Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-11-11
A Ghost Ship
By GRACE ETHEL WEEKS
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

In 1856 the American ship Seminole.
making a trip around the world turned
the Cape of Good Hope and pointed
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
II 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 to kill time
when the lookout cried:
Vessel afire on port bow"
Now. II 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
a 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'll help burn her" said the second
mate, but it's an i'll wind that blows
nobody any good. Wen 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 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 a
sailor twenty years, and l never see a
burnin' ship movin' without sails and
the smoke BLOWN behind her without
any wind
"Wot knocks me out" said another.
sis there bein no flame"
They've got the matches 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:
crew, but the officers. Here was q
burning ship coming to run then
down.
Great guns" cried the captain
Am | dreamin'? Say. you Martin"
a smokin' vessel comm while we're II
the doldrumsT
THAT | do. sir replied the frs
mate. "and l don't understand her"
she's ghost ship! exclaimed ;
sailor with blanched cheeks.
Been burned at sea and haunts tn,
place where she went up in smoke!
added another.
1T must a been all smoke and NJ
damer' cried third.
There Is a light on her bowr' salt
the second mate. Some 'un must "a
KEEP his head pretty cool to put tina
out with the ship atire."
How does she manage to keep S
straight a course without any wind t
steer by?"
These and many other comments O.
the wonder continued TO be mad
! while the hull of the coming ship wa
growing larger and less distinct in tn
, growing darkness.
Swing out the boats" cried the cal
tain.
The crew ran TO the boats, but wer
SO madDwith' terror that they tumble
over one another lowering one enc
l. while the ropes holding the other
the davits were left unfastened. +
{ nallY the boats were all swung out an
some of them In the water when Their
was a fash of light on the comm
ship. Every man stood stock still