma
for the dead paymaster had stood bv his
bedside at two bells in the middle watch
and beckoned him away. And, as mat
ter of fact, he died in a day or two.
About three months after this passed
Assistant Paymaster s. Joined the ship
He was lively young chap. He had no
| supersititions whatever, he said and cheer
fully Installed himself in room No 2 on
the port side. The evening of April %
1885, was one of unusual merriment IN the
! mess. The ship was homeward bound
| WIN d lar Whlu ana the passed assist
ant paymaster was the jolliest man on
board. About two hours after everybody
had turned in the entire wardroom was
awakened by an unearthly yell, followed
| by noise of a man falling. The officers
turned out, lights were struck, and there
was s., doubled over an upset chair and
moaning unintelllgibly. When asked what
| was the matter he pointed TO the door OF
| the room
ITS there! It's therei he murmured
Whats there, old MANI" was the query
"A dead thing! A corpse in my birth
one eye and red beard-cold and horri
| ble!"
The moon light coming in through the
port woke me-" he continued after
pause Il was very cold, and at first I
thought I had a chill. 1 raised myself
upon my elbows TO get a better view OF
| things. AS moved came in contact with
something clammy and Shiny and icy cold
| BY the dim light saw that had n bed
| fellow-a dead man. his one eve staring
and his red beard tangled with seaweed