Queer Freak Occurs off Delaware Breakwater.
Steamer Mohican Passes Through a Cloud of Phosphorus Which Causes Strange Happenings on Board.
As the British ship Mohican made for the Delaware breakwater the other day it encountered a strange phenomenon. A cloud of phosphorus enveloped the vessel, magnetizing everything on board. Capt. Urquhart tells the story and the crew vouch for the details.
"I noticed a strange gray cloud at a distance, and watched it as it came closer. The vessel and crew were given a fiery coating before the sailors saw it," said the captain. "They rushed about the deck in consternation. I looked at the needle and it was flying around like an electric fan. I ordered several of the crew to move the iron chains lying on the deck, thinking that it would divert their attention.
"But the sailors could not budge the chains, although they did not weigh more than 75 pounds. Everything was magnetized, and chains, bolts, spikes and bars were as tight to the deck as if they had been riveted. The cloud was so dense that it was impossible for the vessel to proceed. I could not see beyond the decks, and it appeared as if the whole world was a mass of glowing fire.
"The frightened sailors fell on the decks and prayed. The hair in our heads and beards stuck out like bristies. We noticed that it became difficult to move our arms and legs.
"Suddenly the cloud began to lift. The phosphorescent glow of the ship and crew began to fade. Gradually the magnetism of the steel died. At the same time the stiffness left our hair. In a few minutes the cloud has passed over the vessel and we saw it move off over the sea.
"I never encountered a cloud like that. It must have been composed of some magnetized substance which was combined with phosphorus."