The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-02-02

theme The plague broke out, accord
ing to his version, among the wicked.
crew who had perpetrated the crime,
and they sailed in vain from port
to port Offering, as the price of shell
ter, the whole of their illgotten
wealth. They were excluded from ev-
cry harbor for fear of the contagion
which was devouring them, and, as
punishment of their crimes the APP
partition of the ship still continues to
haunt those seas in which the catas-
trophe took place
FIRST VERSION IN BLACKWOOD'S.
There is not much agreement be-
tween the versions, excepting that in
both the Flying Dutchman is repre-
scented as eternally at sea. The first
version is mainly derived from the
short tale in Blackwoods Magazine
for May, 1921, where the legend APP
pears to have first found its way into
print The story is entitled yam
derdecken's Message Home; or, The
Ienacity of Natural Affection"
In this anonymous tails a little more
of the legend is related. The writer
escribes his ship an its crew, which
is caught in a storm OF the Cape of
Good Hope. During the vivid flashes
of lightning the watch on deck sees
the spectral ship scudding along I'M
der full press of sail. He relates the
legend, and explains that the appari-
ton lis never seen but with foul
weather along with her"
I'VE must keep clear of her" breaks.
In another sailor. "They say that her
captain mans his jolly boat when a
vessel comes in sight, and tries hard
to get alongside to put letters on
board, but no good comes to them
who have communication with him."
NANDERDECKEN APPEARS.
During a lull in RE storm a flash
of lightning reveals a jolly boat nut
ting off from the fatal ship. The
sailors shudder, but the boat comes
alongside, and one of the men in the
boat demands to see the captain. He
comes on board.
Il wish Nanderdecken would put his
letters on board any other vessel rath-
er than mine," said the captain firmly
The stranger replied: I'VE have
tried many a ship, but most of them
refuse our letters"
Asked how long he had been at sea,
the stranger answered:
I'VE have lost our count, for our
almanac was blown overheard. Our
ship, you see, is there still, so why
should you ask how long we have
been at sea, for Vanderdeclen only
wishes to write home and comfort his
friends"
To which the captain replied: 'Your
letters, / fear, would be of no use in
Amsterdam, even if they were deliver
ed, for the persons to whom they are
addressed are probably no longer to
be found there except under very an
Gent green turf in the churchyard."
No one on board would accept the
letters, so the stranger lays his packet
on deck, and placing piece of iron
upon them to prevent them from be-
ing blown away, he swings himself
over the gangway to his boat, and
both Immediately disappear. The YES
sci gives a violent pitch, dislodging
the weight upon the letters, and the
latter are swept over the side.
WILLS AND WAGNER.
The stage versions, naturally, differ
from the legends. In both the CYAN
derdecken," by w. G. Wills, which
was partly written by Percy Fitzger-
aid, and in Wagner's opera, The Ely
ing Dutchman," there is introduced
a feminine interest necessary to a
drama. In both these versions, which,
however, are dissimilar, woman is
ordained to release the Flying Dutch
man, and in each he is released. in
Wills's play the lovers apparently are
left " to live happily ever after" in
Wagner's opera the weird mariner
attempts to leave his love, declaring
it is better for her. She, however,
casts herself in the sea, and the Fly
ing Dutchman is relieved from the
curse.
So much for the legend. The Unit
ed States photographic Office is not
romantic. Reports of ships being
lured to their destruction off Cape
Horn had for years been familiar.
From survivors the tale was always
the same: the ship had seen a vessel
| apparently in distress, and in attempt
ing to go it's aid ran upon rocks. At
first it was believed that the vessel
was a derelict. But, then, derelicts
have the nomadic habit of wandering
This derelict was always in the same
place. Three centuries ago the tales
would have played havoc with the
superstitiOus. In these times, how
ever, the spirit of investigation is
abroad, and whenever a circumstance,
Especially one affecting navigation, is
mysterious neither money nor men is
spared to solve it,
FOUND IN LIE MARIE STRAIT.
One of the recent wrecks at the
mysterious point was of the ship
Crown of Italy, which, sighting the
ghostly vessel in distress, foundered in
attempting to reach it, Not long af-
terward the Norwegian bark Servia
arrived at Seattle with similar tale.
| The Norwegian however did NOT att