Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-27
AN OCEAN
MYSTERY
B. DOROTHY HALE

It was just before the Revolutionary
war that Abner Crashaw, q South Car
olinian. vas sitting on the veranda Of
his house near the mouth Of Charles
Ton harbor. on bis left the Atlantic
ocean. on his right the BAY. He was
watching a ship, with her sails set.
slowly making her way up the coast.
Presently he got up from his seat,
went Into the house and returned with
a spy glass. which be turned upon the
approaching vessel. After keeping the
glass fixed on 1t for awhile be lowered
1t and exclaimed:
.sWell. deciarer'
What surprised Mr.. Crashaw was
that the ship be saw coming had not
q single person on deck. not even Z
man at the wheel Calling for some
Of his negroes. he led them down to
the brink. where he found a yawl
Launching her. he got in at the stern
and directed them to pull him ont to
the ship. During the passage he kept
his eyes fixed on her. every moment
expecting some one to come up the
companion way on to the deck But
not sign of life appeared. and when
the boat was pulled up alongside on
her port bow there was no one to take
a rope. The yaWl was attached to the
boWsprit chains. and Mr Crashaw
climbed up unassisted on 70 the deck.
Walking aft be went down the COM
panIonway into the cabin. where he
found a table set for dinner. A joint
was on d platter at one end. fish at
the other and vegetables between, The
plates Indicated that no one had been
served. How long the viands had been
on the table there was nothing to
show. but they had been there long
enough to get cold.
Mr.. Crashaw looked through the
rooms. but found no one. In several
OF them there were ladies' apparel. IN
dicatlng women had been on board.
There were few articles Of clothing
In each room. and Crashaw searched
the pockets for some Indication as to
who they were and what ship they
sailed in. for II there had been any
name painted on the vessel It had dis
appeared. But there was not even 4
scrap Of paper to show who were the
persons who had deserted her. where
she was from or where she was bound
One stateroom was locked Kicking
in the door. be found on the door the
dead body of young woman. In her
hand was a vial In which small part
of the contents remained The infer
.ence was that she had poisoned her
self. What reason could she have had
for doing so except to escape some ca
lamity?
Returning to the deck. Crashaw ex-
arnined the lifeboats to see II there
w,ts name Of the ship on any OF
them. In these days names Of vessels
appear on everything belonging to
them, but that was very different
age. Ships were fewer and smaller,
and the distances travelled were there
fore far greater than today. Il IS not
therefore so remarkable that there was
nothing to Indicate what vessel this
one was. The log would have shown
it. but the log was not to be found.
Crashaw let down the sails and. get
ting out a hawser. attached one end to
the forecastle and making fast the
other to the stern Of bis yawl he
started for the mouth Of the harbor.
The progress made was slow. but the
distance was not great, and in due
time the deserted ship was anchored
just below Crashaw's dwelling.
As soon as 1t was known that ship
with mystery attached had been cap
tured visitors from Charleston and the
neighboring plantations came IN fIocks
to see her. Every one had theory as
to the mystery. but no theory fulfilled
the conditions. Those who had desert
ed her could not have done so on ac-
count Of storm for there was moth
ing broken. no lights stove in. and the
lifeboats were all In their places
OF the several hypothesis advanced
the most likely was that the ship had
entered harbor, all aboard had gone
ashore and she had been blown OF.
But In that case she would not have
been left entirely unguarded and. II 50,
surely not without the anchor having
been dropped. Another theory was
that she had been blown ashore and
the passengers had swum to land
with a rising tide she had fioated aft.
In either Of these two cases the yes
sci would have shown signs Of bad
weather. and in the latter It Is to be
supposed that at least one Of the boats
would have been taken and certain
buoyant articles would have been used
as fioaters..
What became Of the ship has not
been recorded. In these days Crashaw
would have turned her In and received
prize money. He may have done this,
as would be done today. Had it not
been for crime committed by an old
man In New York in stabbing to death
a comrade, both Of whom had been
sailors. the mystery would never have