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Ghost, mirage or optical illusion, who knows, but many who have seen this apparition before and since, witnessed as we did, a great tall sailing ship (our

father said a brigantine) burning from stem to

stern, to mast head.

At times the fire would die down so that only the hull of the ship glowed red, only to flame up again,

lighting sails, spare, and rigging, against the dark'

sky.

Captains of coasting vessels have told of trying to close with the stricken ship only to have it dis-

appear and appear again like a will-o~the wisp.

Weird and wonderful indeed were some of the stories told by old timers of this doomed ship, condemned to

sail in flames of fire on certain anniversaries of

evil and terrible deeds.

'"A light; an omen of something dire 0, look it is - a ship on fire. The blaze has climbed the rigging high

And fiercely glows against the sky.