Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-09-02
MYSTERY OF THE SEA
STORY OF A eHosTLY MESSENGER
IN A GREEN SoU'WEsTER.

At dinner in Creole lodgings, in
Jamaica, some three years ago, the con-
versation turned upon the subject of
ghosts and apparitions. A person pres
ent quoted the words Of Professor Proc
tor, There may be some means of COM
munication, under special conditions,
between mind and mind at a distance,
though no one may be able to explain
how such communication is brought
about" One of the guests present made
a reference to tale of a mysterious APP
partition at sea, adding:
eff you ever meet Captain Blank of
the Blank line, ask him to tell the
story. The incidents happened to rela-
tive of his. He can tell them better than
I and will vouch for their truth
A few days ago Captain Blank was
found on board his steamer. He is not
only a skillful seaman and navigator,
but also a very courteous gentleman.
Although about TO sail, he took time to
tell the following:
In the early thirties Captain Benner
granduncle of the narrator, commanded
the brig Mohawk of New York, then
engaged in the West Indian trade. After
leaving st. Thomas, her last port of
call on one voyage, the brig was steer
ing a northwesterly course, homeward
bound, beating up under short canvas
against high winds and heavy seas fol-
lowing in the wake of hurricane which
had traversed the tropics five or six days
before. Her captain, who had been
some hours on deck, went below at Hid-
night after directing the first officer,
who was on watch, to keep the course
then steered and to call him in case Of
any change for the worse in the weather.
He lay down upon q sofa in the main
cabin, but, rs the briggs bell struck
twice, became conscious of the figr-S of
man, wearing a green P>S'wester,
standing beside him in the dim light of
the cabin lamp. Then he heard the
words:
Change your course to sou west,
captain.
Captain Benner got up and went on
deck, where he found that the weather
had moderated and that the brig was
carrying more sail and making better
Roadway. He asked the mate on duty
why he had sent down TO call him, to
which that officer replied that he had
he had been dreaming, went back TO tie
cabin, but was disturbed soon again by
second visit from the man in the
green sou 'wester, who repeated his pre-
vious order and vanished up the COM
panionway. The captain, now thorough
ly aroused, jumped up and pursued the
retreating figure, but saw no. one until
be met the mate on watch, who insisted
that he had not sent any messenger be-
low.
Mystified and perplexed. Captain
Benner returned TO the cabin, only TO
see his singular visitor reappear, to
hear him repeat the order to change the
course to sou'west. with the warning,
eff you do not, it will soon be too late,
and to see him disappear as before.
Although a cool headed seaman, fair
1y proof against superstitions, the cap
tain was nevertheless deeply impressed
by these happenings and determined to
see what meaning was hidden in the or
der of his midnight visitor. Going on
deck, he gave the necessary orders for
the change in the ships course to south
west. The officers of the brig were not
only surprised but also indignant at
this sudden and to them unreasonable
change of course. The new course
brought the vessel at a right angle to
her proper direction and if persisted in
would strand her on the coast of Santo
Domingo. Meanwhile the weather had
moderated still more, additional sail
had been got upon the vessel, and she
was being driven still farther from her
destination.
Her impatient officers had finally de-
termined to seize their captain and put
him in irons, when, soon after day
break, the lookout forward reported
some object dead ahead. AS the vessel
kept on it was made out to be a ships
boat. As it ranged abeam it was seen to
contain four men lying under it's
thwarts, one of whom wore a green
sou 'wester. The Mohawk was promptly
hove to, boat lowered, and the cast
Always taken in. The castaways proved
to be the captain and three men, the
only survivors of the crew of vessel
which had gone down in the hurricane,
and they had been drifting helplessly
without food for five or six days. The
green sou 'wester was the property Of
che rescued captain. a few days later,
when he had recovered sufficiently to be
able to leave his berth, he was sitting
one day in the main cabin of the brig
with Captain Benner. He suddenly
asked his host whether he believed in
dreams.
"Since I have been here" he contin-
ued, II have been thinking how IA
miliar this cabin looks. think that
have been hers before. In the night be-
fore you picked me up dreamed that
came to you here in this cabin and told
you TO change your course to sou'we
The first time you took no notice Of me,
and / cams the second time, in vain,
but the third time you changed your
course, and / woke to find your ship
alongside of us F"
Then Captain Benner, who had no.
ticed the resemblance of the speaker to
-. ..-s+o-inns risitnr told his own