Page 30. MAINE COASTAL NEWS February 2009
Maritime History:
Various Articles from Early 1900
Continued from Page 29.
along the Penobscot River, with most yachts at Portland on 9 July. We got ashore all of the provisions and
belonging to the Conduskeag Canoe Club. A * * * * * furniture. Then came such a deluge of rain as
ner HATTIE M. MAYO, Captain Murphy, new type of boat for the river was the 2 July – The first iron bark ever to call at if the heaven had opened its flood gates upon
was making a trip from Calais to Boston with Swampscott Dory, which was light, fast and the port of Bangor, the Italian TERESITA, us.
lumber, when she grounded at Cape Porpoise shoal draft. They can either be sailed or rowed was lying at High Head. She was loading “The DAVENPORT began to pound on
and broke in two. The wreck was caused and are very easy to handle. shooks for T. J. Stewart Company for the the rocks and almost turned turtle.
when she was misstayed while going out. Other boats on the river include the 21- Mediterranean. “We ran a line ashore and made her fast
The HATTIE M. MAYO was built at foot sloop JEWEL, owned by H. O. Miller. He * * * * * and the crew and Captain McKown came to
Eden in 1859. Her dimensions were 97 gross also owns a 30-footer on the waterline. 26 July – The Thomaston granite schoo- my camp.
tons, length 72.6 feet; beam 22.6 feet and draft The Admiral of the river was Alpheus C. ner DRUID, Captain Samuel Hart, was making “I don’t exactly own a hotel, but we had
7 feet. Lyon, who owned two sloops, a catboat, a a run from Vinalhaven to New York, when she 21 people in our camp that night and I stowed
* * * * * rowboat and a flatiron. was run into by the steam yacht FELICIA off them away as best I could.
31 May – The three-masted schooner The GOLD ROD is the biggest vessel Gull Island off Long Island, New York. Cap- “Poor old Captain McKown broke down
under construction at the Sawyer yard in and she was owned by Freeland Jones. She tain Hart stated to Custom House officials and cried like a child when he met his daughter
Milbridge has been purchased by Henry Lord was worked on all last winter by Captain that it was a dark night, but that he could see in the camp. He had $5,000 in the DAVEN-
of Bangor. The schooner will be named for his Charles W. Veazie and is in the best shape the FELICIA more than a mile away. The PORT, with $2,000 insurance. He had set his
daughter, Alice Lord and is scheduled to be ever. yacht struck the schooner’s stern and she whole heart on this vessel and loved her as a
launched in July. She is presently being mea- Another major yachtsman of the river sank in ten minutes. The FELICIA managed father would his child. He could not account
sured and inspected by William Beazley of was W. C. Bryant, who owned the to rescue the captain and crew of the schoo- for the accident except that the schooner had
Bucksport. NORSEMAN. He also owns a 21-footer built ner and then brought them into Newport, gotten away from him. She was new and he
The schooner under construction at the by Thatcher. Rhode Island. was unused to her. He had sailed side by side
Stetson yard in Brewer is framed out. One There was a Barnegat sneak box, which * * * * * for miles that day with a son on another
cargo of hard pine planking has arrived was owned by Harry B. Wyman. She is similar 27 July – The schooner WEBSTER schooner, and had lost track of him.
onboard the schooner ISAIAH K. STETSON, to a flatiron and leave all competitors in her BARNARD was sailing from Bridgeport, CT “The next day Captain McKown set out
with more on their way. shadow. to Bangor in fog when she was in a collision in his launch for Vinalhaven, to notify the
* * * * * There are several catboats. One is the with the schooner LUCY HAMMOND off the owners of the disaster and I was put in charge.
1 June – The Bath four-masted schooner NICOLETTE, owned by the son of Captain Vineyard Sound lightship late that night. The Going away he gave me his revolver and I was
HELEN W. MARTIN was in a collision with Edwin G. Hutchinson. HAMMOND was bound from Augusta to placed in charge of the DAVENPORT.
the British steamer MILBRIDGE, Captain The Barbour yard was said to be building Newark, NJ with lumber. She was dismasted, “It was not long before a fleet of five or
Dilley, at 0940 hours. The MARTIN was a cruising yawl for a Bangor customer. She and the BARNARD tried to tow her into port. six sloops were seen coming up from Long
making a voyage from Boston to a southern will be 45 feet length overall. They hope to Unfortunately there was only a light sou’west Island with an unusual number of men on
port in a dense fog when the collision oc- have her completed in August. Another boat breeze and the tow was dropped. The them. They drew up alongside the DAVEN-
curred. Captain Dilley said that the steamer under construction is a power boat for the BARNARD suffered damaged to her cathead, PORT and the men began to clamber up the
was creeping along when the big schooner president of the Eastern Manufacturing Com- cutwater and was able to make Vineyard sides to the deck, in order to loot the vessel
appeared on the starboard bow bearing down pany, Fred W. Ayer, where she is being built. Haven. The HAMMOND had not made port I suppose.
on them hitting the steamer forward of the * * * * * and due to the fog she could not be seen. It “Get back there,’ I shouted. Don’t put a
bridge. The schooner’s jib-boom ran down 25 June – The Deputy U. S. Marshal was expected that a towboat would go out foot on the deck of this vessel.’ Save for the
the starboard side damaging the bridge, boat, Burton Smith of Portland was in Bangor to and bring her in. first mate, who was below, I was alone. They
mainmast and rigging, and the rail amidships. arrest the schooner WILLARD SAULSBURY, * * * * * didn’t heed my warning and one of them had
He said that the schooner did not appear which was at Hathorn’s dock. The arrest was 19 August – The schooner ALICE M. his hands on the rail ready to spring over,
damaged and was slowly moving away. for a debt she owed to the E. & I. K. Stetson DAVENPORT, which was wrecked off Seal when I drew my revolver and pointing it at him
* * * * * yard in Brewer. Keeper of the vessel will be Island ledges a week ago, was raised using said, ‘if you put your foot over that rail you
21 June – There was a report this day that Calvin H. Gray of Brewer, who is now on the pontoons. However the pontoons failed and are a dead man.’ and I’d shoot too.’ The
the mosquito fleet was a growing past-time vessel. The case will be heard by Judge Webb she immediately sank again in 120 feet of revolver did the business and they went back
water. into their boats, and finally seeing that I
TOOL OF THE MONTH
The ‘King of Seal Island’ Captain W. F. meant business sailed for home.”
Hill said, “Monday night about 6:15, we were * * * * *
snug in my camp on Seal Island. There were 20 August – Arrived at Bangor last week
seven of my men, my wife and myself. It was was the new tug JOHN G. CHANDLER, Cap-
so thick outside that one could not see five tain Guilmet, which towed the barge CLARA
yards ahead. Suddenly my four watch dogs to Boston. She had made the voyage from
began to bark and we knew that there was Bangor to Boston in just 23½ hours. A report
WHILE
trouble near the ledges. We all ran out and in the Boston Journal said that she was
SUPPLIES
going to what we call Myrrh Cove, could just rumoured to be one of the best tugs of her
LAST!
discern the bowsprit of a vessel sticking up class turned out by the Kelly, Spear & Com-
over the ledges. We could hear excited cries pany. She was designed by Richard and
Milwaukee 0824-24P
aboard and jumped into our dories and pulled William T. Keough of East Boston, who tried
Includes out. We found a three-masted schooner fast to combine the harbor and ocean tug into one
0824-20 - 18V 1/2" Hammer Drill
on the ledges, her stern awash and with a bad vessel. She is constructed of wood. White
0881-20 - 18V 1/4" Hex Mid Size
list to port. oak was used for the stem, keel, sternpost and
Milwaukee 6176-20
Impact Driver
2 - 18V Lithium-Ion Batteries
It was so dark that we couldn’t see, but outer planking. Her framing is both white oak
Metal Abrasive Cut-off Machine
1 - 1 Hour Charger could hear the crew shouting on deck. We and hackmatack. Yellow pine was used for the
$139.95 REG. 169.95
1 - Carrying Case
cried out to them and we could hear a woman’s ceiling and deck beams and white pine for the
$299.95 voice asking that she be taken off. There was deckhouses. Her measurements are: length
Bath Industrial Sales, 56 New Meadows Rd. West Bath ME
a heavy sea on and we had difficulty in overall 102 feet; beam 20 feet; and depth is 11
keeping the dories by the vessel. feet 4 inches. For accommodations she has a
(207) 443-9754 WWW.BISTOOLS.COM
“I boarded the schooner, which proved fo’csle for the crew and in the main house
to be the ALICE M. DAVENPORT, and found there are two forward staterooms. Going aft is
Buying a Boat?
the crew the most excited set of men I have the steam steering room, boiler, engine room
ever seen in my life. The woman proved to be and mess. The captain’s quarters are located
Be SURE Before You Buy!
Miss McKown, the daughter of the captain, in the aft end of the pilothouse. The engine
and I consented to take her ashore. The was built at Bath Iron Works. The cylinders
vessel was not over 100 yards from the island. are 15 and 34 inches in diameter with a 22 inch
Over 20 years of marine experience
Miss McKown was lowered into the dory and stroke. BIW also built the nine foot six inch
was rowed ashore. They didn’t know where diameter and 14 foot long tubular boiler. Her
means you’ll know if it’s sound...
they were and reckoned that it must be Isle au two wooden lifeboats were built by Blaisdell
or NOT.
Haut. of Bath. The CHANDLER is bigger and more
“The first inquiry of the young lady was: powerful, but will be easier to handle because
‘Is there a woman on this island?’ and I she sports steam steering. The reason behind
Reasonable Rates Power or Sail
assured her by introducing her to my wife. the bigger tugs is that it takes several small
Such an affecting scene between two women tugs to move the six-masted schooner, which
Wood & Fiberglass to 60 feet
I’ve never seen in my whole existence and her are now popular for use in the coal trade. She
joy of finding one of her own sex on such a will be used mainly as a harbor tug, but due
barren island in the Atlantic knew no bounds. to her size and power she can also be used as
Kent Thurston ~ Marine Surveyor
“Then we set about rescuing the belong- an ocean tug, towing barges between the coal
Phone/Fax - (207) 948-2654
ings of the captain and crew and brought ports along the East Coast.
E-mail:
marinesurveyor@thurstoncreative.com
everything ashore that wasn’t screwed down.
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