Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-02-11
SHIPS OF MYSTERY
Record Of the "FIying Dutchman'
Other Haunted Vessels.
AscertaIned That There Was a Sea
. man Of Repute Named Wander
decken, Who Sailed From
Holland to the East Many
Years Ago.


Il would be surprising II among sail
ormen and flsherfolk, whose supersti
tion Is proverbial. a large amount OF
legendary narrative connected with
their calling did not exist A little
fesearch proves that this is so and
that the sea possesses its quota OF
uncanniness. but which. with one not.
able exception. is seldom heard of.
This OF course is the famous Ely.
ing Dutchman" or phantom ship OF
Vanderdecken. How the story orig.
mated is doubtful. but 1t has been as
certained that there was a seaman of
repute who many years ago sailed
from Holland to the east via the Cape
of Good Hope but was never again
heard Of.
Some authorities say that, meeting
with contrary winds off the cape. he
'swore a terrible oath, in consequence
Of which the Divine wrath decreed
ths' he should be occupied till the
crack Of doom in endeavoring to
Weather the headland. Others state
that this punishment was melted out
to him in retribution for a terrible
murder he committed before COM
mencing his fatefuI voyage
v Whatever the cause OF this ancient
gentleman's monotonous wandering
may be, it is probably in connection
with him, says the London Globe, that
the most authentic and cold-blooded
record of any phantom exists either
afioat or ashore, for II is stated that
in the log of H. M. s. Bacchante, while
on a voyage round the world with the
little princes in 1881, there appears
on July IL the entry: Flying Dutch
man crossed our bows" The log book
of one of the then largest of her Maj
esty's warships is certainly the last
place to expect to find that which is
generally associated with the hysteri-
cal Of either sex.
In the Chronicles, Of the St Law
renee" by lie Maine It Is recorded that
on certain day in the year a phan-
tom ship is seen off Cap d'Eshoir In
Gaspe Bay. Lights are seen aboard
of her and her decks are crowded with
men. BY the foot of the bowsprit
man Is conspicuously standing and
facing toward the shore, with a lady
clinging to his arm. Gradually the
lights go out and the vessel sinks. 1t
is said to be the ghost of the flagship
of fleet which was sent out to re-
duce the French forts. the vessel be-
iSg lost with all hands. There is also
kted among the lumbermen of the
0,khe great river of an antique caravel
which sails up the Cadolia Falls,
where no other vessel dare or could
follow
2 To come to our native waters, there
are numerous instances related in, To-
cal history OF the visitations of ghost
ly vessels, the west of England as
might be expected, being most prolific
In these records Indeed, Cornwall
boasts of a goblin ship probably
unique the world over. as she not only
sails the water but proceeds most
unconcerned by some good distance
inland.
This is the specter ship of Forth
curno, and in Robert Hunts book is
related the experience of a local in
habitant who witnessed one of her
escapades. She is described as a black
square rugged single masted vessel,
sometimes towing a small boat. No
crew is ever seen; presumably they
are down below.
The personal narrative says: On
came the craft. It passed steadily
through the breakers, glided on over
the sands. steadily pursued it's course
on the dry land as if it had been wa
ter On 1t went to Bodelan, where st.
!, l,even formerly dwelt 1t then steered
Us course to Chygwiden. and there
sAnished like smoke"
Bottrell also tells that in another
Cornish bay during an incoming fog
the noise of falling spars, guns firing
and so forth is heard as If an action
were in progress.
Many instances can be given of how
ships themselves are said to be haunt
ed. especially when a murder has oc-
Cured on board And of the West
Indies grewsome stories are told OF
the restless spirits Of the ancient pr
rates, who presumably are too wicked |
to leave this sphere, but visit their
old quarters and provide any unfor-
tunate shipwrecked seaman with a
fund of horrors, which he eventually
relates to gaping audience Of broth
er salts