Show GHOST SHIP spectral vessel turn ont to be a mar telous phenomenon tie american clipper ship luzon from the hawaiian islands with a full cargo of sugar had a strange ex prience after rounding the horn when off tie barren staten land in good weather and with scarcely any sea on the lookout reported a sail it was about an hour before sunset al though the luzon was almost becalm ed the vessel sighted was under close reefed topsails this made the luzon s mate think a storm was bearing down i on him and he speedily shortened sail rapidly the stranger came near er and it could be seen that she was partially dismasted forward in the meantime however the expected squall did not make its advent the strange ship passed so close that it seemed as though a biscuit might be thrown on board still her crew paid not the slightest attention to the luzon on the latter consternation prevailed the appearance of the storm tossed vessel was so uncanny that the luzon s men were beside themselves with terror not until it dawned upon capt park that the other ship was a part of the phenomenon known as the fata mor gana where a vessel Is reflected a great distance could he restore any thing like order among the men the most remarkable feature of the inci dent developed three weeks later when the luzon was nearing the equator she passed the russian ship bound south and her men had no difficulty in identifying her with the mirage they had witnessed she had the same distinctive lines and sure enough her foremast had been broken off close to the foretop a jury mast taking the place of the missing spar she had been reflected at least 1 miles and the storm which the luzon s men had observed had ably wrought the damage philadel phia north american |