Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-06
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, IL any,
news from her sailing port. She was
a slow going brigantine and from
whose bottom the barnacles had not
been scraped since 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 60 kill time
when the lookout cried:
vessel afire on port bow"
Now, ship In a storm mt sea may
not interest the crew OF another ship.
especially as the latter Is breasting the
same storm, but burning craft Is
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 faint trace OF
| smoke
There's wind there" remarked the
captain after making an examination
! with glass. THAT smokes drifting
| to leeward"
It'll help burn her." said the second
! mate. but it's an Ill wind that blows
nobody any good. Well get it after
awhile"
Presently 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 n southerly 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. us been
sailor twenty years, and never see a
burnin ship movin' without sails and
the smoke BLOWN behind her without
any wind" 1
"Wot knocks me out" said another,
lis there bein' no flame"
They've got the patches battened
down to keep the fire below decks"
said third. "Nothin' but smoke can
| cit 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-
Tight 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 a
burning ship coming to run them
| down
Great guns" cried the captain.
/ t., ~,
addressing her first mate. DO you see
a smokin' vessel comm while we're in
| the doldrums?'
THAT l do. sir" replied the first
mate. land l don't understand her"
shes ghost Ship exclaimed Il
sailor with blanched cheeks.
! Been burned ut sea and hauuts the
| place where she went up in smoker
added another.
| at must "a been all smoke and no
| famew cried third.
There is II light on her bow" said
the second mate. "Some 'un must "a
KEEP his head pretty cool to put that
out with the ship afire." "f
| 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.
Swing out the boatsw cried the cap
tain.
| The crew ran TO the boats. but were
so mad with terror that they tumbled
over one another lowering one end
while the ropes holding the other to
the davlts were left unfastened Iii
nally the boats were all swung out and
some of them in the water when there
! was flash of light on the coming
| ship. Every man stood stock still.
| thinking that the magazine or some
other combustible 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.
Stand by to save lifer' cried the
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 bewildered
that they magnlfied every appearance
on or about what they believed TO be
ghost ship. But one cause of terror
was allayed. The smoking hulk's prov
was turned so that II she kept her
course she would not run them down.
| Indeed. by the time she came latitudl-
nally on the same plane with them and
| they saw her broadside she was sew
eral hundred yards to the starboard
Of them. Something like wheels was
| pTopelling her.
Then suddenly through an opening
! I'm her side which looked like the
mouth OF hell opened n swarthy figure
stripped to the waist appeared I'm the
! glare shoveling in fuel.
] ffsTho dnyflrU exclaimed Tho voov, an