Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-10-26
LEGENDS OF THE SEA
WEIRD SPECTRAL SHIPS DOOMED TO
ENDLESS VOYAGES.


The Flying Dpfchman of Evil Fame
Appears I'm Many Kinds of Sea Lore.
Block Islands Fiery Reminder OF
the wrecksrs of Cotonisi Days.
Among the multitude OF supersti-
lions TO which the sea has given birth
Lot the least interesting are those con-
corning weird spectral ships doomed
by some irrevocab.e decree OF fate to
sail the wide seas over TIL eternity.
without hope OF ever once entering a
harbor OF safety. Conspicuous among
these Is the Flying Dutchman, or. rath-
er. Flying Dutchmen, for there are In
Vulnerable versions OF this legend.
which have been colored and designed
TO concur with the various fancies and
ideas OF different nationalities.
II IS not improbable that the original
Flying Dutchman was that described
I'm the old Morse tradition OF n viking
who had sacrilegiously stolen a ring
from the gods. and whose skeleton was
ever afterward seen seated on the
mainmast OF a black spectral ship en-
BODIED wreck and disaster. A later Dan
ish variation of this story no doubt In
spired LOngfellow's lines describing
A ship Of the dead that sails the sea
And Is called the Carmnhan. -.-
80 In tempests she appears
Without a helmsman steers
Tradition says of this ship that hid
eous faced goblin invariably sat on the
bowsprit smoking a horrid pipe filled
with q more pernicious weed than TO
baccO. and i'll betide the luckless vessel
that encountered her. for
over her decks the seas Will leap
She must so down into the deep
And perish mouse and man
The most generally accepted version
OF the Flying Dutchman. however il
that OF the pigheeded Dutch captain
who swore be would round the Cane Of
Storms in the teeth OF a terrific hur-
ricane. His fatuous determination
scared the crew out Of their wits AMI
eliminated IN threats Of mutiny.
Eventually they became obstreperous.
but the bold skipper. not daunted
clinched matters by throwing a few Of
them overheard and, terrifying the re-
mainder reiterated his oath with
treble violence Then an apparitiOn
endeavored 10 turn him from his pur-
pose, 20 receive n most impOlite. not TO
say irreverent. reception. Ii doggedly
persisted and so enraged the captain
that he fred at II with his revolver
But instead OF hurting the ghost the
ball lodged In his own arm, at which
misfortune be. not unnaturally Tor a
sailor and n Dutchman. became even
more sacrllegious in his expressions.
He was forthwith condemned 10 navi-
gate his vessel forever and ever. with
/ gall 10 assuaSe his thirst redhot iron
for his hunger. forever sleepless and
without hope OF arriving at port. BY
the aid OF his friend Satan he was able
/ 10 bring about disasters and tempeSts.
/ and his ship was the harbingor Of
wreck and woe" alluded 20 10y Scott IN
"Rokeby"
The French equivalent OF this ship
was the Courier Hollendais. which was
said 20 sail around the world IN twelve
hours. with terrible disasters follow
ing in her wake
German tradition IS rich In phantom
ships and tells OF one on board OF
which was a nobleman who had beer
forced 10 leave his fatherland because
OF great crime and who was alleged
TO toss dice with the devil for his owl
soul. while another Teutonlc creation
was a death ship which was supposed
TO be chOck full OF murderers and Grim
finals OF the lowest order. \ skeleton
holding an hourglass stood in a con
spicuous position, and
''' The ship was black. her masts wer,
black.
And her SAILS coal black as death
And the evl one steered AZ tle helm anS
And Knocked at their falling breath.
which undoubtedly must have been
most grewsome spectacle TO rul
against and something akin 70 the ap
pesrance on All Saints day OF the souls
OF sailors drowned during the year.
belief which was prevalent in thi:
country. Ii was said that in the dark
ness OF the night the watchmen on III,
wharfs would observe a boat within
hail. and. Fastening 10 cast IL line. il
would disappear. and simultaneously
frightful shrieks would rend the air
Block island, on the Atlantic coast
OF the United States. was alleged Il
have its ghOstly ship. which. rising in
three pyramidal flames into the repre-
sentation OF n ship. was supposed C
be perpetual reminder OF the wicked
ness OF its former inhabitants. who il
the colonial days cruelty lured IN i'm
migrant ship on 10 the rocks. witt
great loss OF life. and then looted ant
burned it,
Another phantom ship. 81 the story
goes, appears occasionally of Cap,
d'Espoir, in the bay Of GaSpe. In III,
gulf OF St. Lawrence. She is crOwde,
J with soldiers. conspicuous anon.
whom Is an officer pointing shorewar,
with one hand and supporting Il WON
an with the other. Suddenly the light,
so out, there is 4 Shril CRY. and III,
ship sinks This is supposed 10 be IN,
ghost OF British transport which wa,
J lost at the time OF the AugiO-FreuCl
wars In Canada.-I-OndOn Globe