The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-01-16

I'll II GOuiS INTO POI L liplil LtlE-t
long voyages that these
tales are usually forthcoming The
bark Annie NJ Reid OF New York is
the last vessel TO bring in d tale Of
mystery.
We were standing by the mizzen
topsai halIiards when the shack1e
broke and the yards crashed down,
said the sailor who told the story.
We came up into the wind and
hove TO. and il was at that moment
that We saw the strange trader-at
least We thought it vas a trader prob
aoiy to the Western islands, off which
we we're. We signaled for help, for
we did not know now We were coming
out OF the sQuall The strange steam
ship-a tramp We took her to be
was not more than an eighth or a
mile away. but she made no reply
whatever and kept right on her
course. If there had been anybody
alive on the tramp he certainly would
Have seen us, as there was no fog to
Interfere. There are only two things
10 think Of. either every soul on board
was dead Or we had seen one of those
phantom ships they tell about. II
couldn't have been a warning OF
death. however, for we came out of it
all right"
4 ship that sails by in the moon
hight and does not answer when spok
ar nor show any light or sign of life
IN board is an even stranger appari-
ton or the deep than those many
phantom vessels which have loomed
upon the sight Of sailor men from out
che fog or darkness. The crew of
the Hengist, out Of Liverpool, Captain
Thearston of Liverpool in command.
once saw such a specter. Capt. j G..
Norton, who was first officer OF the
bark Hengist. wheIl the phantom ship
passed her by. tells the story OF the
weird vision:
1T was in the Indian ocean that
we saw her-the strange ship that I
have never forgotten" said Captain
Norton. I'VE were out OF Calcutta,
bound for New York, and although
there was a haze the moon shone and
7he haze was SO light that we could
SEQ perfectly well across the water
The haze was Just enough to make a
nice. pretty siiverg veil that made
everything look sort Of mysterious
and interesting without closing US in
"a all.
There were no lights on the vessel
and We couldn't see soul on board.
We spoke to her. but she didn't an
-swer. She passed right under our
rstern about biscuits toss away. and
i've thought she was going TO foul US.
SHE was so near that we could feel
the wind OF her sails as she passed
Dpt not Sign did she make to all
our signaling-iust sailed away into
The hazy moonlight. Next day we
had a terrible gale. one OF the worst
9hat | remember while | was at sea
and everybody thought the phantom
ship had come to give warning. Why
rye should have been favored I don't
know; but. OF course, there is always
ia reason why those ships are seen by
one vessel and not by others Some.
times they mean harm for every body
ION board. and sometimes they come
simply to give a friendly warning
There was one man on board who
believed that our phantom ship came
ito warn us Of the gale because her
captain had been a friend of our own
ieaptain. and when his chip went down
with all on board he continued to
haunt the sea. Naturally, as he felt
friendly. he would show himself or
his ship before a Storm. I can't say
II h1If oil hoT
know was that the phantom ship did
come just as I've described ii"
One of the most thrilling tales O.
the fateful appearance OF phantom
ships is told by retired first mate,
who In his youth sailed under Capt
John Stebbins on the steel tramp Ma
lrietta, bound from Madeira to Brazil.
Captain Stebbins was blur, di-
lrect. matter-of-fact person" said the
mate, and he had little tolerance for
what he declared was merely super
stition, so the crew were not apt to
speak over loud Of their supernatural
experiences. That they had them.
however was sure enough. and as |
was a bit more approachabIe than
most men in my position, they were
very wont to tell their stories to me.
There was one fellow among them
named Gould, whom I could not help
watching because of the strained and
almost hunted look on his face. I
made friends with him on purpose to
iget at the reason for his queer look
and one day when l caught him white
land shuddering on the forward deck
II got it ont OF him.
1T seemed that a couple OF years
before he had been on the bridge OF
IA passenger vessel running between
livingston and New York when they
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