Detroit evening times., 1941-09-21
Old Man Sea
Claims NJ Maine;S
Ghost Ship


small schooner had rested on the muddy bottom for the
y past 25 years. The the Lotte
Paradis was known the Dead Ship.
Children gave the old craft wide berth for she
said to be haunted by the ghosts Of her dead Even
curious adults seldom visited her for she in truth
eerie wreck. But she has vanished completely
recent stiff gale wrenched her the buried
her somewhere in the briny deep
Only last Fall Nehemiah Perkins survivor of the
Parads last all of whom through particularly
Ehostty experience, passed He like those of the
who went before him. unwaverngy to the truth OF
the weird events that marked the career of the little
Her first skipper Alonzo Trecartin. The
of the Paradis put him in command because he a
skilled navigator He drank gambled but al
ways made quick trips earned money
for her He had obsesson He that
some day the Devil would get him He would not say
how when where.
One day the schooner, returning to Jonesport from
New York scuddng along with fine southerly
breeze She 30 to 40 miles offshore and about
line with Cape Elizabeth when suddenly from nowhere
coal black swooped down and aighted the main
boom Trecartin, who was at the wheel screamed:
Look! Look! Look See p" he moaned pointing
at the bird of i'll It's the Devil He's after
me"
The men saw nothing but the crow and they walked
toward it, But when they turned TO their ter
rned skipper he had vanished They searched the ship
from stem to stern They brought the Paradis up the
wind and with her hemsman keeping her sail fapping
they lowered boat and hunted all the
Baffed they came back just in time to hear raucous
cav cav cav! ahd to the fly away straight
TO That, they all declared. later was of
Trecartin When they brought the schooner
port and told their story nobody believed
searching inquiry and attempt show that Trecartin
had been murdered thrown couldn't
be proved The three members stuck their story
the cleverest cross examination could not make them
change 1t. Eventually the matter dropped
Later on stormy winter night with another captain
and her from Portland to Boston the Paradis
piled up desolate rocky cape York cliffs The
captain and Of three lost their lives the
rble they struggled reach shore
Paradis lay her beam such position that
she pounded very little
When discovered that she was not damaged
beyond repair some bought her for a song had her
towed to Portsmouth where and cracked
tmbers patched up Then she put 10 again
ownership But she hadn't left hoodoo behind
one inky night she running from Boston TO Port
land AS she about the same cape that
had wrecked her and killed her crew
strange thing happened The lookout the bow
straning his eyes pierce the murR ahead Suddenly
with eere prckng of the scalp he strange pres
there the deck beside him Turning horror
he recognized the sailors that had when
the Paradis was driven ashore that previous fatefu
voyage
Screaming he started to run art whom he met the
hemsman racing toward HIM. This man pointed behind
him the wheel there holding the spokcs was an
other member Of the dead The two frightened
seurued 10 The forccastc and ohattcung
two shipmates They were boood FIRST but finally
unbee'ers came out on deck TO see for themselves They
did 20 far
There at the wheel they saw The dead man helnlsraan
alternately gazing al the bnnaCle before him and
the swell Of the nainsai overhead Back forth
him paced the dead mate there about
the deck other host-ke figures other two
members Of the dead
For nearly half hour the Paradis tackled back
and forth around the cape the dead stcered and
hauled ropes and once made "a sound while the
living sailors huddled up forward Then safely
around the cape the appauous stepped the and
the living crew fearfuly resumed the handling of the
schooner
They headed for Portsmouth the nearest port once
a. the wharf they piled leaving their
personal luggage lthcIl Il ~ p haunted
Paradis For months che ship the Dead lay there
cause crew would or any amount
N money
Finally 20 Wharfage hcr owners had 'oyyed
20 the little where She s fnr yeafs slowly rotting
until the recent storm finished her