The Ischerwood Incident

By William H. Christ Jr.

Between June and October of 1987, the U.S. Naval Academy operated daily in its mission to train future naval officers.

However, there existed several troubling developments during that time that the navy refuses to acknowledge ever took pla

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Summit House
• Release date: Dec 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781636845852

William H. Christ Jr.

Mr. Christ learned about Art at age of seven. His Great-Aunt was a Commercial Artist and encouraged him. He has grown to be a Visionary Artist and Art Educator. His award-winning Acrylic Painting, Portraits, Graphic Designs and Posters have been commissioned locally, nationally and abroad locations. He retired after 20 years as a Baltimore City Public Schools Art Teacher, Pre-K thru 12th grade. He continues to write, illustrate and design in Baltimore, Maryland.

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The Ischerwood Incident

A novel set at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987

William H. Christ, Jr.

Copyright 2020 © William H. Christ, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

ISBN: 978-1-63684-586-9 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-63684-587-6 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-1-63684-585-2 (E-book Edition)

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Book Ordering Information

Phone Number: 315 288-7939 ext. 1000 or 347-901-4920

Email: [e-mail]

Global Summit House

www.globalsummithouse.com

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

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2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

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14

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Epilogue

Synopsis

To Lewis

Friend and Shipmate

1946-1992

Neither in the case of monsters which were born and live, how quickly soever they die, will it be denied that they will rise again…

St. Augustine: On Faith, Hope and Charity, c.421

The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland has been preparing young men for six generations and, since 1976, young women to serve as commissioned Junior Officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Students attending the Academy now are called Midshipmen, but in 1903 they were referred to as Naval Cadets.

1903 and 1987 had the same Calendar Dates. In 1987, N.I.S stood for the Naval Investigative Services. Today, they are called N.C.I.S for Naval Criminal Investigative Services.

1

U.S.N.A., ANNAPOLIS, MD, SEPTEMBER, 1903

Naval Cadet 1st Class Albert Douglas Hurlock and his best friend and roommate, Cadet 1st Class Thomas P. Kelly, were members of the class of ’04. On a chilly, late September, Saturday afternoon, they were aboard a small dingy rowing up the scenic Severn River past the grounds of the Naval Academy and near the newly constructed railroad bridge that linked the town of Annapolis with Baltimore.

All along the shore, huge old trees overhung the river. There was a strange quiet surrounding them. A light mist had formed on the surface of the water as the two Cadets talked about their upcoming exam in Navigation. They also discussed the possible assignments they might receive after graduating as Ensigns in eight short months from now.

Looking about, Cadet Hurlock commented, How peaceful the river is today. It seems like we are the only living things inhabiting this place.

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.

The water was calm and the visibility was less than a mile in the mist. The Cadets continued to row further up the river to begin their sextant surveying exercises which they were assigned the day before in their class on navigation.

Both twenty-one-year-old men were given several old hand-drawn maps of the region. Today they planned to check the shoreline station points for accuracy. Their professor had indicated that sections of the charts may have been deliberately altered to test their abilities.

Cadet Kelly steadied the dingy as Cadet Hurlock, standing amidship holding the sextant, said, Ten degrees to the North, and fifteen degrees West. What the . . . steady as she goes Mister Kelly.

Cadet Hurlock spotted a log of some sort floating directly ahead of their boat. The old log appeared to be twice as long as their craft. Cadet Kelly raised his oars out of the water to slow the boat’s movement.

Look! It’s moving! they both yelled.

To their astonishment, the log turned out to be a living thing! It began to slither away under the waves as the small dingy approached.

What the hell do you make of that? said Cadet Hurlock to his quite startled companion.

Wow, Mate! I’ve never seen the likes if it anywhere, replied Cadet Kelly in his thick Irish accent.

The wide-eyed Cadets completely forgot about their sextant readings and attempted to follow the mysterious visitor. They managed to get within several yards of it when the nearly twenty-foot long black eel-snake quickly disappeared beneath the water. Suddenly it reemerged and bumped their boat. The force of the bump caused Cadet Hurlock to drop his sextant and fall overboard.

Cadet Hurlock swam through the clear water to recover the instrument. Resurfacing and gasping for air, he handed the sextant to Cadet Kelly saying, Here, take this.

Cadet Kelly suddenly yelled out, "Look out, Mate! There is something behind you!

At the same time, the strange black creature broke the surface and reared upward shaking its hideous head revealing several rows of pointy teeth.

Cadet Kelly held out his oar to help Cadet Hurlock as the dark sinister eel-snake lurched toward Cadet Hurlock biting his arm and making a huge splash of water.

Cadet Hurlock screamed as Cadet Kelly hit the creature with the oar and yelled, Take that! You bloody bastard!

The creature silently submerged as Cadet Kelly assisted his wounded comrade into the boat.

What in the hell was that? asked a shaken Cadet Hurlock while applying pressure to his bleeding left upper arm.

Cadet Kelly quickly tearing his uniform shirt and making his roommate a bandage said, God knows. Here, let me bandage that arm.

Thanks, replied Cadet Hurlock still shivering in shock.

That’s some wicked gash Mate.

I’ll live.

The men struggled against both the current and the falling temperatures. It was sunset when they reached the shore. They left the boat and hiked through the woods in the twilight to the security of the Academy’s grounds.

*     *     *

Following a visit to Sick Bay where he told an elaborately woven tale about how his sleeve caught his shaving stand mirror and broke it, Cadet Hurlock and Cadet Kelly returned to their floating dormitory long after lights out.

The Cadets had been aboard a small twelve-foot wooden dingy which a life boat from the U.S.S. Dale was originally. The Naval Academy, in need of additional berthing spaces for enlisted sailors and Marines, moved several old retired-from-service wooded ship hulls and moored them alongside one of the Academy’s seawalls to be used as dormitory space. The U.S.S. Dale was one such vessel.

All of the three hundred plus Naval Cadets attending the Academy were anxious to move into the nearly completed Bancroft Hall dormitory. The huge four story granite building was named in honor of George M. Bancroft who had been the Secretary of the Navy in 1845 when the Academy was organized. Construction had been on-going before Cadets Hurlock and Kelly arrived in Annapolis in 1900.

After another explanation to the Officer-of-the-Watch, because of their lateness, both senior Cadets returned to their berthing compartments. As seniors, their living quarters aboard the dormitory ship were separate from the undergraduates who slept in the open spaces below deck where the conditions were less than desirable.

Cadet Hurlock immediately went to his desk and removed his daily journal entitled, Volume IV and told his roommate, This book, written in Latin, will contain entries which will be made during my senior year.

The other three years’ worth of daily information, about his life at the Academy, was documented in English in three volumes that sat on his bookshelf.

Near the flickering kerosene lamp, Cadet Kelly reclined on his cot and said, Another day, another entry, aye Mister Hurlock?

Of course, replied Cadet Hurlock smiling broadly. I don’t want my readers to miss any details of this exciting adventure.

Why do you insist on writing everything in Latin?

Latin, Mister Kelly, is the language of the educated class.

Just make sure not to make our sextant coordinated in Roman numerals on your class reports. I don’t think our Navigation Professor would understand them, laughed Cadet Kelly.

Oh, he would. It’s you who wouldn’t understand. You see, he’s educated.

Cadet Hurlock stood up from the desk, held his hurting arm and walked to the porthole. He glanced out at the moon—light reflecting on the peaceful Severn River. Shortly, he returned to his desk and pondered his next diary entry. A creature of unknown origin is usually described as an ‘Animal incognites origins’.

Cadet Kelly responded saying, That’s for sure.

Cadet Hurlock then softly said, "The black water churned. ‘Nigrae aquae torsunt’. Out of the watery depths you came. ‘Ex aquoso alto venisti’."

My, aren’t we dramatic tonight?

"Be still, I’m trying to think. You attacked me! ‘Me adortus es!’ Hum, I got it! ‘Tetigimus’."

What’s that word?

We touched, replied Cadet Hurlock again feeling pain shoot through his upper arm.

Have you a name for that species?

"Its name is, Chessy.’Est tibi nomen, Chessy’."

He drew a rough sketch of the eel-snake creature with fangs on the journal’s page.

Chessy. Yeah, that’s good, said Cadet Kelly who now seemed awake and was thinking about potential financial gains.

Let’s capture, kill and stuff that beast! We can sell it to the P.T. Barnum Side Show. It’ll be great for their, ‘Freak Sideshow’!

Is that legal?

Who cares? Besides, who has to know?

You’re right, said Cadet Hurlock with a gleeful smile.

It’s an after school activity. After we become rich, I’ll have so much money, I’ll offer it as a dowry to Judge Palmer. He will then gladly allow me to marry his daughter, Elizabeth.

The P.T. Barnum Side Show. Wow! That would be great.

Looking at his drawing of Chessy again, Cadet Hurlock said, They have made a fortune successfully promoting freaks and oddities.

Your ‘Leviathan, Chessy’, definitely fits into that category, said Cadet Kelly who then continued saying, That thing’s skin alone must be worth a small fortune.

Cadet Hurlock scribbled the date, 17 October, 1903, into his diary and closed the book. After extinguishing the lamp, both Cadets retired for the night. Cadet Hurlock held his throbbing and aching left arm. He slept very restless and repeatedly dreamt of Chessy attacking him in the churning water.

*     *     *

Sunday morning worship service at the Academy’s Chapel was mandatory. Cadet Kelly accompanied Cadet Hurlock, with his left arm still in a sling, into the beautifully decorated church. The congregation consisted of several hundred Naval Cadets, Officers, their wives and children along with the Academy’s choir. At the conclusion of the introduction and a hymn, the Naval Chaplain began his eulogy.

"The Old Testament lesson today comes from the Book of Job, verses 40 and 41. These verses make reference to God’s folly, ‘Leviathan’. A strange and mysterious sea creature.

The prophet wanted the ancient Hebrews to compare the power of God with the power of the creature. The creature was to remain forever undisturbed in turbulent waters. Any hope of overcoming him shall be in vain."

The Cadets looked at each other wide-eyed and whispered, Damn!

*     *     *

The last two weeks of October, 1903, were very grueling and demanding for senior Cadets Hurlock and Kelly. Mid-term exams were taken and various intramural sport competitions were held.

Autumn foliage was at its peak and the Academy’s Yard was strewn with thousands of beautifully colored fallen leaves. Early morning fog obscured the Severn River until the sun rose. The October sunsets were perhaps the most spectacular of the entire year.

Annapolis City and its inner harbor daily bustled with pedestrians, fishermen with their Chesapeake Bay bounty, horses, wagons and buggies. Passenger cars pulled by a steam engine transported people daily to and from the Washington, D.C. area while the Short Line Trolley ran its rickety way north and south to and from Baltimore City.

Liberty weekends allowed Cadets Hurlock and Kelly the opportunity to see and attend cultural events in Washington and Baltimore.

Judge and Mrs. Palmer invited Cadet Hurlock to their Georgetown mansion the weekend before Halloween. They also planned for them to attend a Saturday night operatic opening at Ford’s Theater while Cadet Hurlock was still their guest.

The Judge’s beautiful nineteen year old daughter, Elizabeth, was infatuated with the twenty-two year old 1st Class Cadet. They had previously met at the Academy earlier in the year when the Judge, his wife, and Elizabeth were guests at one of the teas given by the Academy’s Superintendent. Cadet Albert Hurlock was Miss Elizabeth’s escort for the day.

Throughout the late October weekend, the young couple were constantly chaperoned by either her parents or other relatives who came to meet the future Naval Ensign. In a brief moment alone, Elizabeth voiced her personal concern, Mister Hurlock, your arm wound remains so sore and tender.

I know. The Doc in Sick Bay changes my dressing daily.

It’s more than a week and it doesn’t seem to be healing properly, she told him with concern.

It’ll be fine. Just slow to heal, I guess.

Have you had any fever?

None, Only strange reoccurring dreams of the incident.

Since they were discussing Chessy, Cadet Hurlock told her of his secret determination to capture, kill and promote this Chesapeake Bay freak. She took an oath not to tell anyone what he had just mentioned. He was kissing her passionately when the young couple was abruptly called to dinner.

Following dinner, the men retired to the pallor while the women left for another part of the mansion. Cadet Hurlock preconceived that Judge Palmer seemed overly overprotective of his daughter and naturally felt uneasy at the notion of her being a poor naval wife.

However, Cadet Hurlock, feeling confident since discovering the creature, told the Judge and his audience that shortly he would have the dowry and ask for Elizabeth’s hand.

The male members were applauding his goals as Elizabeth entered the room. She immediately blushed and left in haste through velour drapes for her bedroom. Later that evening, when everyone in the house was asleep, there was a gentle knocking on her bedroom door.

Her young lover, Cadet Hurlock, greeted her with a quiet smile, an unbuttoned uniform and another kiss. She quickly closed her bedroom door behind them and began to make love.

*     *     *

2

ANNAPOLIS, MD, 31 OCTOBER, 1903

Cadets Hurlock and Kelly resumed stalking Chessy in the Severn River. Fog set in as the small dingy was slowly rowed into an isolated area called Shinler’s Cove. Cadet Hurlock held a lantern and had a harpoon nearby. Close into the shore were several dozen stakes protruding above the water’s surface. Attached to the stakes below the surface was a fisherman’s pound netting. The configuration of the stakes and the nets direct small fish through a maze into a center holding pen. The fish are trapped there and unable to negotiate back to open water.

Looking at the water until their eyes hurt, the Naval Cadets finally spotted the twenty-foot long eel-snake, Chessy, floating like a log near the pound nets.

Damn, Mister Kelly. There she blows... to starboard!

It’s right below the surface, whispered Cadet Kelly.

Use the oars and direct it into that pound netting near the shore. We’ll corner it.

Aye aye. Let’s do it.

The water began to churn as the long eel-snake became entangled in the pound netting.

Mister Kelly, steady as she goes.

There! Look Out! Harpoon it now! yelled Cadet Kelly. With a determined look and a strong right hand, Cadet Hurlock threw the harpoon and scored a direct hit right below the creature’s head.

She’s hit, Mister Hurlock! exclaimed Cadet Kelly still trying to bring the dingy about. The wounded creature splashed and coiled around in the muddy water. The beast crashed directly through the pound netting and tore up many of the wooden stakes in its struggle.

Cadets Hurlock and Kelly watched in horror as the twenty-foot long eel-snake headed directly for their small boat.

The damn thing’s going to ram us! yelled Cadet Hurlock who then yelled, Bring us hard to port, Mister Kelly!

Suddenly, the body of the creature slammed into their craft with such force as to splinter the planks and knock both Cadets overboard. Cadet Kelly reached shore and assisted his shipmate to the shallow shoreline as the scuttled dingy slowly sank. The two young men stood in silence as the carcass of Chessy surfaced and floated lifeless on the smooth water.

Look at all those broken stakes.

Yes! What a fighter, replied Cadet Hurlock handing his classmate an oar and saying, let’s suspend it in this torn netting between these oars and hike it back through those woods to Ischerwood Hall.

Cadet Kelly noticed the sky clouding up and said, The light’s fading. We’ve got to move fast.

They retrieved the dead eel-snake and proceeded to wrap the carcass in the netting. Chessy, weighing nearly a hundred pounds caused the young men to really struggle to lift it and the oars onto their shoulders. They carried Chessy in this manner through the difficult underbrush towards Ischerwood Hall. The two-story Engineering building was located on the North edge of the Naval Academy near the Severn River’s edge.

The P.T. Barnum Side Show, here we come, Cadet Kelly called out into the deserted woods.

Get ready to pay big dollars, oh freak-show enthusiasts, for this catch-of-the-day! laughed Cadet Hurlock.

Lightning flashed in the distance as the struggling Cadets approached Ischerwood Hall. Being long after lights out, no one ventured outside except to use the privy.

Cadets Hurlock and Kelly struggled to the front door of Ischerwood Hall. Fortunately, Cadet Kelly had kept the key from earlier that day when he delivered supplies to the building. The Cadets entered through the doorway with the dead creature suspended in the netting. Their shoulders really ached.

Cadet Hurlock called out, Careful. This way!

Your catch-of-the-day weighs a ton!

Stop whining, replied Cadet Hurlock in a reassuring manner. We’ll get rid of most of the bulk. The skin is all we need to get it mounted and sold.

Entering a dark classroom, the unauthorized Cadets placed the dead carcass onto a lab table. Cadet Hurlock turned on a nearby gas cooker that had a kettle full of water sitting on top of it. Cadet Kelly quickly moved toward a cabinet and removed some primitive surgical instruments.

Cadet Hurlock ordered his partner, Start there on the underside. We’ll skin it first.

No problem, said Cadet Kelly. Just like I do back home when we get a haul of catfish from my Pop’s pond.

Cadet Hurlock using a measuring tape, opened it, measured the creature and said, This thing’s over twenty-feet long!

Using a knife, Cadet Kelly carefully began removing the creature’s skin and said, I suppose the taxidermist can mend all these harpoon cuts. Why’d you stab it so much?

Cadet Hurlock, rubbing his sore arm commented, I just had to give it a few more jabs as a payback for my bite.

Is your arm any better?

Not really. It’s still real sore.

Cadet Hurlock then noticed a bulge in the creature’s lower end and said, Hey! What the hell’s that?

Well, I’ll be damned. Your monster’s pregnant! Here, bring me that brown bottle and some formaldehyde.

Why?

Dumb-ass! replied Cadet Kelly who then removed the small reptilian egg and said proudly, Here’s something else for our freak-show exhibit.

Cadet Hurlock watched in fascination as his roommate carefully inserted the small egg into the brown medicine bottle and sealed it with a cork. He turned to Cadet Hurlock and said, Here. Set this over there till we’re done.

Aye, aye, Mister Kelly, replied Cadet Hurlock as he put the brown bottle on the shelf.

Earlier that day, Cadet Hurlock had carried his Latin journal, along with his class books, to class inside Ischerwood Hall. During the lab portion, he stowed the journal in his assigned storage cabinet drawer for safe keeping. He unlocked the drawer and removed his journal. Quickly, he began recording tonight’s events.

Seeing the distraction, Cadet Kelly yelled, Hey, story—teller! Get your Cadet ass over here now! And that’s an order!

Cadet Hurlock saluted sarcastically and replied again, Aye aye, Sir. What do you need?

Roll this skin up and then boil the fat off of those bones. The rest of this carcass can be burnt in the coal furnace. Put the bones over there in that wooden crate. We’ll re-assemble them tomorrow night.

Yes, Sir! Right-a-way, Sir!

Cut it out. You’re wasting time. We’ve already accumulated enough unauthorized time as it is. Just hurry it up so we can be out of here soon. Cadet Hurlock carried parts of the carcass to the furnace. Cadet Kelly stoked the coals and inserted the body sections into the flames. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

Are we appeasing the gods with our sacrifice? asked Cadet Hurlock.

I don’t know if the gods of this Academy will be very pleased if we don’t hurry up.

Cadet Hurlock wrote a final entry into his journal and inserted the book carefully behind the chalkboard ledge until it did not show.

What are you doing now?

I’m not taking my journal back to the dorm. The last thing we need is for some gung-ho dorm room inspector to confiscate it and have the Superintendent read all about what we’ve done.

I guess he reads Latin too?

He teaches it! commented Cadet Hurlock. Come on. Let’s move, he said as he grabbed the brown bottle.

Cadet Kelly made a final inspection and said, You go ahead. I’ll check on the furnace one more time.

Rain was pouring down as Cadet Hurlock left Ischerwood Hall. A bolt of lightning struck the building. The closeness of the burst knocked him down to the muddy ground and caused him to drop the brown bottle. It rolled underneath the bronze dolphin water fountain in front of the building. Cadet Hurlock desperately tried to reach it, but it was too far under the fountain to retrieve it. Cadet Kelly approached and yelled, Get up! Look! The lightning set the building on fire!

The soaking wet Cadets ran from the scene and headed to the dormitory ship. It was close to midnight when they arrived. The two Cadets were immediately halted at the top of the gangway by the young Duty Officer, Ensign Dulane.

Welcome back, Misters Hurlock and Kelly. And what have you two been up to? Light’s out was nearly two hours ago!

Saluting and out of breath, Cadet Hurlock yelled, Sir. Ischerwood Hall is on fire!

What! Say again.

Cadet Kelly said, Sir. Lightning caused it. Sound the Fire bell.

With a stern look, the young Ensign yelled, Hold it right there! Both of you! You’re running in here after light’s out saying there’s a fire in Ischerwood Hall?

Cadet Hurlock still panting replied, Yes, Mister Dulane, Sir. There’s a fire in Ischerwood Hall right now, Sir.

Very well, sound the alarm and have the Cadets form a bucket brigade at once. Both of you report back here after the fire is out. That’s an order!

The Cadets saluted and replied, Yes, Sir. Right-a-way, Sir.

Within a few minutes, the Brigade of Naval Cadets were mustered and marched, at a double time, through the rainy night toward Ischerwood Hall. Fire glowed through many windows as the Officers and Cadets arrived. They opened the front door and began fighting the fire. Cadets Hurlock and Kelly entered the burning building just in time to see their creature’s skin shrivel up and burn. Cadet Kelly was immediately overcome with smoke and was carried lifeless from the building. Although Cadet Hurlock was also nearly overcome with smoke, he was in a grief-stricken state crying and yelling, Please, someone. Help me! I can’t get to my skin in all this smoke. I must save my skin!

Another young Cadet yelled, Come on, Mister Hurlock. It’s too dangerous to go any further without more water. Save your own skin?

After a few more harrowing minutes battling the flames, Cadet Hurlock was forced outside by his classmates. There he collapsed on the muddy ground. Rain continued to pour down as Cadet Hurlock knelt with his head in his hand and wept. It’s gone. Our dreams are up in smoke!

The rain and the Cadet bucket brigade saved the building major structural damage. Medics arrived on the scene and took Cadet Hurlock, who was still mumbling and in a state of near madness, to the Infirmary along with Cadet Kelly’s sheet-covered body.

*     *     *

3

ALBANY, NY, WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE, 1987

Midshipmen 1st Class Douglas Albert Hurlock, Jr., from upstate New York near Albany, had been at the U.S. Naval Academy since July 1984. He discovered that the many challenges the Naval Academy offered were to his liking. By age twenty-two, this six-foot lanky blonde kid had matured beyond everyone’s expectations. He was a varsity athlete and this year he qualified as a Trident Scholar. He majored in computer science with a minor in English.

At the beginning of his sophomore year, he was assigned to the 17th Company Brigade.

Doug’s mother, Margaret Hurlock, had thoroughly enjoyed the short leave time her son spent at home. She knew she would miss him terribly when he had to depart for the Academy. He made her feel proud with all of his accomplishments in scholastics and athletics. She was especially proud of him being appointed the Company Commander of the 17th for his senior year.

Margaret also knew her son was in love. She never met her future daughter-in-law, but was confident her son had considered all the options before he made such a commitment.

Doug took the time to explain to his mom that the Academy’s