The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-10-07
EGENDS OF THE SEA
WEIRD SPECTRAL SHIPS DOOMED TO
ENDLESS VOYAGES.
1he Plying Dutchman OF EVIL Fame
Appears In Many kinds Of Sea Lore.
Hack Islands Fiery Reminder of
the Wrcckrrs of Colonial Days.

Among the multltude st supersu-
tions 10 which the sea has given birth
not tie least interesting are those con
cernng weird spectral ships doomed
10y some irrcvocahle decree VI fate 10
sail the wide seas over I'M eternity,
without hope OF ever once entering n
harhor of safety Conspicuous among
these is the Flying putchman. or, rath.
or. Flying putchmcu. for there are in
Vulnerable versions of this legend.
which have been colorcd and designed
to concur with the various fancics and
ideas OF different nationalltics
Ii Is not improbable that the original
Flying nutchmau WAS that described
I'm the old Morse tradition of viking
who had sacrilcgiouSly stolen ring
from the gods, and whose skeleton was
ever uftcrward seen seated on the
mainmaSt OF Il black spectral ship on
vciopcd In fire. 10 behold which fore
BODIED wreck and disaster, 4 later Dan
lsh variation of this story no doubt In
spircd Longfcllow's lines describing
ship OF the dead that saiis the sea
And Is called the Carmilhan. '-'
- = In tomposts she appears
Without a hclmsman steers.
Tradition says ~ this ship that n hid
cous faced goblin invariably snt on the
howSprt smoking horrld pipe filled
with a more pcrmiclous weed than TO
hacco, and IN hctldc the lucl,lcss vessel
that encountered her, for
over hcr decks the scas will leap,
she must 20 down into the deep
And perish mouse ana man
The most generally accepted version
II the Flying Dutchmau, however, Is
that Of the pighcndcd Dutch captain
who sworc he would round the Cape OF
Storms In the teeth of n terrific hur-
rlcunc. His fatuous determination
scared the crew ont Of their wits and
eliminated In threats of mutlny.
Eventually they became obstrcpcrous,
but the bold skipper, not dauntcd,
clnChcd matters 10y throwing few of
them overheard and. terrifying the re-
malndcr. reiterated his oath with
treble violence. Then An appnrltlon
cudcuvorcd 10 turn hiM from his Rur-
pose. To- receive most impOllte. not To
say irrcvcrcut, reception IL doggcdly
persisted and 80 cnrngcd the captain
that he fired nj II with his revolver.
But instead OF hurting the ghost the
ball lodged In his own arm. at which
misfortune hc. not unnaturally for
sailor and "A Dutchman, became even
more sacrllcgIous I'm his expressions.
lie was forthwith condemned 10 navi.
gate his vessel forever and ever. with
gnlllto assungc his thirst, redhot iron
for his hunger forever slecplcss and
without hope OF arriving nt port by
the aid OF his friend Satan ha was able
10 bring about disasters and tempests,
and his ship was "thc harlLngcr OF
wreck and woe" alluded 10 by Scott In
"Rokcby."
The French equivalent OF this ship
wns the Courier IIollcndals. which was
said TO sail around the world In twelve
hours, with terrible disasters follow
Ing In her wake.
German tradition IN rich in phantom
ships and tells OF one on board Of
which was n nOblcmnn who hnd beon
forced 10 leave his fntherland because
10 toss dice with the devil for his own
soul. while another Tcutonic creation
was death shir which wns supposed
10 be ChOck full Of murderers and GRIN
inals Of the lowest order. 4 skeleton
holding mn hourglnss stood I'm con
uuIpuoua nnaitiou nuu
...T The ship wa, black, her masts were
black,
And her sails coal black az death.
And the cvil one Rteerod at the helm and
laughed
And mocked at their failing breath.
which undoubtedly must have been n
most growsoino spectacle 10 run
against and something akin 10 the mp.
pcnrnncc on All Saints day Of tho souls
Of sailors drowned during the year, n
belief which WAS prevalent In this
country. u wns said that IN the dark.
ness Of the night the wntchmcn on tfIo
wharfs would observe boat within
bail. and hasiculng 10 east II u line. IL
would disappear, aud simultaneously
frightful shricks would reDd the air.
Block island, ON the Atlantic const
of the United States, was alleged TO
have its ghostly ship which, rising In
three pyraInidnl flames into the repre-
scntation of a ship, was supposed 10
Dc perpetual reminder of the wicked
ness of ~ former inhabitants, who In
the colonial days cruelty lured nm I'm
migrant ship on 10 the rocks, with
great loss Of life, and then looted md
burned H.
Another phantom ship, no the story
goes. appears occasionally OF Cape
d'Espoir I'm the bay ~ Gnspc, in the
gulf Of - Lawrence She is crowded
with soldiers, conspicuous among
whom is an officer pointing shOrcward
with one hand and supporting won
an with the other Suddenly the lights
, go out there is shrill cry, and 'thc
ship sinks. This r. supposed 10 bo tho
ghost 81 a British transport which wns
lost ~ the time ~ tho Anglo French
wars in Caundn nunun Globe