Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
and both named the Wasp and both sailing
out of Portsmouth as their last home
port to the port of the missing ships.
Never Seen Again.

We'll" said the captain of marines. "the
case of the two Wasps was the most extra
ordinary one of the sort. 1 think recorded
In naval annals; but there have been many
other ships-some Of them men-of-war, too
which have sailed from port and never
been seen by mortal eyes after they passed
out beyond the harbor's mouth
There was the 36-gun frigate Insurgent
captured in our little war with France and
taken Into our navy.
In July, $500, manned by crew of 400
men under Capt. Patrick Fletcher the In
surgent sailed from Philadelphia under or
ders to cruise off the coast in the track of
meTchaatmen going from the West Indies
to France. From'the time that that splendid
trigate passed out by the capes of the
Chesapeake to this day no word of her has
ever come back, though she went to cruise
IN a sea swarming with shipping
And l would add to the list of those
American men-of-war which have shared
the fate of the two Wasps and the Insur-
gent, remarked a lieutenant, 1.-The 1S-gun
corvette Saratoga and the 14-gun brig
Pickering.
The Saratoga sailed from Philadelphia
early in October of 1850, and Off the coast
NOOK several prizes which the appearance
OF British ship-of-the-ine forced her to
ABANDON. She was then off the Capes of
Delaware, but she made no port. From the
time she was seen hurrying away from the
British ship of the line till now she has
never been sighted. There was q gale the
following day, but the Saratoga had often
Weatnered gales of more power, and no
piece OF wreckage from her was ever
washed ashore on the coast near which she
was last seen. She simply sailed away be-
yond the horizon and was seen no more
disappearing almost in sight of port
. Ihe Pickering left port a month after
the Insurgent. under orders to cruise in the
vicinity of Guadalupe. She sailed Ito the
same port as the two Wasps, the Insurgent
and the Saratoga, for she was never
sighted after she passed out beyond the
capes Of the Chesapeake"
Start Superstition.
These surely be mysteries of the great
Deep" said the doctor, land we who do
our work upon its waters cannot but stand
In more or less awe of them If the unde-
vout astronomer is mad, as the Poet Young
AYERS, then surely the sailor free from all
superstition, is not normal being-and I
believe, also. mighty poor sailor. Let us
Imagine that all those American men-of-
war which have sailed forth and never re-
turned are still somewhere af1oat-in the
Sargasso sea, If you will, as the first lieu
tenant has suggested as a final port for the
two Wasps. And would it not be pretty
superstition to start-perhaps, for all I
know-it has already been started by our
friends before the mast-would it not be a
pretty fancy. l say, to think that. just as
the old legend of England was that some
DAY Arthur and his knights should some
again to rescue England in her direst need.
ehat some ON. day, all these lost ships will
come sailing in again to fight her battles as
they fought them Of yore"
iumph, said young lieutenant zone
modern man-of-war would go through the
whole neet like freight train through a
country village. What good would thew he
now?" ' We
There you co. replied the doctor. 'iust
as l said. no imagination-no superstition
me young man is not normal But as we
are getting down to personalities. suupose
We adjourn the symposium"