The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-08-04
4 Ghost Ship
By GRACE ETHEL WILLIS
Copyright. 1870 ~ American Pres
Association

III i.
In l>-,- the American ship Seulinol;.
making a trip around the world. turned
the Cape Of Good Hope and pointed
north westward IN the Atlantic ocean
The Seminole had left New York four
years before. trading along the Snurii
American coast, Japan and other cuuD-
tries without hearing much. if amy
news from her sailing port. She Wa,
Il SLOW going brigantine and from
whose bottom the barn;icI,.s u..u iIvi
been s"raped since, II month before. nrr
departure on her long voyage
oue summer evening She WAS lying
bcc3Imed Off the west coast of Afri..:i
The calfain was playing cards with
the first and second mate to xii! time
Whom the iooHout cried
'Wc,-ei ;tfirc "n port bow"
Now. Il SHIP in Il storm ut sen may
mol Interest he errH Of another Snip.
especially ii Il" i.jltrr is breast I'M the
sam" Storm. but II burning craft i,
a very GtFit.r"nI matter. The game
"eH~aa. a.a MI hand> from captain I"
=
,.."r,riou int,i.s,cd by the lookout All
thoE s"u'G sce WE, Il faint trace of
smoke.
"Ihore's wine! there" rciaarkri th,.
captain after u:;thin2 an examination
with Il glass. THAT smokes drifting
to lceWHrd'
"It'n help burn her" said the Setuni
mate but its an i'll wind that blows
nobody any good. Well get it after
| awhile'
| Presently q dark speck marking the
hull appeared. but there was no flame.
nor could any sails be distinguished.
| The vessel seemed to be coming to-
ward the Seminole in Il Southcrly di-
rectiOn. but the smoke instead Of nov-
| ing with her was drifting in her wake
| THAT beats anything | ever See re-
| marked one of the crew. rs been a
sailor twenty years, and never see n
| burnn' ship movin' without sails and
/ the smoke BLOWN behind her without
any wind"
! ''Wot knocks me out" said another.
is there bein' no dame
! ''They've got the matches battencd
down to keep the fire below decks"
said q third. "Nothin' but smoke can
git out
! The ship. moving without sails. came
STEADILY on till t. the Grew of tn"
Seminole she appeared larger. but wal5
/ growing faint in jhc diminishing ~
! Ii-ht As She drew near she was
pointed dire is toward them. y terror
spread throu-h not only the SeIuiIDleS
crew. tut til" officers. Here vas Il
! burning ship coming 70 run thr:n
down
'Grent guns cried the captain.
''Am | dreamin? Say. you Martin"
addressing her first mate. DO You see
q sInollin' vessel comm while We're il,
the doldrums:"
THAT do SIR replied the first
mate. and l don't understand her"
shes Il ghost ship" exclaimed Il
sailor with blancied cheeks
Been burned IT sea and hauutS the
place whore she went up i'll smoke"
added another.
1t must "a been all smoke AMI no
tame" cried Il third.
There is Il light OF her bow said
the second mate. Some 'un must "a
KEEP his head pretty cool to put that
out with the ship afire.'
How does She manaCc to keep so
straight course without any wind to
steer by"
These ami many other comments on
the wonder continued to be made
while the hull of the coming ship was
growing IQr-cr and less distinct in the
growing darkness.
Swing out the boats cried the cap
tain.
The crew ran TO the boats. but We're
so mad with terror that they tumbed
| over one another lowering one end.
| while the ropes holding the other t.
the daVitS We're left unfaStened. III
| nalIy the boats We're all swung ont ana
some Of them in the water when Their"
was Il flash Of light on the coming
ship. Every man stood stock still.
thinking that the ma2H=inc or som"
| other coInitUstjhle had exploded and
that when the sound had tinnr 10 eros,
the distance between them and the
doomed ship they would hear Il roar.
followed hy the shriekS Of those who
had been blown Skyward.
"Stand by to save life cried the
captain.
But tho second: passed. and there
was No sound either Of an explosion or
Of ~hr: -i!s& Irr;I".
~ this time both officers AMI crew
OF the Seminole Wrr" 50 heWiId"r"d
that they n"-ni'i"i every allr"ra!,."
! On ar :!irUf What they believed TO b.