The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-16
PHANTOM SHIPS OF THE SEA.
Many Strange and Weird Tales of
Ghost Vessels Sighted by Sailors.
CID

\AVINOU SiOUC.J
Almost every village or hamlet has
its haunted house or lane, duly regard
ed with varying degrees of awe by the
inhabitants. Owing to some unac-
counta cause or hereditary gossip.
the belief in ''spooks" has been Gre
I readily in the minds of many
!andsmen. and it would be surprising
II among sailor men and fisher folk,
whose great superstition is ~proverbial.
Il similar amount of legendary narra-
tive connected with their calling did
not exist. A little research proves this
10 De SO. and that the sea also possess
es It's quota OF uncanniness. but which.
with one notable exception, is seldom
heard OF: This. of course. is the ia
nous .tlying Dutchman" or phantom
snip OF Eanderdecken. How the story
originated Is doubtful. but it has been
aseertained that there was a seaman
o. epute who many years ago sailed
from Holland to the east. but was
never heard of again. Some say that.
meeting with contrary winds off he
cape OF Good Hope. he swore a terri
9ie oath. In consequence Of which the
aiflne wrath decreed that he should
be occupied till the day of doom in en-.
d~eavoring to weather the headland.
In January. ls47. a vessel left New
haven. Conn.,. on its maiden VOYAGE.
put was never heard Of again. In the
following June. just before sunset,
n after a severe thunderstorm, the
missing snip wae seen sailing up the
river. The inhabitants We're overjoy-
ed at its returh,'but the most obser-
van noticed something uncanny about
IT.. especially in that it appeared to be
sailing up against the wind. Then. to
the CONSERVATION of all. it gradually
faded away before their eyes and dis
appeared. Longfellow has marked
the occurrence In poetry:
On came. With a cloud of canvas.
Right against the wind that blew:
Until the eye could distinguish
The faces of the crew.
And the masts, with all their rigging.
Fell slowly one by one.
And the hulk dilaaed and vanished
AS a sea,midst n the sun. !
There were MANY who maintained
that the vessel in spirit paid u last visit
to its port before resting for good ON
the ocean bed. -
In the Chronicles of the st. Law
renee by LIE Maine. it is recorded
that on a certain day in the year u
phantom ship is seen off Cape d'Es-
poir, in Gospel Bay. Lights are seen
men. BY the foot of the bowsprit,
a man Is standing and facing toward
the shore, with a Oma clinging to
his arm. Gradually the lights go out
and the vessel sinks. 1t is said to be
the ghost Of the flagship OF a fleet
which was ser out to reduce the
French forts. the vessel being lost with
all hands.
There are instances re-
lated in local history of the visitations
at ghostly vessels. the west Of England
being most prolific in these records.
Cornwall boasts Of a goblin ship prob
ably unique the world over. as it sails
not only the water. but proceeds most
u~nconcerned some good distance in
land. This is the specter ship Of
Porthcurno. and is Robert Hunts
book on "Romanccs of the West Of
England" is related the experiences
of a local inhabitant who witnessed
n Of its escapades. No crew is aver
seem; presumably 1t Is down below.
The narrative goes on to say: ION
came the craft. It passed steadily
through the breakers, glided up over
the sands. steadily pursued its course
on the dry land as II 1t had been wa
ter. On 1t went to Bodelan. where st.
Leven formerly dwelt. It then steer
ed it's course to Chywiden. and there
vanished like smoke.