Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 247, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1913 — SIRENS OF THE SEA [ARTICLE]

SIRENS OF THE SEA

Those of Present Day Haunt Ships instead of Cliffs. Modern Enchantresses Live in Small Staterooms Aboard Palatial Liners That Ply Between Port of New York and Foreign Shores. New York. —Those ancient entanglers of men who in the Morerlc mythology used their blandishments over mariners, have their successors today for those who travel by the sea. The sirens of ancient days—Parthenope, Ligea and Leucosia and the rest of their class —lived in cliffs and eaves of islands between Sicily and Italy. Their successor of today travel first (‘lass In sumptuous ocean hotels. They have discarded their, wings and halfbird and half-fish costumes for Paris creations, with headgear from Fifth avenue and the Rue de Ja Paix. Long since the double flute of the marine sorceresses of Homer Has been exchanged for a lorgnette, a fan or a Cigarette. The presence of the modern siren on the great ships of today is not known to the general and nonobserva».t traveler. But two classes know of her existence very well —her victims and the “gangplank” detectives. There is and has been for two generations along the North river water front a regularly organized staff of ulouths and plain clothes men who are independent of the uniformed police and headquarters plain clothes men. The business has been transmitted from father to son. The names of these marine- detectives seldom appear in print, but they are very important people nevertlie less, for they watch the passengers on ocean vessels and separate xlie sheep from the goats. These quiet, unobtrusive men, who look like steamship men or managers of passenger traffic, glue their eyes upon every traveler passing up or down a gangplank, embarking this week and returning weeks hence. On the deck of the vessel within or without the three-mile limit violations of conventions or noncompliance with laws which obtain on land are difficult of detection. The twentieth century siren, from a liking for the sea, chooses a swell soite on a liner In preference to the DO longer poetic and now unprofitable habitation of Circe lying along the course from the country of the Cyclops. Instead of picking the bones of mariners, over whom they formerly exercised their powers, strewing their skeletons thickly around their dwellings, they now dine In the floating restaurants of international name and pick the bones of pheasants and ptarmigans Instead. They drink rare vintages, while the old style siren was presumably content with water. Over her and her movements the pier sleuth watches. What his pocketbook, containing every known detail of offensive and defensive armor of every warship in the world is to the naval officer, so his little book is to the pier sleuth; for, as Koko says, the detective whispers of the siren, “I’ve got her on my list"