Evening journal., 1910-07-16
A Ghost Ship
BY GRACE ETHEL WEEKS
Copyright. 1910 by American Press
Association.

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
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 6rst and second mate to kill time
when the lookout cried:
Vessel afre on port bow"
Now. a ship in a storm at sea may
not interest the crew OF another ship.
especially as the latter is breasting the
same storm, but burning craft is
very different mntter The game
ceased, and an 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'll help bgn her" said the second
mate. but it's an m wind that blows
nobody any good. Wen get it after
awhile"
Presently a dark speck marking the
hull appeared. but there was no flame.
nor could any sails be distinguished
The vessel seemed 20 be coming to
/ nj hn .rf. ft. a. A
rection, but the smoke instead OF NOV
ing with her was drifting in her wake.
That beats nything ever see re-
marked one Of the crew. us been a
sailor twenty years, and never see a
burnln' ship movin' without sails and
the smoke BLOWN behind her without
any wind"
"Wot knocks me out" said another.
rs there bein' no fame."
They've got the matches battened
down TO keep the fire below decks"
said 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 gunsl" 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
''rhat / do. sir" replied the first
; mate. land don't understand herr
, "she's a ghost shipr exclaimed a
sailor with blanched checks.
. Been burned at sea and haunts th'
! place where she went up in smokeF
- added another.
, 1T must "a been all smoke and n,
L fiamer cried a third.
y There is a light on her bowg saiC
= the second mate. "some 'un must "A
$ KEEP his head pretty cool 10 put tha
8 out With the ship afre."
s How does she manage to keep s,
straight course without any wind L
:. steer by"
e These and many other comments OF
q the wonder continued 70 be mad
J while the hull OF the coming ship wal
b growing larger and less distinct in th'
e growing darkness.
r Swing out the boats" cried the cap
tain
4 The crew ran 70 the boats. but werl
so mad with terror that they tumble'
over one another lowering one end
r while the ropes holding the other &
e iii davits were left nnfastened. III
nally the boats were all swung out an,
: some Of them in the water when Their
9 was a fash Of light on the comini
? ship Every man stood stock still
e thinking that the magazine or som
= other combustible had exploded an
!. that when the sound had time to eros
the distance between them and IN
doomed ship they would hear a roal
followed by the shrieks Of those VIII
had been blown skyward.
!, "stand by to save lifew cried th
captain.
= But the seconds passed. and ther
! was no sound either Of an explosion &
Of shrielSing people.
By this time both officers and cre'
!, OF the Seminole were so bewildere
that they magniied every appearanC
on or about what they believed to I
- a ghost ship But one cause OF terr'
y, was allayed The smoking hulk's pro
y was turned so that il she kept h'
= course she would not run them dow
Indeed. by the time she came latituC
nally on the same plane with them al
~ they saw her broadside she was Sc
~ eral hundred yards to the starboai
OF them Something like wheels WI
propelllng her
4. Then suddenly through an openil
~ ~ in her side which looked like q
~ mouth Of hell opened a swarthy hgu
:, stripped TO the waist appeared in Z
u. glare shoveling in fuel.
- "'rhe devilw exclaimed the men
-. the Seminole. crossing themselv'
"a while others dropped on their knees
"a sseveral weeks later. when the Ser
~ ~ mole reached her home port and
crew told the marvellous tale OF {
~ ~ ghost ship. they were laughed at
b. "since you sailed they were
formed. "steam has been applied
R ocean craft"
~ --------l------- --------------
tis Elks at Grand Lodge.
A,,,,, tl,. kxrflr,f, ofo,fopc vshn .