The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-12-19
DEMON SHIPS.
County ngineer

Vessels That Seemed to Be Moved by
the Spirit of Destrueton.
There is an old Cornish legend of a
phantom ship which is seen in or off
Porthcurno harbor and which, unlike
most ghosts, has a terrifying habit
OF pursuing any vessel which it sights.
If it catches it's victim there is a
collision, but no roar of inrushin=
| water. At the moment Of contact the
ghost ship yanshes into thin air, ard
the puzzled crew of the other vessel
rub their eyes in terrified amaZement.
To any one who knows the legend
the vessel that saw the phantom ship
is. however, doomed. Before the next
New Years day she will be sunk in
collision with another vessel or rock
One wonders whether the original of
this phantom at all resembled that
| notable and appropriately named yacht
Satanta The Satanita was fine and
very powerful cutter, which originally
belonged to Mr.. C. D. Clarke and after
ward to Sir Maurice Fitzgerald.
The Satanita was a hard weather
craft, but let the breeze be the least
heavier than she liked and she would
be seized with what seemed more like
Gemoniacal possession than anything
else. ana even with four men hanging
on her helm she would sometimes take
charge and rush right up into the
wind.
she was the cause of several serious
accidents, the worst OF which hap
roacd at the Nudhook clubs regatta
IL 1894 On that occasion she was be-
having in the most perfect fashion when
suddenly and without the slightest
warning she flung all control. and. just
as race horse Will sometimes savage"
an opponent, she dashed in Il mad
fury at Valkyrie II. and sank her like
stone. Well was the Satanita called
the demon" yacht
But it is not only sailing ships that
countable fashion. Some years ago the
British warships Pique, Mutine. Ro-
sario and Britomart entered Kiukiang
harbor and dropped anchor in single
file. Presently a steamer which had
been discharging her cargo unan-
chored and began to steam out.
She was just abreast of the war
ships when she suddenly made
| straight for the Pique. The war
ships officers and men saw the man
at the steamers wheel doing all HI
knew to keep her off. but she fla;!y
refused to answer her helm and went
crashing into the Pique, smashing her
beats and davits.
After clearing her she went for the
Mutine. but luckily did not strike her
full However, she carried the Mu
tines boWsprit clear away. Not yet
satisfied, she made a rush at the Re
sario, but By superhuman efforts or
both ships the mad steamer was pre-
vented from doing more than Craze
the third warship
Something Of the same kind WAS
seen in the Thames Il few years ago
when the British steamship Poplar
turning to enter her dock. was struck
and cut down to the water line by the
French vessel Cordilleras. She at
once began to fill. and the captain or
dered full speed ahead for the purpose
Of beachinc her
Instead Of making for the beach the
POPLAR made n sudden rush in n great
circle out into the river smashing into
everything she came across. Then, as
if filed with a spirit of revenge, she
made for the vessel which had so ter
ribly damaged her.
The Cordileras tried in vain to get
out Of the way. but the Poplar smash
ed into her. damaging her so severely
that she, too, had to be beached.-
Parsons Weekly.