The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-04-05
THE GHOST SHIP
OF CAPE HORN

| vi Uni l. uUIu
Another blow against timehonored
traditions has been struck by the ICON
oclasts OF science. The United States
photographic office has calmly de-
clared that the phantom ship seen in
the vicinity of Cape Horn. the ghost
ship Of lie Maire," is nothing more nor
less than a rock which under certain
atmospheric conditions bears de-
ceptive resemblance to a ship.
Very often ships coming from Eu-
rope to the west by way OF Cape Horn
have been startled to see what seemed
to be a derelict with the water wash
ing over her decks. II the sailors
were of an imaginative turn of mind
they would invest the unknown ship
with ghostly qualities and call her the
Flying Dutchman or sometimes the
ghost ship of lie Marie, from the
strait of that name, where she was
usually seen.
longest remembered is that OF the Ill
fated Crown of Italy, which sighted
the supposed derelict and subsequent
ly went ashore. The Crown Of Italy
was standing close to the jagged black
rocks at the entrance to the Strait Of
lie Marie when she sighted what
seemed TO be a water-logged bark
drifting on the rocks OF the strait
Many other ships rounding the Horn
have seen a similar apparition and the
photographic office has received many
reports to that effect.
Not long ago the Norwegian bark
Servia came into Seattle with the
tale OF phantom ship which almost
exactly corresponds to that given BY
the Crown of Italy. The second Of
ficer of the Norwegian vessel declared
that he had seen a derelict with sails
set and decks awash drifting I'M
through the strait. It was this re
port which led the photographic OIL
fee 10 make public the declaration
that the phantom ship was nothing but
a combination Of rocks and shad-
ows.
IL seems that the numerous reports
Of derelicts or ghost ships always ap-
pearing in about the same place led
even the Argentine government to be
stir itself tender was sent out
from the nearby lighthouse with the
object of making an investigation, and
It was found that the apparition was
due to a strange freak of nature|
Among the black, jagged rocks that
lined both sides of the Strait OF Le
Marie there was one in particular
which, under certain atmospheric conf
ditions. bore a deceptive likeness I'd
ship. The formation Of the rocks
and the shadows they cast combined
to produce the effect Of a bark run
ming under short sails. At a distance
Of five miles the place will be marked
with the words Rock bearing the ap]
pearance of a ship"
The passage through the Strait OF
lie Marie is not often made. Steamers
shorten the route by going through
the Strait of Magellan, while sailing
vessels usually prefer to be entirely o1
the safe side by going still further
south and rounding the Horn itself
Only under the most favorable wealth.
er conditions do they slip through thd
Strait of lie Marie on the outward trip
going toward the southwest, bud
never when bound for the north Fol
this reason many old sailors havd
never met the ghost ship or the roch
ship.
Upon making inquiry among old
sailors of San Francisco, however sew
eral were found who could give a mil
mute description of the rock and Wild
testified to its striking resemblance
to a ship. II seems to be standind
head on, pointing to the south and
low in the water. The sails are short
ened as they would be in what sailorl
call half a gale. The whole forma
tion is very dark, as II the hull were
painted black and the sails weathe|
beaten. II has three masts and ID
higher on the fore than on the main
Upon coming on the side of the vesse
the illusion vanishes and the who'll
thing resolves itself into a conglom
Grafton of black rocks. The perpet
ual fog of those regions of cours]
helps to befuddle the vision.
The rock looking like a ship is b]
no means a rare natural formation
Almost every sailor has seen one ID
some part of the world. In the CLIP
perton islands there is a great whit
rock looking like three-mastel
| schooner, leaning on the wind Will
her royals set and the sun shinin
on her white sails. About six o
seven miles west Of Honolulu there 4
a rock known as French Frigat|
rock, because once upon a time
French frigate went ashore on ID
The cliffs looked so much like a shi
that the frigate was deceived an
thought she was meeting another shiI
st. Paul island in the middle of th