Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-04-30
CROSSING THE OCEAN
Queer Things That Happen
IL ?ntic Liners.
THE / =: THE DEEP 6
THE
Passengers Cftentimes Vanish DUR.
Voyage 10 Find a Grave Rene@t
the Waves-A Bibulous Mans Iii
surely Swim In Midocean.

"Queer things continually happen
during a voyage" said veteran pursel
of an Atlantic liner.
"As you are probably aware, almost
the commonest occurrence during a
voyage is the mysterious and sudden
disappearance Of passenger. Seven
times has this happened while have
been following my profession, and in
no single instance have we been able
to satisfactorily account for the miss
Ing traveller. Most of them, of course,
we put down to suicide, but 1 feel
bound to say that think in some in
stances we have been wrong. Now.
here is case in point. Six years ago
we had on board young Australian,
a handsome, we'll set up fellow, who
seemed to have more money than
would satisfy his wants and who told
me himself that he was going to the
states to marry the prettiest and sweet
est girl in all Pennsylvania.
"He was the brightest fellow on
board, sang we'll, played well, was ex-
pert at all kinds Of sport and a general
favorite with every one. He had a
cabin on the lower deck, q fine big
room, where I smoked many cigar
with him. Well, on the fifth day out
he didn't come on deck. People asked
where he was, and the general impress
sion seemed to be that he had been up
rather late the night before and was
doubtless taking few extra minutes
between the sheets. But about noon
the bedroom steward came to me and
stated that he couldn't get in No. 81
the stateroom occupied by the popular
traveller. No one could get any re-
Spouse, So we sent for the carpenter.
The door was smashed in, and the
room was found to be empty. The
portfolios were wide open, and all we
could assume was that he had crept
out Of one Of these and met with a
watery grave. Reason? We never dis
covered any, but my belief is that he
acted in his sleep. He was too happy
man to take his own life.
"On another occasion two ladies, SIS
tiers, disappeared. Both were charm
ing and pretty, though some of the
passengers afterward remarked that
they usually seemed somewhat sad
and preoccupied. I had often con-
versed with them and regarded them
as the most attractive women on
board The night before we locked
was beautiful one, though intensely
dark, and it was evidently on this
night that they left the ship. No one
saw them after 10 o'clock. The look
out reported nothing. No splash was
heard, noacry. But in the morning
they had vanished as silently and mys-
teriously as the darkness, leaving no
word behind.
"a strange thing happened once
when we were two days from New
York harbor. There was an American
on board who seemed to possess many
friends and who apparently was ex-
tremely popular. He spent half his
time in the smoking room, standing
drinks to any one and every one and
imbibing rather more than was good
the afternoon he was with several
other men on the promenade deck-the
weather was glorious and the sea with
scarcely ripple-when, throwing off
his coat, he exclaimed, Here goes for
swimv and disappeared over the
side.
"There was yell which almost put
the wireless out of business, and the
captain, who had witnessed the affair,
stopped the ship almost in her own
length. Boats were lowered, and will
ing arms pulled to where the man was
supposed to be fighting for his life.
Instead Of any struggle, however, he
was taking long, easy strokes and evil
IDENTIFY thoroughly enjoying himself.
When pulled into one Of the boats he
CALCULATED the single word, 'Grandr
and almost Immediately fell into n
kind Of comatose state. He was put
to bed in hot blankets and soon re-
| covered. After an interview with the
captain he was allowed his liberty,
though strict watch was kept on
him during the rest Of the voyage.
"a tragic occurrence took place about
four years ago, the facts of which you
will perhaps recall. 1t was during a
voyage east, and we had among the
second cabin passengers a widow and
her three young children-two boys
and girl. The woman appeared to be
much depressed, though the youngsters
were as lively and merry as children
| generally are on board. The woman, il
appears, spoke to none of the other pas
sengers, and for her aloofness she was
regarded with some suspicion. How.
ever, she was very quiet, and, as she
appeared to be reading all day, not
much notice was taken of her.
Zone morning she was standing with
her children, looking over the side OF
the vessel, when, with no warming, she
suddenly tossed them. one after the
other, into the sea and Immediately fol
| lowed them herself. 1t was all done 81
| expeditiously and quietly that those
who saw the tragedy were for few
minutes too dazed to give the alarm
The ship was stopped in record time
and boats lowered, but the entire quar-
tet had disappeared as though some In
visible force had dragged them down
49, l.