Newspapers / Carteret County News-Times (Morehead … / Nov. 25, 1958, edition 1 / Page 11
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Crew Murders Passengers, Fiery Ghost Ship Still Sails (The following legend of North Caroliaa mi ml kj Hiss Ethel Whitrhurst, Beaafort. at the meeting at the CMBty Hiatorleal Asso ciation at Beanfort Oct 25). Thia legend appeared in a magazine published in Charleston in 1802. Suggestion for it came from the history of the Palatines, German Protestants who fled to England in the 18th een tury. By 1709, 13,000 of these had settled in England and become a social problem. Queen Anne agreed with the gov-' eminent upon a colonization scheme proposed by the Baron Christoph Von Graffenried, where by, among other things. Von Graf fenried was to transport 100 Pala tine families to the Ncuse-Trent area of North Carolina. In January 1710, the Palatines left England. "After a disastrous and stormy voyage of 13 weeks, during which about one-half of the settlers died, the transports reached Virginia, and as they en tered the James River a French privateer plundered one of the ves sels and deprived the passengers of everything they had. The group, greatly reduced in numbers, finally reached the Chowan River, where Thomas Pol lock provided them with certain necessities' and furnished ships to transport them to their ultimate destination." Thus the Palatines were the first settlers of New Bern. The story reads: "There is a tradition of the North Carolina shores, which we have at present in a crude state, but which, in the hands of some of our romancers, may be wrought into a most beau tiful fiction. It has a subject of even recent assertion, certified by the sworn testimonies of credible persons, that, annually, at a cer tain period in every year, a lum inous object, having the exact ap pearance of a ship on fire, appears upon the coast. "Seeming to burn furiously, it yet speeds along, undiminished in fiery bulk and volume, ? sailing with incredible rapidity until out of sight, but again suddenly re appearing at the original point, and pursuing the same identical route? and in this progress, to and fro, it continues throughout that particular night of the year which is appropriate to its exhibition." This singular spectacle is ac counted for by the following story: The burning ship goes by the' name of the "Ship of the Pala tines." The tradition is that same time in the reign of the first George, a small company of that class of emigrants who were known as German Palatines, were provided with a ship in London, at the public expense, that they might be transported to this coun try. It is well known that this sort of assistance was frequently ren dered to a class of people who in most cases were exceedingly poor. For Fresh DRESSED READY TO COOK Visit MEADOWS Seafood Market Phone PA 6-4185 513 Etui St. Morehewi City Free Delivery At 10 A.M. and 3 P.M. It so happened, however, that the Palatinei in question were in ra ther better circumstances than was commonly the case with their countrymen. They had money, but, with a ?mall cunning, they affected a de gree of poverty, without the no toriety of which, the help of gov ernment?not to speak of private charities? would have been with held. They had accumulated gold, ves sels of silver, goods of various kinds and value? their whole stock which had been parsimoniously preserved, and carefully concealed, with all the art of a small and selfish community. Their treasures occupied but little space, and were cautiously put from sight in the mass of their inferior baggage. In this condition of things, they went aboard the vessel which had been provided for them, and soon after put out to sea. The voyage was a protracted one, in a half rotten bark, and with head winds a great part of the time. Wearied out with con finement, and sickened with a sort of travel to which they were un accustomed, the poor Palatines heartily rejoiced when they at length saw land. They made the coast of North Carolina late in the day, and see ing the shore so nigh the poor creatures, half mad with jojr, be gan to hoist their baggage in readi ness for the promised landing. But they were destined to be disap pointed. In the excitement of the occasion and moment, they forgot their prudence, and either an ex hibition of their wealth, or some words escaped them which led the captain of their vessel to suspect their possession of it. His greedy eye had beheld their treasures, or his greedy ears had heard their foolish boast oi pos sessions which they hid never made public in England. ' Tfie discovery awakened the devil . in his heart. He gave the sign to the mate; perhaps inti mated his object to the seamen generally. In those days the pro fession of piracy was not M odious as it is in ours. Successful piracy, indeed, was rather an honorable buiiness; and he who practiced it with most pro fit was likely to acquire from it most honor. It was only discredit able, like any other ipeculation, when unprofitable. At all events, the captain, deter mined upon possessing himself of the wealth of the poor emigrants, contrived to baffle their purpose of landing upon the shores which seemed to them so trigh and In viting. It was not difficult for him *0 to manage his vessel, as to con vince them that landing was im possible until the ensuing day. The hope deferred which maketh the heart grew sick, drove the greater part of them to their hammocks. Their baggage, with the unhappily exposed wealth, was again re stored to the interior of the ship. But a few young men sat upM the deck, watching the faint lines of the land, until swallowed up la darkness; even then, with eyes straining in the direction of the shore for which they yearned, con versing together, in their own lan guage, in hope and confident ex pectation of their future fortunes. While thus employed, the captain and his crew, in another part of the vessel, were concocting their $2oo pint te IE SERVE OiLJLfflttafty *9+ ??>?? $3.20 *JL gum 86 proof ;.uimn n mi* fearful scheme of villainy. The hour grew late, the nifht deep eaed; the few Germans who re mained on deck, stretched them selves out where they were, and were soon composed in slumber. While thus? under the peaceful cope and canopy of heaven? in a slumber which the solemn star light, looking down upon them| seemed to hallow, the merciless murderers, with cautious footsteps and hared weapons, sat upon them. The cabin door of the vessel had been fastened? the entrance closed t? the hold. Each seaman stood by his vic tim, and at a signal they all struck together. There was no chance given for struggle? the murderers had planned their crime with con summate deliberation and skill. A spasmodic throe of some mus cular frame? a faint cry? a slight groan may have escaped the vic tims ? but little more. At least, the poor sleepers below were un ionised by the event. The deck cleared of the mur dered men, the murderers de scended stealthily to the work, be low. Passing from berth to berth with the most fiendish coolness, they struck? seldom twice? almost always fatally ? men, women and children; the old. the young? the tender and strong? the young mo ther, and the poor angel-innocent but lately sent to earth? all per ished, or were incapable of arrest ing the objects of the criminals. We may fancy for ourselves the horror of such a scene. We may imagine some one or more of the victims waking under the ill-directed knife ? awakening to a vain struggle? unkindly alarm ing those into consciousness who had no strength for conflict. Per haps, a mother may have fouod strength to rise to her knees, im ploring mercy for the dear child of her heart and hope, and may have been suffered to live suffi ciently long to see its death strug gle, its wild contortions, in the grasp of the unrelenting assassin. Art may not describe such a scene, truly, an imagination can hardly conceive it. They perished, one and all? that little family of emigrants ? and the murderers, grouped around the treasures which had dammed their hearts into the worst hell of covetousness crime, were now busy among themselves; what division they made, and with what temper they carried on the consultation, is, of course, only matter for conjecture. But tradition, which is always sufficiently courageous for conjec ture, asserts, that having pos sessed themselves of all that was valuable in the ship? all that could be easily appropriated? they de termined to set her on fire, as the only mode to conceal thoroughly the bloody testimonies of their crime. Their boats were accordingly launched at midnight. The night was atill calm, still beautiful, still looking down as innocently ai if there were no crimes? as if death had never been born among the children of men. Having transferred their spoils to the boati, and completed their preparations, the vessel was set on fire. The fire, fed by tar and other matter, seized instantly upon the combustible fabric. The flames rose triumphaniy in air, rushing from stem to (tern, from keel to bulwark, from the deck to the highest point of the towering mast, involving shroud and sail, rope and line, in one gen eral blaze; but, to the astonished eyes of the murderers, the* ob jects soon became distinctly articu lated, each in its own outline, by the bright, burning, but uncon suming fire. Fast as they fled? stoutly as they pulled for land? they gazed with karror and consternation upon the wondrous spectacle behind them? a ship on fire that would aot barn ?a fire that would not destroy its object, nor conceal, in its smoke, the form which it so completely enveloped! Strange and wondrous spectacle Indeed. It continued all night to burn? speeding on with the wind? now passing out of fight, and anon, visible, flaming forever, back again, on the very spot where the crime had been committed. With Ike dawn of day, it had See PALATINE, Page (, See. 2 SINCLAIR HEATING OIL with RD-119* COSTS NO MORE H*4? tap your oil txmt h top operating conditio*. Automatic Metered Delivery Service ? ? ? ? ? T. T. Tom" Potter ft Sen (Mr 01 But to h BRAZIL NUTS 43/ u. Pk? California Walnuts 47/ Large Sis* Lb. Pk?. ALL AftP STORES WILL BE CLOSED THANKSGIVING THURSDAV, NOVEMBER 27. COME IN . . . SAVE TODAT! FRUIT CAKE INGREDIENTS Buy These Holiday Values Sultana Larf* or Small ? Spatially Priced Stuffed ?lives ""ft*- 49c Ann Paga Creamy Frail. Mayonnaise f 55c Pick of Carolina Brand Plcktai Sweet Midgets 12-Os. Gton Hunt's Tomato Paste & 10c Paper Plates Equal to The Best-A&P's Own Equal to The Best-AAP'i Own dexo Shortening sc? 79 c dexola Oil 29c , SR. 10c & 49c Cut Mixed Fruit Lb. 53c Orange - Lemon - Citron , Lb.SJc Pineapple Lb. 6Sc Cherries Lb. 79c Currants 8 os. pkg. 19c Golden Raisins 15 oz. pkg. 33c Calinryna Figs Lb. Pkg. 45c GRADE 'A' YOUNG? DRESSED & DRAWN TURKEYS TOMS HENS M 16 to 20 10 to 14 #1 ?U Lb. Avg. Lb. Lb. Ay* Beltsville ^ avV Lb 47c CORNED HAMS - 55* JANt PARKER FAMOUS Stuffing iw-Lb 00 A Brood Lo?' 4wC Stuffing E, MP Mix Pkg. Z9C "Super-Right" Smoked ? Short Shank ? Skinned Hams 12-16 Lb. Av< 355c ttAhfis r 45c 55c "Super-Right" Short Shank 4 to S-Lb. Avg. Smoked Picnics ">? 39c "Super-Right" 4 to ? Lb. Avg. Fully Cooked Picnics "> 45c "Super-Right" Heavy Grain Fed Beef Sirloin Steaks Lb 89c Cap'n Joftn't S?4?ct 0y?ter?'^d$1.05 Armour Star _ _ Canned Hams 3 Can 52.89 Swlft'a Premium Canned ?11U> Avg. Pear Shaped Hams "? 79c Grade "A" Fancy Dreaaed A Draw* Chicken Hens A^ ui. 37c FRYERS DRESSED AND DRAWN Whole 01 V Lb. J FRESH PORK LOIN END ROAST u. 49^ TOMATOES Carton ^ 7 *1 Each Ami f ONIONS ? 1\t Western Delicious APPLES - 15* PITTED DATES io-oTpi*. 25^ RADISHES 9? GARBAGE CANS 204UL .99 "Our Finest" Frozen A&P Smoll Sannrfieid - e??m?y BUTTER ^ 69c Green Peas 2v&29< White House Ev?por?t?5 MILK 3 CT? 40c "Our Finest" A&P Fancy Quality Shredded w.rwick c.ody - PeeM Sauerkraut 2H 23? ISr.i & 'GRAND LOW PltiCES! Nutley or Golden Maid P L. Coii.rd-T??ip-Muiurd " GREENS *?$rl0c "Our Finest" A&P Sliced PINEAPPLE 29c Margarine 2?33? Florida ? N?w Crop ? Fresh FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Oranges 8^53* Cauliflower ??? 25c Large Celery 2 **. 29c Firm Carrots 2 & 19c Fresh Grapefruit 5 & 39c Golden Corn 6 ^ 29c York Apples 4 & 29c Fresh Chestnuts ">? 19c Bosc Ripe Pears 3 *? 22c Regalo Salad Mix 1 9c Coconuts 17c MjfCIAL LOW PRICKOew,, Spwy. PlMmp Rip# nyshCranberries 1-Lfc. Cello Coffee DEL-MONTE Sctl&W,^:r'f^'9 *W"?e2.c Bart. Pears225c 8' 0 Clock - M. PeQCheS -"33C Asparagus St 35c 65c Si si. 89 Fruit Cocktail -?97. LOW PRICE! Extra Strong Marcnl c. 27 C Paper Napkins 2?19? NOTTS APPLE JUICE 2 ek.45c 0 ? ANN PACK PBE8B SALAD DRESSING "sr 45c tmm ta"> I? fcJtf1! h? km Mw HURT CAKE s '3!5 MkUfSUI 34kM>|C>X*5 I Jon* PoHWf CoM or Mart* I C meant Cokat to. 32c B ion* Pork#f ? AN Vttrltfftet I Cok# Donut* &k<\2 20c Crumbs ?? 20c ftkafc ?? r.? Al Bf.L a ,? ft' ? J r HnV< ' '???'y Cinnamon Lootm h 25c Jim FutaMiNhlji Pile?*- Large I tack JLPPII PIE 39c Thni Prices Apply to Stores in B?aufort and Mor?h?ad City
Carteret County News-Times (Morehead City, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 25, 1958, edition 1
11
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