Bridgeton pioneer., 1910-07-28
A Ghost Ship
By GRACE ETHEL WEEKS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

northwestward on the Atlantic ocean.
The Seminole had left New York four
years before, trading along the South
American coast, Japan and other coun-
tries without hearing much, If any.
news from her sailing port. She was
a slow going brigantine and from
whose bottom the barnacles had not
been scraped since a month before her
departure on her long voyage.
One summer evening she was lying
becalmed off the west coast Of Africa.
The captain was playing cards with
the first and second mate to kill time
when the lookout cried:
"Wessel af1re on port bow"
Now, a ship in storm at sea may
not interest the crew of another ship.
especially as the latter is breasting the
same storm, but a burning craft is
q very different matter. The game
ceased, and all hands from captain to
cabin boy strained their eyes in the
direction indicated by the lookout. All
they could see was a faint trace of
smoke.
There's wind there" remarked the
captain after making an examination
with a glass THAT smokes drifting
to leeward."
"It'n help burn her," said the second
mate, but it's an i'll wind that blows
nobody any good. Well get it after
awhile"
Presently a dark speck marking the
hull appeared. but there was no fame.
nor could any sails be distinguished.
The vessel seemed to be coming to-
ward the Seminole in a southerly di-
rection, but the smoke instead of mov-
ing with her was drifting in her wake
THAT beats anything l ever see," re-
marked one Of the crew. "I's been a
sailor twenty years, and l never see a
burnin' ship movin' without sails and
the smoke blowin' behind her without
any wind"
''Wot knocks me out" said another.
SIS there bein' no fame"
They've got the hatches battened
down to keep the fire below decks"
said a third. "Nothin' but smoke can
git out"
The ship, moving without sails, came
steadily on till to the crew Of the
Seminole she appeared larger, but was
growing faint in the diminishing twi-
light AS she drew near she was
pointed directly toward them. A terror
spread through not only the Seminole's
crew, but the officers. Here was
burning ship coming to run them
down.
"Great gunsr' cried the captain.
"Am dreamin'? Say. you Martini
addressing her first mate. do you see
a smokin' vessel comm while we're in
the doldrumsr
"That l do, sir" replied the first
mate, "and 1 don't understand her"
"She's a ghost ship" exclaimed
sailor with blanched cheeks.
Been burned at sea and haunts the
place where she went up in smoke"
added another.
''It must "a been all smoke and no
fame" cried a third.
There is a light on her boww said
the second mate. Some 'un must "a
KEEP his head pretty cool to put that
out with the ship afire."
How does she manage to keep so
straight a course without any wind to
steer by?"
These and many other comments on,
the wonder continued to be made
while the hull Of the coming ship was
growing larger and less distinct in the
growing darkness.
n nNrt &ep h.
tain.
The crew ran to the boats. but were
80 mad with terror that they tumbled
over one another lowering one end.
while the ropes holding the other to
the davits were left unfastened FL
nally the boats were all swung out and
some of them in the water when there
was a flash of light on the coming
ship. Every man stood stock still.
thinking that the magazine or some
other combustble had exploded and
that when the sound had time to cross
the distance between them and the
doomed ship they would hear a roar.
followed by the shrieks of those who
had been blown skyward
clohu Wy " odNS Iilc. CTleU IDt
captain.
But the seconds passed, and there
was no sound either of an explosion or
of shrieking people.
By this time both officers and crew
of the Seminole were so bewilderad
that they magnified every appearanc
on or about what they believed to bt,
a ghost ship But one cause of terror
was allayed. The smoking hulk's prov
was turned so that if she kept hel
course she would not run them down
Indeed. by the time she came lstitudi.
nally on the same plane with them arc
they saw her broadside she was sev.
eral hundred yards to the starboard
of them. Something like wheels was
propelling her.
Then suddenly through an openin.
in her side which looked like the
mouth of hell opened a swarthy figure
stripped to the waist appeared in tho
glare shoveling in fuel.