Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-08
A MyyTERy
OF THE SEA
[copyright. 1eol by i. c. Mcclure.l

mystery occurred in the year 1858.
An English merchantmen named the
White Squat, homeward bound from
the Cape to Liverpool, was jogging
along to the north of the Azores one
night when she overlook and passed an
unknown craft 1t was a starlight
night without the slightest sign of
mist rising from the water. The I'M
known had no lights out and was pass
ed within hundred feet The chief
mate had the watch and hailed her,
but got no answer in return. He was
cursing her carelessness in sailing the
highway without light when the I'M
known came sailing in his wake and
took up a position On the starboard
quarter and only a stones throw
away. She was hailed dozen times
over, but made no answer
Only one single person could be seen
aboard, and he was the man at the
wheel. His figure was without motion
except what the tossing of the ship
impaired to it. He stood there clear
enough under the naked eye, but the
glass brought him closer still.
For an hour the strange ship held a
parallel course TO that of the mer-
chairman, and the crew of the latter
got a bad fright over it. The breeze
held steadily, and during one minute
the unknown craft and her solitary
man were in full view of fifteen men.
The next she had vanished off the face
of the sea, leaving everybody to rub
his eyes and stare.
1t was three months before the
Lone Ship was seen again. An Amer
lean ship bound from New York to
Bordeaux had left the Azores well to
the south and behind her when one
day. at noon the breeze left her and
there fell dead calm. The sea soon
went down until there was only a
CLASSY ground swell, and when night
came on there was not sail in sight.
At midnight the moon rose, and so
bright was its light that one could
have read book ON deck.
Half an hour later, without enough
air stirring to move feather, a
strange craft came slowly into view
from the east and when first discover
ed was only about two miles away.
She was bows on at first, but when
within half Il mile of the American
she swung around and showed her
broadside and ceased her drift. The
second mate had the watch, having
come on at midnight, and after puz-
zling for a few minutes he called the
captain. Captain and mate united
their voices in q hail which was not
answered, and then a muSket was
brought up and fired three times with
out elicting any reply.
The American captain was a hard
headed fellow, with no superstition in
his composition. He took boat and
two men--no others of his crew would
go with him-and pulled to the ship.
The log book said of their adventure:
when we had approached within
few feet of the Lone Ship L ordered
the men to cease rowing that l might
look her over. She had no name paint
ed on her stern or quarter.
I'VE rowed twice around her, hail
ing several times without result, and
then / ordered the men to row me I'M
der her bows that might climb up by
her chains. They hung in the wind
and would have refused had L not
menaced them with the revolver 1 had
brought along in my pocket.
LAS L climbed up 1 ordered one of
them to follow me and was presently
taking q view of the strangers decks.
I counted ten objects lying about
which l verify believed were dead men
wrapped up in blankets, though for
reasons shortly to be given 1 could
not make sure of this. The decks
were not badly Uttered up, though in
the moonlight l could see that they
had not been cared for for months
81 was ready to go aft and was wait
ing for the man when l heard the
splash of oars and turned to discover
that the towards were making off. l
menaced them with the pistol, but they
would return no nearer than fifty feet,
and had to leap into the sea to swim
that distance. The men feared the
strange craft both as a ghost ship and
a plague ship and nothing l could say
would change their opinion. My own
belief is that all her crew were dead
of some fell disease. but yet I should
have liked to make sure by investiga-
ton They had been too long dead
for me to fear Infection"
The Lone Ship" was seen once more
and for the last time about month
later. An English man-of-war was
sent out to look for her, and after Il
cruise of two weeks back and forth
without sighting her the government
craft found herself becalmed one night
midway between the Azores and the
Madeiras.
At half past IL o'clock the Lone
Ship" was discovered, appearing of
sudden within half mile of the man
of-war. Ten minutes after sighting
her the captain had two boats in the
water, and the officer in command had