The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-04-23
MYSTERIES OF SEA HOLES IN THE HEAD
Ships and Passengers That Are
Lost Forever.
Their Uncanny Disappearance Fur
nishes BaffIing Puzzles Which Can
not Be Determined by Man.
Only Vague Theories.

SHiy F150I 'nEOEiSSs
If the ocean has its mysteries, so
has the ship that rides it. and which
furnishes the more battling puzzles
would be difficult to determine.
Ships leave ports and are never seen
nor heard of again, and-in some re-
spects more inexplicable still-pas-
sengers board vessels and suddenly
forever vanish from human ken.
The strange disappearance of Doctor
Diesel, the famous inventor, is a case
in point which must be fresh in every
body's mind
One day short time ago, it will be
remembered, Doctor Diesel left Ant
werp on board one of the Great East
ern Railway company's steamers For
Harwiah, whence he proposed hurry
ing to London to keep an important
business engagement. On board the
steamer the doctor appeared to be in
the best of health and spirits and at
ten o'clock p. N. retired to his cabin
for the night.
Next morning he was nowhere to be
found, and the mystery of his disap
pearance remains still unsolved
Again, not many months ago the
steamship Baldor, on arrival in the
Firth of Forth from Gothenburg, had a
queer story to unfold through the
mouth of her skipper.
1t concerned the uncanny disappear
ance of a second-class lady passenger.
The last seen of her was late at night,
when one of the stewardesses noticed
her pacing the deck. The vessel was
then in the North sea.
Afterward the passengers berth was
found to be unoccupied, and, not only
the lady, but her baggage, consisting
of a bag, had vanished. Where and
how no one knows.
Could anything be more battling than
the following? 1t occurred on board a
steamer between Leith and Orkney.
Among the passengers were two Sis
tiers, who were travelling to attend the
funeral of a third sister
When off Bell lighthouse one Of the
women retired to her bunk, the other,
as the night was fine, preferring to re-
main a little longer on deck. That
was the last seen of her.
Another amazing incident was that
reported by the captain of Dutch
steamer, the Van MORT, on his ar
rival at Singapore The parties imme-
diately concerned were three sisters
of German nationality who were pas
sengers aboard, and had been touring
in Java
After having spent the evening on
deck, chatting and reading, they were
seen one night going to their cabin
about ten o'clock Next morning the
attendant could get no answer to his
knocks at the cabin door, and, on, an
entry being made, the room was found
empty.
On the table was a note addressed
to the captain, which briefly stated
that he was to have their luggage, and
on desk was bottle containing a
few drops of chloroform. From this it
was conjectured that the three sisters
had each taken chloroform, and then
climbed through the portfolio into the
sea!
AS a final example may be men
toned the case of vivacious young
woman who disappeared from a
steamer while crossing from Belfast
to Fleetwood.
At II o'clock p. m. the young woman
was seen by the stewardess, whom
she asked to bring her cup of tea at
seven o'clock next morning, as she
wished to catch an early train to Man
chester At the hour named the
stewardess took in the tea as desired
but was amazed to find the cabin
empty.
1t was surmised the girl had fallen
overheard while walking in her sleep,
or climbed through the portfolio into
the sea-two theories which had not
much of the element of probability to
recommend them.