DEVILS GRIPPED SHIP

Shannon News, 14 September 1926, Page 4

DEVILS GRIPPED SHIP

COOWE SAYS. SEVEN DEVILS ABOARD IN CHINESE WATERS. DRIVEN OFF AFTER RITES. A full share of the wonders of the great deep which are seen by those who go down to the sea in ships was reported by the officers of the British cargo steamer Wray Castle, which recently arrived at New York, after half a year's voyage around the '■world. They,said that if the coolie members of the crew were to believed, 'they were haunted by no fewer than 'seven malignant devils during nearly the whole of their sojourn in Chinese waters. It was only when they Toachejil the Indian Oc.*an that the 'sailor,s, 'by setting off fire-crackers, burning jos.s sticks, and throwing tempting meals of roast 'chicken, could persuade the evil 'spirits to leave. • The Wray Castlo, a sturdy 6000-ton freighter, left New York last Jtnuary but it was not until she reached the Philippines that the presence of the 'demons was suspected. While the vessel wir.s in dock at ''Manila an apprentice kst his balance Kvhile painting part of the superstructure. He fell, breaking his collarbone. .Shortly afterward, "when the vessel had reached Shanghai, Second Officer William Spancer fell into No, 5 hatch. He was nearly killed When on the Way South to Singapore, several of the crew sustained minor injuries "there was no longer any doubt as to Avhat was the cause. ' As a result Chief Steward Wong Jong King, who has been employed by the company for 20 years,, held a conference with "Number One," the head Chinese. As soon as they reached Singapore the two went to the Buddhist temple, where they asked the priest to send them down a *'kwong-ho-cluck-cluck man," or magician, to drive aAvay the spirits. The priest" told them that the magician would do them no good owing to the noise of the harbour. He adVised them to let him sell them twenty dollars worth of fireworks and. to buy tliree fresh chickens. He said this would accomplish their purpose. 'When the ship was in mid-ocean the chickens were roasted and placed steaming hot on the hatch covers. They were* then thrown overboard in the hope that the devils would follow them. After this for three or four hours the crew set off the fireworks and burned the joss sticks and false paper money. Evidently the devils'" left, for from then on the weather was' fair and no accidents took place until the Atlantic Ocean w:as reached. Just past the' Azores they ran into a heavy storm # Wong Jong went to the captain; "Ship's cat has two black kittens," he said. "Bad Joss come engine room again. Makee w T aves go up. Throw overboard; quickly all go all' right."

The captain allowed one kitten to be consigned to the deep, but insisted on saving the other. Apparently, according to Chief Officer Dwyer, this was not enough for the joss. , The bad weather lasted until they reached New York.