The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-08-31
SALT SEA YARNS.
Signs and 0mens to Which the
Sailor Grimly CIings.
A JOKE THAT PROVED FATAL.
Superstition and q Guilty Conscience
Proved Too Much For the Morse.
man A Bucket of Water That
Stopped q Mysterious Wsiina.

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
credulous few who Will shake their
heads solemnly and prophesy dismally
albatross or stormy petrol Is cap
tured and brought on board The
origin OF some of these superstitious
cannot be traced. Many of them have
been handed down from father to son
for great number of years, with
touch probably added here and there
turning a comparatively ordinary sto
ry into n 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
portent OF the phantom ship. the folly
of starting voyage on a Friday IA no
ton by no means confined to seafarlng
mem, the low burning blue lights
which are ghost spirits lowering near
to give warning Of approaching disas
ter and many other things. all Of
which
FIJI tho sailors mind with murmurings
And speak to him OF wrecks.
A story Is told Of brigantine which
numbered several extremely supersti-
ious men among her crew. One night
| when there was no 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 1t, 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
to move along the ships side, becom-
Ing more and more agonlzed as 1t APP
preached. This annoyed the mate, and.
going to the side of the vessel, he wait
ed until he had located the sound and
then emptied n bucket of water over
the rail. There was gasp, then dead
silence. and nothing more was heard
that night.
When the watch went Off duty he OF
course gave n detailed and lurid ac-
count Of the incident to his shipmates.
who listened. as he thought, in awed
silence and then called on one OF the
audience for his version Of the matter.
This man, Tyne-sider. who dearly
loved a Joke and had no respect at
all for hoary superstitions, had con
Espired with his fellows to play n trick
on the watch. On the night In ques-
4 ton he had crcpt over the bows with
EOut sound, carrying with him the
ships cat secured in a bag. Crouch
ing under the stays, the Joker let the
cats head out of the bag. which he tied
round tho animals neck so that II
could not escape. He then applied his
lteeth to the unfortunate animals tail
Every body knows the feursome sounds
an angry cat is capable OF producing.
and those to which IA cat whose tail Is
being bitten gives vent are among the
most hair raising. The sound was
more or less regulated by squeezing
the luckless beasts body. The mate =
bucket OF water was ms unwelcome as
unexpected and caused the Tyne slider
to beat hurried retreat.
Net only is the origin of many sea
superstitions "wropt in mystery" but
also any logical explanation Of cause
say why 1t SHOULD be unlucky for the
Ships boy to whistle ON the weather
bow. except tsat 1t is generally un
pleasant from music lovers point OF
view for n boy 10 whistle on any bow
at all.
On one occasion superstition and a
guilty coincidence caused "A practical
Joke to have fatal consequences. The
incident aroae through one OF the sail
ors. a Norwegian. baking the ears of
the ships boy for the aforementioned
crime OF whstIing on the weather bow.
Not unnaturaily the boy was annoyed
and determined TO pay the Norwegian
out. Aided by two other sailors, a
white shirt and some string. very
presentable ghost" was arranged III
the fOc'sle on the night the NOrseman
was on watch. He was TO be allowed
only glimpse OF the spirit on enter
Ing the foe sle, and 1t was then to van
lsh from view, being jerked by means
Of string underneath the bunk Of one
of the jokers. Everything was ready.
and the three cOnspirators lay In their
hunks awaiting their victim. Unfor
tunately they all fell asleep, to be sud
denly awakened by loud cry from
the Norwegian. He stood gazing at
the ghost" the dim light shed by the
lamp falling on his CHASTITY face. The
three were about TO call out to him
when he spoke. mo. no." he cried. 81
did not mean to kill you, Morgan! oh.
mercy, mercy" And he rushed madly
from the foc'sle Terrified. his ship
mates followed him. but as they reach
ed the deck they saw the Norwegian
throw himself into the sea.-London
Globe.