The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-04-26
OCEAN IS HAUNTED
GHOSTS OFTEN SEEN AT SEA,
SAYS A SAILOR.
Come Aboard, Seemingly, to Visit, and
Not to Do Harm-Their Appear
ance Looked Upon as
Warning.

"An old sailor told me that ghosts
are common enough at sea- says a
writer in the Manchester Guardian
He says that some parts of the
ocean are full of spirits, and that
others have none.
They are not often seen Only
common ghosts are seen, according to
the old sailor. He says that they
often come aboard ships, but not to
do harm; that the early morning is
the best time to see them, a little
before turn-to time, before the ships
cook has the coffee ready.
There is an old story of a ship
which carried an extra hand who had
never signed articles The crew dis
covered, when they were in blue wa
ter that one watch had a man too
many.
Il once knew a sailor who had
sailed in a haunted passenger steam
er. She was one of the ships plying
between the Plate and Liverpool, but
! cannot mention her name as she is
still afoat. She has one popularity,
"a poop as big as the poop of an East
Indaman.
This poop is haunted. The sailor
who told me of the ghosts was one
Of the ships quartermasters. On one
passage, when the ship was in the
tropics, he had the middle watch be-
low. The foc's'lc (Which happened to
be aft, under the poop was so hot
that he could not sleep.
AT last he turned out Of his bunk,
took a blanket and a pillow and went
on deck to sleep. He made up hts
bed on the poop TO leeward of one of
the boats, and settled down TO rest
at about three in the morning, just
as the dawn had begun to change the
color of the sky.
He did not know how long he
slept; but he woke up with a start
to see a line of men grooming down
the poop toward him with boatswain
in front Of them, swilling buckets of
water on to the deck as they worked
aft He saw them as plainly as | see
my dinner on my plate, some three
or four yards away, all working hard.
They were so near that he sprang to
his feet at once, grabbing up his gear
lest it should be wet
"He had hardly taken his gear in
his hand when he thought with a
shock that he had oversight himself
at least an hour and a half; that it
was now half past five, since they
were washing decks; that he hadn't
been to muster and that he would get
bee in his ear if nothing worse, for
going on deck to sleep without leav-
ing word where he could be found.
AS he got up he saw that the boat
swain and the hands took no notice of
him, though one of the sweepers
looked in his direction.
He was a red-headed fellow. said
the quartermaster, and he'd got a
scar across one cheek like he'd been
hit by a club; an ugly looking lad he
was. So | knew at once he wasn't
one of our crowd.
And | saw him as plain as | stand
here, and he looked at me; and | saw
the boatswain as plain, too; | saw
him tell the red-headed fellow to
heave round on his broom and not go
dreaming like a God send Sunday fell
low. No, | didn't hear him say that
| only seen him.
And the fellow, he went on
grooming down directly | seen him
get told. / felt queer all over; 1t was
so natural. / wasn't dreaming. / was
awake all right. 1t was a vision. Or
if it wasn't a vision I'll tell you what
it vast was sent
1T was sent as a warning That
red-headed fellow was warming
Some time ! shall meet that red
headed fellow, and you mark my
words, he'll give me a queer push
sure
So ] shall stand from under when
/ come alongside of him. I'd know
him again if | saw him, all right
Some day | shall see him
THE vision or warning, or what
ever it was, kept him awake for the
rest of the watch. He went below to
the fo'c's'le, having had enough OF
the poop and found that he had been
asleep hardly more than 20 minutes
There is something wrong with
that poop. 1t is not a canny place.
Il know of another queer thing
which happened there, and of a man
who started up from his sleep beside
boat to prophesy of what should
happen to him in years time The
prophecy seemed to every one the
most crack-brained nonsense; but it
was fulfilled exactly, almost to a day,
certainly within week of the time
predicted"