The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-11-29

Superstition has it that the appearance of the
phantom ship leads to certain and swift misfor.
tune.
Old sailors will tell of the ship of the Flying
Dutchman bowling along in the very teeth OF
the wind, and OF her overtaking their own ship
which was beating to windward. Some OF them
say they have seen her sail clean through their
ship, the swirIing films Of her sails and rigging
leaving a cold clamny feeling like, the touch OF
death.
Cornwall in the old days was remarkable for
its wreckers, and its rock-bound coast was the
scene Of many evil deeds. The Priests Cove
wrecker during his evil life lured many vessels
to their doom upon the cruel shore by means OF
a false light hung round the neck Of a hobbled
horse. To this day the good Cornish folk will
tell you Of the phantom of the wrecker seen when
the winds howl and the seas rage high. carried
clinging to a log Of wood upon the crests Of the
breaking seas, and how it is sent crashing upon
the rocks, where In the seething foam it disap-
pears from sight.
The wide stretching Standardized estuary Of
the Solway has many a ghost story and more
than one phantom ship.
The Spectral Shallop" is the ghost Of a ferry
boat which was wrecked by a rival ferryman while
carrying a bridal party across the bay. The
ghostly boat is rowed by the skeleton of the
cruel ferryman, and such ships as are so I'm.
lucky as to encounter this CHASTITY pilot are
usually doomed to be wrecked upon the sands.
No money would tempt the So1way fishermen
to go ont to meet the two Danish sea-rovers
whose ships, upon clear nights, are seen gliding
up one of the narrow channels which thread the
dried-out sands. the high-curved prows and rows
Of shields along the gunwale ~glittering in the
moonlight. These two ~piratical ships, it seems,
ran into the Solway and dropped anchor there,
when a sudden furious storm came up and the
ships, which were heavily laden with plumber,
sank at their moorings with all the villains
which composed their crews.
Among the rocks upon the rugged coast OF
Kerry was found one winter morning. early in
the eighteenth century. a large galleon, mastless
and deserted. The Kerry wreckers crowded
aboard, and wild was their joy. for the ship was
laden with ingots of silver from the Spanish
Main. They gradually filled their boats until the
gunwales were almost down to the waters edge.
and hastily they pulled to the shore in order that
they might return for further ingots before the
tide rose and fioated the ship away. Nearing the
shore a huge tidal wave broke over boats and
ship. and when the wave had passed, the horri.
fed women watching on shore saw no sign re.
naming Of boats, men or ship.
Wild horses would not get a Kerry fisherman
to visit the scene Of this disaster upon the ami.
versary Of the day the grim tragedy took place,
for only bad luck has come to those who have
seen the re-enactment Of the affair, which Kerry
folk believe takes place upon that day.
The Newhaven ghost ship signifed her own
doom. A ship built at Newhaven in January,
1647. having sailed away upon her maiden voy.
age. was thought to have been lost at sea. when
one evening in June. during a furious thunder.
storm. the weilknown skip was sighted sailing
into tho river mouth-but straight into the eye
OF the Windmill she neared the town. when
slowly she faded from the sight OF the people
who crowded on shore to watch her. The ap