Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-02

ed and brought on board. The origin
of some of these superstitions 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
comparatively ordinary story into
weird and mysterious legend.
Very likely the seamans isolation
from outside influences, and the weeks
and months spent afloat with only his
mates for company, served to foster
supersttious notions in the days of
sailing vessels; while the general
| spread of knowledge works but slowly
| in these occult matters, concerning
which Jack is peculiarly unreasoning.
| 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 a voyage on Friday Ga
notion by no means confined to seafar-
| ing men), the low burning blue lights
which are ghost spirits lowering near
to give warning of approaching dis
aster and many other things, all Of
which
Fill the sailors mind with murmur-
ings,
And speak to him Of wrecks.
A story Is told of a brigantne which
numbered several extremely supersti-
tious men among her crew. One night
when there was no moon, and a slight
ground-swe was running, the watch,
who happened to be the most supersti-
tious of them all, heard an unearthly
wailng coming apparently from the
| very surface of the sea. The mate and
the helmsman also heard II, 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 hap
py, but he had to stick to the wheel.
| The watch wa ale with terror but
he kept silence owing to the mates
complimentary references to his cour-
age and abilities. Slowly the sound
| began to move along the ships side,
| becoming more and more agoniZed as
| 1t approached. This annoyed the mate,
and going to the side of the vessel he
| waited until he had located the sound,
and then emptied a bucket of water
over the rail. There was a gasp. anil
then dead silence, and nothing NOR"
was heard that night.
When the watch went off duty he.
of course, gave 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. a Tyne-sider, who dearly
| loved a joke, and had no respect at all
for hoary superstitions, had conspired
with his fellows to play trick on the
watch. On the night in question he
had crept over the bows without a
sound, carrying with him the ships
cat, secured in a bag. Crouching un-
der the stays, the joker let the cats
head out of the bag, which he tied
round the animals neck so that it could
not escape. He then applied his teeth
to the unfortunate animals tail! Ev-
erybody knows the fearsome sounds
an angry cat is capable of producing,
and those to which a cat whose tail
| Is being bitten gives vent are among
the most hair-raising. The sound
| was more or less regulated by squeez-
| ing the luckless beasts body. The
mates bucket of water was as un-
| welcome as unexpected, and caused
the Tyne slider to beat a hurried re-
treat.
Not only is the origin of many sea
superstitions "wrapt in mystery" but
also any logical explanation of cause
and effect. 1t would puzzle any one to
say why it should be unlucky for the
ships boy to whistle on the weather
bow, except that it is generally un-
pleasant from a music lovers point of
view for a boy to whistle on any bow
at all. Nor would it be easy to eX-
plain why a sneeZe to starboard pres
ages disaster, and why should the
squeaking of a pig at night be consid-
cred an evil omen? At the mere sight
of an overturned hatch, many sea-
man will declare that another ship has
Just gone to the bottom, and he VIII
say the same should the salt box, or
the Cracker barge" (anglice, biscuit
boX) be upset.
On one occasion superstition and
guilty conscience caused a practical
joke to have fatal consequences. The
incident arose through one of the sail
ors, a Norwegian, boxing the ears OF
the ships boy for the afore- mentioned
crime of whistling on the weather
bow Not unnaturally the boy was an
noyed, and determined to pay the Nor
wegian out. Aided by two other sail
ors, white shirt and some string, a
very presentable ghost" was arranged
in the foc'slc on the night the Morse
man was on watch. He was to be al
lowed only a glimpse of the spirit
on entering the foc'sle, and it was
| tnen 10 VANISH lIblll view, b'lIiS J'iN'N
by means of q string underneath the
bunk of one Of the jokers. Everything
was ready, and the three conspirators
lay in their hunks awaiting their vic
tim. Unfortunately they all fell asleep,
to be suddenly awakened by loud cry
from the Norwegian. He stood gazing
at the ghost" the dim light shed by
the lamp falling on his ghastly face.
The three were about to call out to
him when he spoke. mo, no" he cried.
Il did not mean to kill you, Morgan
Oh, mercy, mercy!"-and he rushed
madly from the focsle. Terrified, his
shipmates followed him, but as they
reached the deck they saw the Nor
wegian throw himself into the sea-
London Globe.