Evening journal., 1911-05-05
"PHANTOM SHIP"
HAUNTS CAPE HORN
Strange Spectre is in Reality
a Huge Rock off
the Coast
OTHER ROCK SHIP FOR
NATIONS IN PACIFIC OCEAN

Tho "nhanthom ship" seen in tho
,.;cinitv of Cape Horn is, as has been
,,roved by the investigation OF various
bvdrographic bureaus. nothing more
or less than rock which under GER
.a,n atmospheric conditions bears
Jaoantive - resemblance to a ship.
Verv often vessels coming from Eu-
- 70 tbe west by way Of Cape Horn
have been startled to see wnal o.
peared to be a derelict with the Wa va
Washing over her deck II tne SAM
were of an imaginative turn ny
,vould invest the unknown snip VIII VIII
shosrlv qualities and call her the r,s-
inc Dutchman or sometimes tue
"ahost ship" of lie Marie, from ene
strait of that name, where she was
one of the stories which have been
longest remembered is that OF the III
tated Crown Of Italy, which sighJeu
the supposed derelict and subsequent
~ vent ashore. The Grown Of Italy
was standing close to the Jagged
block rocks at the entrance TO the
strait of lie Marie when she sighted
what seemed to be a waterlogged Dark
drifting on the rocks of the strait
Nfanv other ships rounding the Horn
have seen a similar apparition, and
the various photographic offices OF the
world have received many reports 10
that effect.
some wears ago the Norwegian bark
Servia got into Seattle with the tale
of a phantom ship that almost exact
" corresponded to that given by the
Crown of Italy. The second othcer
of the Norwegian vessel declared that
he had seen a derelict with sails set
and decks awash drifting in through
the strait. It was this report that
led cur government officers to make
public the declaration that the
phantom ship was nothing but COM
bination of rocks and shadows.
Reports OF Derelicts.
The numerous reports OF derelicts
or ghost ships always appearing IN
the same place, led even the Argen-
tine government to look into the mat
ter A tender was sent out from the
nearby lighthouse with the object OF
making an investigation, and it was
found that the appariton was due to a
strange freak of nature. Among the
black Jagged rocks that line both
sides OF the strait of lie Maire, there
is one in particular which, under GER
tain atmospheric conditions, bears a
deceptive likeness to a ship. Tho
formation of the rocks and the
shadows they cast combine to produce
the effect of bark running under
short sail.
The passage through the strait Of
LeMaire is not often made. Steamers
shorten the route by going through
the strait of Magellan, while sailing
vessels usually perfer 10 be entirely
on the safe side by going still farther
south and rounding the Horn itself
Only under the most favorable condi-
tions of weather do they slip through
the strait of lie Marie on the out
ward trip, going toward the southwest
but never when bound for the north
For this reason. many old sailors have
never met the ghost ship or the rock
ship.
AGhOstly Rock.
Those who have seen it give mi
mute description of the rock and tes-
ifyo to its striking resemblance to a
ship It seems to be standing head
On pointing to the south and low in
he water. The sails are shortened as
hey would be in what sailors call
half a gale The whole formation is
very dark. as if.the hull were painted
black and the sails weather beaten
II has three masts and is higher Oh
the fore than on the main. Upon com
ing on the side of the vessel the H.