The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-30
salt SEA YARNS.
Signs and omens to Which the
Sailor Grimly Clings.
A JOKE THAT PROVED FATAL.

A JOKE THAT PROVED FATAL.
Superstition and Guilty Conscience
Proved Too Much For tho Morse
man "A Bucket of Water That
4 Stopped Mysterious Waiting.
1t Is we'll known fact that in this
past the sailor was among the most
superstitious of mortals. and even in
these enlightened days there are
goodly number Of old salts who cling
,tenaciously to their belief in certain
signs and portents. Some. no doubt.
of these superstitions have vanished
altogether into the limbo of forgot
ten things, but there will always be a
credulous few who will shake their
heads solemnly and prophesy dismally
Lift a knife is stuck In the mast or an
albatross or a stormy petrol is cap
tured and brought on board. The
origin of some of these superstitions
cannot be traced. Many of them have
l3DCCA ddnoCd NloWh liQH ~ SOu
7 for a great number of years. with
touch probably added here and there.
turning d comparatively ordinary sto-
| Try into weird and mysterious legend.
/ The Finn Is the most superstitious
of all sailors. There are many of this
| race who still believe in the ominous
Iportent of the phantom ship. the folly
iof starting voyage on Friday Ia no
tion by no means confined to seafaring
mem. :he low burning blue lights
which are ghost spirits lowering near
TO give warning of approaching disas-
ter and many other things. all Of
| which
Fill the sailors mind with murmurings
/ And speak to him OF wrecks.
i A story is told of a brigantine which
i numbered several extremely supersti-
ltious men among her crew. One night
| when there was DO moon and slight
ground swell was running the watch,
who happened to be the most super
stitious of them ALL heard an unearth-
ly wailing coming apparently from the
very surface of the sea. The mate and
the helmsman also heard it. but the
former lacked imagination, and, al
though he was certainly interested, he
NEARLY blew the watch's head off when
he ventured to suggest mermaids. The
helmsman did not feel quite happy, but
HE had to stick to the wheel. The
watch was pale with terror. but he
kept silence owing TO the mates com.
plimentary references to his courage
and abilities. Slowly the sound began
ito move along the ships side, becom
ing more and more agonized as it ap
preached. This annoyed the mate. and
ed until he had located the sound an6
then emptied bucket of water oyel
the rail. There was a gasp, then deat
silence. and nothing more was heart
that night
When the watch went off duty he o.
!. course gave a detailed and lurid &C
S count of the incident to his shipmates
. who listened, as he thought. in awet
7 silence and then called on one of thu
D audience for his version of the matter
t This man. a Tyne-sider, who dearl.
r loved joke and had no respect a
s all for hoary superstitions, bad con
t spired with his fellows to play tricl
S on the watch On the night in ques
: ton he had crept over the bows with
/, out sound. carrying with him TIL
q ships cat secured in bag. Crouch
It ing under the stays. the joker let TIL
e cats head out of the bag. which he tie
# round the animals neck so that
V could not escape. He then applied hi
A. teeth TO the unfortunate animals tai
an angry cnt is capable of producing
and those ~ which "A eat whose tail
J. being bitten gives vent are among th
i most hair raising. The sound wa
@ more or less regulated by squeezin
: the luckless beasts body The mate
r. bucket of water was as unwecome a
S unexpected and caused the Tyne-side
n to beat hurried retreat.
Not only is the origin of many Sc
V superstitiols "wropt in mystery" bu
# also any logical explanation of caus
and effect 1t would puzzle any one
h say why it should be unlucky for th
lie ships boy to whistle on the weathe
e bow. except that it is generally I'll
< pleasant from music lovers point {
f view for boy TO whistle on any bo'
at ALI
On one occasion superstition and
guilty conscience caused practic'
" Joke to have fatal consequences. TT
Is incident arose through one of the sal
IS ors. a Norwegian, boxing the ears {
81 the ships boy for the aforementione
s. crime of whistling on the weather boy
r Not unnaturally the boy was annoye
IS and determined to pay the Norwegia
u out Aided by two other sailors.
e white shirt and some string. vel
?. presentable ghost" was arranged
AZ the foc'se on the night the Norsems
= was on watch. He was 10 be allow'
only glimpse of the spirit on ente
Ing the foc'sle, and it was then TO va
- ish from view. being jerked by mea
Z Il l. ~, r. n