Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-09
DEMON SHIPS.

Vessels That Seemed to Be Moved by
the Spirit of Destruction.
There is an old Cornish legend of a
phantom ship which is seen in or of
Porthcurno harbor and which. unlike
most ghosts, has a terrifying habit
of pursuing any vessel which 1T sights.
If it catches its victim there is a
collision, but no roar of tnrushing
water At the moment Of contact the
ghost ship vanishes into thin air, and
the puzzled crew Of the other vessel
rub their eyes in terrified amazement.
To any one who knows the legend
the vessel that saw the phantom ship
is, however, doomed. Before the next
New Years day she will be sunk in
collision with another vessel or a rock.
One wonders whether the original of
this phantom at all resembled that
notable and appropriately named yacht
Satanita. The Satanita was a fine and
very powerful cutter, which originally
belonged to Mr.. c. d. Clarke and after
ward to Sir Maurice Fitzgerald.
The Satanita was a hard weather
craft, but let the breeze be the least
heavier than she liked and she would
be seized with what seemed more like
demoniacal possession than anything
else, and even with four men hanging
on her helm she would sometimes take
charge and rush right up into the
wind.
She was the cause of several serious
accidents, the worst of which hap
pened at the Mudhook clubs regatta
in 1894 On that occasion she was be-
- 90 han,
suddenly and without the slightest
warning she flung all control, and, just
as race horse will sometimes savage"
an opponent. she dashed in a mad
fury at valkyrie II. and sank her like
stone. Well was the Satanita called
the demon" yacht.
But it is not only sailing ships that
act at times in a strange and unac-
countable fashion. Some years ago the
British warships Pique, Mutine, RO-
sario and Britomart entered Kiukiang
harbor- and dropped anchor in single
file. Presently a steamer which had
been discharging her cargo unan-
chored and began to steam out.
She was just abreast of the war
ships when she suddenly made
straight for the Pique. The war
ships officers and men saw the man
at the steamers wheel doing all he
knew to keep her off, but she fatty
refused to answer her helm and went
crashing into the Pique, smashing her
boats and davits.
After clearing her she went for the
Mutine. but luckily did not strike her
full However, she carried the Mu-
tines bowsprit clear away. Not yet
satisfied. she made rush at the Ro-
sario, but by superhuman efforts on
both ships the mad steamer was pre-
vented from doing more than Craze
the third warship.
Something of the same kind was
seen in the Thames a few years ago
when the British steamship Poplar.
turning to enter her dock. was struck
and cut down to the water line by the
French vessel Cordilleras. She at
once began to fill. and the captain or
dered full speed ahead for the purpose
of Bleaching her.
Instead of making for the beach the
Poplar made sudden rush in great
circle out into the river. smashing into
everything she came across. Then. as
If filled with spirit of revenge, she
made for the vessel which had so ter
ribly damaged her.
The CordilleraS tried in vain to get
out Of the way, but the Poplar smash
ed into her, damaging her so severely
that she, too. had to be beached.-
Parsons Weekly.