The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-04-24
DEMON SHIPS.
Vessels That Seemed to he Moved by
the Spirit of Destruction.

There is an old Cornish legend of
phantom ship which is seen in or on
Porthcurno harbor and which, unlike
most ghosts, has a terrifying habit OF
pursuing any vessel which it sights.
If it catches it's victim there is COL
lision, but no roar of inrushing 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 afterward to Sir Maurice
Fitzgerald. -
The Satanita was hard weather
craft, but let the breeze be the least
heavier than she liked and she would
be seized with what seemed more like
demonical 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 seri-
Gus accidents, the worst of which hap
pened at the Mudhook clubs regatta
in 1894 On that occasion she was
behaving in the most perfect fashion,
when suddenly and without the slight
est warning she flung all control, and.
just as race horse will some times
savage" an opponent, she dashed in
mad fury at Valkyrie II, and sank
her like stone Well was the Satan
ita 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,
Rosario, and Britomart entered Kju-
kiang harbor and dropped anchor in
single file. Presently steamer
which had been discharging her car
20 unanchored and began to steam
out.
She was just abreast of the war
ships when she suddenly made
straight for the Pique. The warship's
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 charsh-
ing 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 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 ordered
full speed ahead for the purpose of
Bleaching her.
Instead of making for the beach the
Poplar made a sudden rush in great
circle out into the river, smashing in
to everything she came across. Then,
as if filled with spirit Of revenge,
she made for the vessel which had so
terribly 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.--
Pearson's Weekly.
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