The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-11-06
TIMELY MESSAGE
OF WARNING
ShipWreck Ayerted by a
Startling Dream.

This is an age of rationalism. Every
day we are more inclined to condemn
superstition and certain frauds by
which 1t is supported. But while we
are losing faith in the miraculous there
is a growing disposition to explain
wonders scientifically.
am especially subject to thought
transference, and so is my wife. When
together a thought no sooner enters
the head of one Of us than the other
gives expression to 1t. ! am scien-
tific man and expect the time to come
when one will be able to detect the
subtle cause Of this communication.
Some years ago went as scientist
on an exploring expedition. We were
obliged to enter into an ocean that was
then comparatively unknown. Our
maps were the best that could be OBJ
tanned, but had not received the same
attention as other districts. Besides,
commissions beneath the sea are con-
stantly occurring to change the condi-
lions.
We were sailing northward within
a hundred miles Of a coast running
northeast and southwest 1t was near
midnight 1 was sound asleep in my
BERTH Suddenly / awoke. What &C.
CURED during this awakening I am
not going to attempt to explain except
negatively. 1t was not dream. 1t
was not vision. heard nothing. I
saw nothing. 1t was rather a con-
seriousness. In that infinitesimal bit
of time, during which I passed from
a sound sleep to wide awake cOndi-
ton. my wife, who was several thou
sand miles distant from me, was ges-
ticulating wildly, convulsed with ter
ror. pointing and crying, Keep OFF,
AS have said, received this as
brain impression. The moment I was
awake 1t was gone. There were the
usual roll Of the ship and creaking Of
timbers, and l looked out Of the port
hole. The night was starlight, and
there was but fair wind. Neyerthe-
less what had occurred had impressed
me thoroughly with sense of danger.
I arose, put on my clothes and went
on deck. The officer in charge. John
Jacobson, was pacing the after deck.
There was no land in sight, nothing
but broad expanse of ocean.
"What is it?" asked the officer as l
Joined him.
"Why do you ask the question:
"Why? You wouldn't be coming up
here at this time of night for nothing.
Besides, you look as If you'd seen a
ghost"
"John," replied. Twill you do some
thing for me without reason?'
"What is it?"
"That's shoreward out there, isn't
it?" pointed westward.
eyes"
"Put her Off to northwest"
"Good Lord! What for?"
"It was to be without reason" I
said.
"What will the old man do to me?'
"I'll take the responsibility. Come,
be quick! There's danger aheadv'
He seemed to catch an inkling Of
my fear from me anu gave the neces-
sary orders. AS the ship went about
to her new course l walked to the
port gunwale and looked over.
"Come here. quickw / called to the
officer.
He came and looked over the side
with me.
whats that?" / asked.
81 see nothing" he replied
"Not that whitish line out there?"
He continued to peer, and suddenly
cried under his breath, Great heav-
ensP' then gave the order to the helms
man to sheer off to starboard. He saw,
as l did, a thin white line. 1t could
only be foam and could only come
from submerged rocks. 1t ran north
and south, broken here and there by
the dark water to reappear farther on.
We got only glimpse Of it, for our
change of course served to take us
away from it. For time we both
stood with bated breath, every mo-
ment expecting a shock OF to hear the
hold beneath us grating on a reef.
Then went below and called the cap
tain.
We saw no more evidences of the
sunken reef, but on reaching the next
port learned that it had been recently
discovered by others. Its appearance
dated from the last earthquake on the
coast.
I made note of the day, hour and
minute, as near as the latter was pos
sible, that my warning came to me,
and when some months later return
ed to my wife I told her my story.
Without waiting to hear me through
she interrupted to tell me that while
was away she had dreamed she saw
our ship sailing toward a sunken reef.
She tried to warn us off, but could not
do so. Her terror awoke her. She
looked up the date and found 1t Tailed
with my memorandum.
A reference of my warning to scien-
tific causes may be weakened by its
dependence on dream. Dreams are
now believed to be eimply mental ac-