The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-04
100000
FOLLOWS
THIS SHIP
The Transport Mcpherson Has
Had Many and Various
Marine Mishaps.

Washington. March 4--when tho
United States Transport Service
heard that the transport Mcpherson
had sunk scow, or herself. or caught
fire or sprung aleak. or lost her way, Il
was much less astonished than It would
have been II the news had come TO It
that the Mcpherson had made a "trip
without any mishap at all.
The Mcpherson, which lately ran ashore
nate ships anoat-when she was anoat.
She was pursued by a marine 'hoodoo'
most relentlessly.
Vigorous measures were taken by her
owners to throw the 'hoodoo' OFF her
track. They changed her name, changed
canny ceremonies to drive away the
curse. But IL was all OF no avail The
Mcpherson was launched under an un-
lucky star and couldn't lose her hoo
doc.
1he unhappy ship began her life as the
British queen. She was chartered by the
American line and used between Liver
pool and Philadelphia. When she was
not on a mud bank i'm the Delaware she
was running into some other craft or
losing her propeller blade or dropping
few OF her crew overheard
So unlucky was the British Queen that
her owners became Tired OF her and sold
her TO the Holland nd-America line So much
profanity had been used IN connection
with her various performances that when
she was rechristened the OLDHAM IL was
considered particularly appropriate No
~. a. Il.
name got out into the ocean and was
stearing for the nearest ship with the
idea Of running Il down. than mutiny
broke out on board.
The sailors said that they didn't know
why they mutinied but they just had TO.
II was part of the "hoodoo. In the
course OF the mutlny capt. Baker shot
a sailor and killed him.
The Obdam-which tn .ss8ilors had
named the Oh-be-d---n''-bro her
shaft I'm midocean in 1896. The "hoodoo"
againl She was towed into Halifax by
Belgian steamer and her loo steerage and
IA saloon passengers declared that some
how or other they felt as n they had
been "hoodooed" for life.
When the United States Government
bought the Obdam the old sailors who
We're put in charge OF her determined
10 remove the "hoodoo.' She was taken
i'm the dead OF night when IL was thought
that the 'hoodoo' was asleep and tied
up TO another pier. Then she was re-
painted and her appearance changed $50
that the 'hoodoo" would not recognize
her when he came around TO haunt her.
The sailors believed that In all proba
bility he would find some other ship and
"hoodoo" her instead. But this idea
proved basciess Even the change OF
namc did not change her luck. As tho
Mcpherson. the British Quecn-Obdam
behaved just AZ badly as ever.
Collisions, mutinies and broken pro-
pellyr shafts had been her specialties.
Now she started In a new direction and
went in for fire. She was ablaZe three
times In five days. There We're $4,000
rounds OF ammunition aboard, and there
was great danger OF her ending her hoo
doc" and herself together i'm the Carib-
bean Sea by one grand explosion. She
was saved. however.
Fortune was not through with her and
intended that she should have a few more
accidents before going finally to the bot
tom
About n year ago she lost two propeller
blades and was ignOminiously towed Into
Hampton Roads by a banana steamer. I'm
August last she went ashore on q reef
a mile from Fortune Island She was two
miles out OF her course. This was not
much FOR the 'hoodoo" ship. which Will
run 100 miles out Of her course with ease
at any time il she is not closely watched.