Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 146, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1910 — A GHOST AT SEA. [ARTICLE]

A GHOST AT SEA.

Tfc* riutom That Board** tho Bark Sea Flower. The following incident la recorded as a true short story by an English publication: The Sea Flower, a bark of some 450 tov3, was in the early hours of the 23d of June, 1864, bound for Bristol, England, under the command of the first mate, her captain, John Ellis, having been left behind at Kingston, Jamaica, suffering from “yellow jack.” It was about four bells in the middle watch (or 2 a. m.) when the mate, who was standing near the binnacle giving the helmsman his course, suddenly became aware of a ihysterious presence in the waist of the ship. At the same moment his companion clutched him by the arm, and, point-_ lng, shrieked, "D’ye see him, sir?" Before he could reply the mate became aware that the dark shadow he had just before observed had so far materialized that it bore the appearance of Captain Ellis. The figure of the captain advanced along the deck and disappeared slowly down the companion. Recovering himself, the mate left the helmsman and hurried down into the cabin, meeting. Just coming out of it, the second mate, who told him he had been awakened with a start after dreaming that the captain had come aboard and was calling him. Both men then made a complete search of the saloon and the other cabins, but, it Is needless to say, without result. Later it was found that Captain Ellis had died between 1 and 2 a. m. in the morning of June 23. The story got about, and the ship obtained a reputation for being haunted; consequently a difficulty was found in obtaining crews, and In the end it was renamed and sold to a foreign firm.