The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-08

tntTn, there they showed her again eE-
act on her course as though the best
hand in the port were at her helm.
Its like the Flying Dutchman."
There was an uncanny element in the
situation that seized on the irlagina-
tions of the gruff Old seadogs; and all
that night as they chased the fleeing
craft they told again the story OF Van
Der DICKENS ship and her interminabIe
cruise to make the Horn in spite of
God or devil" They told of the hor-
rors Of that trip that will never end; of
the death of the crew by plague; of the
fruitless efforts of the old Dutch mari
ner to round the promOntcry alone; of
the seas that drove him back; and of
the lights that men have watched him
display since three long centuries, in
his effort to make the port any ocean
craft could reach in hundred hours.
They told the old story over and over
again, until in the darkness, between
the two days there was not man of
them but would have sworn he saw
men moving on the fleeing ship ahead,
where they knew no man was.
There is always an underlined and in
tangible something that draws humani-
ty to listen to unnatural things. A
ship that displays lights and sails as
though directed by some rational soul,
when human knowledge knows there is
nothing aboard; d ship whose steering
scar, yet warm with the hands that ara
five miles away in the black and surfy
sea, moves as though those hands still
lay on with strong hold; the things that
human reasoning cannot explain, draw
one to the weird and supernatural; and
once there, the mind is open to again
believe in ghosts and spirits. So it was
the captains on the Oracle S. argued.
as hour after hour they drove the
brave brig under full sheets after the
Pickering lights, far out to sea, and
listened TO their men tell tales that
made them all towards from the ef-
fects Of their own telling. That is why
this very day-or night, you cannot
find a seaman Of them all along the
water front but will assure you three
weeks ago Wednesday night he saw
with his own eyes the eXemplitfcation
and proof of the tale of the sea that
says the souls of dead sailors love to
| take IJOSSSSStOtl VI dUdIlNlullSl a4AtP7 t''AN'
ride them hard just as generations ago
the evil spirits rode our forefather's
horses at night till they were but tired
jades at dawn.
The race began between nine and ten
o'clock. BY midnight the weird intiu-
cnce Of the chase had cut into the very
. bones of the four pilots and two crews
on the Oracle S. They became ncr-
vUus and uneasy, and as the fitting
craft ahead made for the white thick
surf that b0ls between the south and
middle rocks Of the Farralones they
| drew away in the dark to the north to
avoid destruction. Every moment the
| men on the Oracle looked to see the flu
gitive pilot boat dash herself to splin-
ters in that maze Of rocks; but she held
, safe to her course and her lights
showed her to go where no living pilot
would have venturcd his life or the
, lives Of his crew.
by the good gods, Newt" Captain
johnson roared to Jordan. Bill Neill's
| spirits al her helm No breathing man
would try to get through that mael-
strom."
No. It's Knlpe's ghost that's hold
ing that Wheel" Numbered Swanson.
Il knew him when he lived, and it's
like no other captain to dare the devil
there"
Blast my halyards!" broke in a
gruff old member of the crew, the
white face is Captain DOrmett's, l tell
J you. l sailed with him too long not to
know his style, Bear away, lads; he'll
wreck US If we follow"
After this fashion, all night in the
dark between blasts Of the gale, the
men speculated on the gh0stly crew
ahead.
When dawn had broken the Oracle
was beyond the Farallones in the open
ocean. Tamalpais was just sinking be-
low the gray horizon But no America
was to be seen. Suddenly one of the
men sighted the tip Of a mainmast far
off among the white caps in the dim
skyline. Toward that the pursuing
craft bore under as full canvas as the
storm would allow. Three hours later
the America was Ovcrhauled. When
they were up with her the spell of the
night was gone and the fear Of dead
men had dissipated. The mystery was
explained. The trailing boom-end act
ing as a rudder was what had served tC
keep the America straight to hel
course. The torn sail, dragged into the
rent in her side, had completely stopped
the thrush of the water. The steady
gale had done the rest.
Pilot Swanson and Seaman Ross, one
of his crew, made off in a small boat tc
board the errant craft, and, favored by
a luIl in the storm. succeeded in reach
ing her. In moment SWanson's hand
was again at the helm. The America
luffed and her crew climbed on and eV-
cry man was once more at his prOpe,
station. Sailors say few men would
have attempted Swanson's and Ross
feat to make the ship in the still fear
full sea. BY noontime the damaged
craft had been patched up and was
beating back in company with the Ora
ric s toward the Golden Gate. They
parted near the Farallonos and each
made port in usual fashion without