The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-05-26

SHIPS THAT VANISH.
Some Remarkable Mysteries and &c.
crets of the Great Ocean.

crets OF the Great Ocean.
Fine Ships that Have Sailed Ava,
and Disappeared Forever
from the Sight Of Men.
London Tit Bits says there are few
things which are 80 full Of mystery,
or which makes such q powerful an.
peal to the imagination, as the stories
OF ships that sail gallantly out to sea
and OF which nothing is ever heard or
seen after the masts have dipped be-
low the horizon. At present the pa
pers are full OF the records of these
marine tragedies. Today, it is the
Claverdale, which left Hong Kong on
November 90, for Vladivostok, and of
which no trace has been found for
over two months; yesterday it was the
| Royalist, which cleared q few days
later from Singapore to Hong Kong,
and has never reached her destina.
tion; the day before it was the Idum,
from Noway, which has vanished from
human view; and 80 on, Through the
long list Of ships that have sailed and
disappeared.
What are the secrets of these mys.
terious vanishings of stately ships
with their crews and cargoes? In
nineteen cases Of twenty the secrets
lie with the ships many fathoms deep,
and will perhaps naver leap to light.
TO this day no one knows what be.
came Of the City Of Glasgow, which
set her sails 30 gallantly in the Mer-
sey half century and more ago,
bound for Philadelphia, nor was she
seen again after the hills of Wales
were Jst to view.
The Burvie Castle left London some
years ago op long voyage to Austria
liza. She should have made final
call at Plymouth, but she never came
within sight Of the Hoe, nor has hu-
man eye ever seen her from the day
she dropped down the Channel It
was on May 10, 1854, that Lady Nu-
gent spread her sails at Madras with
367 OF the 25th Madras Light Infant
ry and other passengers on board.
Her destination was Rangoon, but
half century has gone, and neither
Rangoon nor any other port has
sighted her.
Nearly two years later the Collins
Liner, the Pacific, dropped down the
Mersey with 180 souls on board. She
was accounted one of the stoutest and
swiftest vessels Of her time-and so,
no doubt she was. But she went the
way the City Of Glasgow had gone
couple OF years earlier, and for forty
nine years has been lying at the bot
tom OF the sea-but where, none NAV
know till all secrets are revealed. The
Trading vessel Atlanta started, q quar-
Ter OF century ago, for a short cruise
In Bermudan waters, and from that
day to this no one knows what be
came OF her and the $50 souls she car
ried.
NJ On January %, 1870, the City Of
Boston sailed from Halifax for Eng
land, with 191 souls on board. she
was an Inman Liner, a fine ship.
splendidly equipped and handled; but
she, too, was destined to vanish from
tue face OF the waters.
The victim OF another still remem.
bered ocean mystery was the Presi
dent, fine vessel which was expected
at Liverpool in March, 1871. March
passed and Liverpool saw nothing OF
her. The long delay IN her arriva
caused great anxiety, and the widest
rumoro began to be circulated. On
April 13 news came that her engine,
and rudder had been disabled in heavy
weather and that she had put into
Madeira for repairs, and there natu.
rally followed reaction from gloomy
forebodinys to transports Of JOY. The
vessel was expected at Liverpool on
certain day, and her arrival was
awaited by hundreds OF people who
had friends aboard; but she never
came, and IT. was found that the story
of her arrival at MADEIRA was heart
less hoax. All the time the Inflated
vessel was at the bottom of the sea.
On November 80, 1888, a large YES
sci was seen from the beach at Deal,
sailing toward the Goodwin Sands.
Sne was a fair picture to look on, rs
she moved over the waters with her
stately spread Of sails. But as the
eyes OF the watchers followed her she
was seen to pause, and within few
seconds she vanished utterly from
their view. What caused this tragi
cally sudden disappearance OF state.
ly ship? That is another of the count
less secrets which the ocean has In its
jealous keeping.