Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS June 2009
Maritime History: Wrecked!
Bangor Daily Commercial, 20 February 1894. fixed for the collision is about 10 o’clock in the fog would have made it impossible for the life was a good vessel having been rebuilt some
TRAGIC SEA TALE. evening. That evening, the steamer H. F. savers to render aid even had the vessel been years ago. So far as is known she was not
The Loss of the Brave Men of the DIMOCK, Captain A. B. Coleman, one of the seen when she struck. Captain Isaac Fisher, insured.
CAPTAIN JOHN. Metropolitan line, left Boston about 6 o’clock Samuel Fisher, and Charles Kelley, with their No further particulars had been received
How Three Ellsworth Sailors for New York. Captain Coleman says that 11 crews were promptly on the scene, but noth- up to the time the Commercial went to press.
Met Watery Graves. o’clock that night she was passing Chatham. ing could be done.
Story Growing Out of the Suits Against He was asleep on a couch in the pilot house. A bottle was picked up containing a Bangor Daily Commercial, 17 June 1899
the Colliding Schooner. The engineer was on deck to shift the venti- message written in Italian and probably from A BIG BATH SHIP WRECKED.
PORTLAND, February 20. Yesterday three lator, when the crew were suddenly startled the wreck. The scene of the disaster is very The JOHN R. KELLEY Goes Ashore on
gentlemen of New Hampshire came to this by cries of “Help! Help! For God’s sake, help near where the Italian bark GIOVANNI was the Falkland Islands – A Total Loss.
city on a mission which has connected with us!” wrecked in 1875 and when out of a crew of Advices have been received in London
it one of the saddest and strangest of the The cries awakened the captain, also fourteen only one was saved. saying that the ship JOHN R. KELLEY of
many tragedies of the sea. They are Hon. Colonel Thomas Matthews, a Boston mer- Wreckage is strewn along the beach for Bath, Maine, Captain Chapman, from New
Daniel Hall and Hon. B. Frank Nealley of chant, who was a passenger, and Colonel miles and the life saving men are watching for York, March 16
th
, for San Francisco, went
Dover, and Hon. John Sise of Portsmouth. Matthews’s wife. The cries came from the any bodies that may be thrown up. The cap- ashore at Stanley, Falkland Islands on May
They were sent here by Judge Aldrich of the surface of the water, close under the tain was F. Dellacassa and the vessel sailed 24
th
, and would probably become a total
United States District Court of New Hamp- steamer’s side, where some men were seen from Trapani July 21 for Boston with a cargo wreck.
shire, to appraise the value of the schooner clinging to some wreckage. The steamer was of 900 tons of salt, consigned to George E. The KELLEY registered 2,255 tons net
ROBERT GRAHAM DUNN, now at the East- going at a rapid rate, and it took sometime to Downs, of Boston. The cargo was valued at and was cleared from New York by Dearborn
ern Forge Company’s wharf, as she was on put her about and lower the life boat. The crew $1,500 and was fully insured in a New York & Company. She is owned by John R. Kelley.
the 20
th
of last September. of this boat found the wreckage and a mast company. The MONTE TABOR was a
This appraisal is one of the steps in a standing, but no traces of the men could be wooden bark of 592 tons gross. Bangor Daily Commercial, 19 June 1899
series of law suits which involve a story of found. They had lost their hold upon the The body of the mate was washed BATH SHIP LOST.
great interest. wreckage and upon life at the very moment ashore at Race Point at 9 o’clock this fore- Bath Times: Captain John R. Kelley re-
The schooner ROBERT GRAHAM when rescue was near. noon. About 10:30 two other bodies were ceived news Friday afternoon of the loss of
DUNN is owned chiefly in New York, and is The mast and wreckage were afterwards picked up on the shore, one with the throat the ship JOHN R. KELLEY of which he was
managed by Peter H. Crowell of Boston. On found and removed by the government tug cut. This makes two members of the fated managing owner.
the morning of the 20
th
of last September she IWANNA, and carried to the Charlestown ship’s company who went to their death by The following cable was received at 5:30
sailed from this port under command of Cap- Navy Yard, where the owner of the CAPTAIN cutting their throats. dated Montevideo, June 16 J. R. Kelley, Bath:
tain George O. Pierce, a Massachusetts man, JOHN identified them as belonging to his “Ship ashore Falkland, total loss, no lives
and bound for Newport News. vessel. Bangor Daily Commercial, 31 May 1899 lost. Chapman, Cooper.” Later the following
On the same morning a little Maine Some important suits followed when FIVE MASTED GOV. AMES IS message was received from New York: “Cable
schooner of 87 tons, the CAPTAIN JOHN, of these events became known. The owner of WRECKED from London says namesake put back Port
Ellsworth, left the harbor of Hyannis, MA, the CAPTAIN JOHN, Isaac M. Grant of (Boston Globe) Stanley, Falkland Island, went ashore, will
where she had put in on her way from Ellsworth, brought action on the 3
rd
of No- The famous five-masted schooner GOV. probably be a total loss. Jas. W. Elwell.”
Rondout, NY, with content to Boston. Three vember at Portsmouth, for the recovery of the AMES, the first and for a long time the only The above is the only news yet received.
young men of Ellsworth composed the crew value of his vessel. Benjamin Thompson, vessel of her type on the coast, lies stranded Captain Kelley says that he is of the opinion
of the CAPTAIN JOHN. They were Captain Esq., of this city appeared for Grant, and on Low Key near Key West , and it is feared that the ship was disabled off Cape Horn and
Edward L. Milliken, aged 27, who had a young Carver & Blodgett of Boston for the owners she will prove a total loss. in trying to put back to Stanley went ashore.
wife and baby in Ellsworth; Mate Bertrand B. of the DUNN. The case was heard at Concord On May 4 the AMES left Norfolk for The KELLEY was one of the finest ships
Betts, also with a wife and child in Ellsworth, on the 9
th
, 10
th
and 11
th
of January, and Judge Galveston with a cargo of about 2,700 tons of flying the American flag, was built in this city
and Harry Milliken, the captain’s young Aldrich now has it under advisement. coal. She was in command of Captain in 1883 by Goss & Sawyer under the personal
brother. During the day of September 20
th
the Henry Betts, of Ellsworth, executor of Waldemar, an experienced navigator, who supervision of Captain Kelley, who has been
CAPTAIN JOHN was beating up the shores the estate of the three lost sailors, next has been in the vessel for some time. The managing owner.
of Cape Cod in company with the schooner brought suits for $8,000 for each of the lost schooner is said to have bilged and although She was first commanded by Captain
LENA WHITNEY. At three o’clock in the men, and these suits are returnable in a tug and wrecking vessel were rendering Thomas P. Gibbons of this city who remained
afternoon both vessels were about five miles Hancock county, at the April term. The same assistance yesterday, those acquainted with on her for nearly ten years. Captain Starkey
east of Chatham lights. At this time the LENA attorneys appear as in the other cases. the locality believe she will never be floated. commanded her on one voyage and Captain
WHITNEY went onto the shoals and an- And finally, other proceeding are ready The GOV. AMES was built at Omar Chapman of Damariscotta has since
chored, leaving the CAPTAIN JOHN to pro- on behalf of the insurance company of North Waldoboro in 1888. On her first trip she was been in command. His wife and daughter were
ceed alone. About 7 o’clock in the evening, America for loss of the cargo. totally dismasted and for weeks was laid up with him on this voyage.
the schooner NELLIE GRANT, which was in At this point the owners come in and making repairs. Her registered tonnage is The ship left New York March 16 with a
those waters, spoke the CAPTAIN JOHN. bring at Concord an action in the form of a 1,690 and her principal owner is Captain C. A. general cargo for San Francisco. She was
This is the last definitely heard from her or her petition to limit their liability to the value of Davis, who formerly commanded her. She owned partially by Captain Kelley and parties
crew. the vessel at the time of the collision. It is in cost about $75,000 to build and was probably in New York, Boston and San Francisco and
Meanwhile the ROBERT GRAHAM pursuance of this portion of the case that the worth about $40,000 when she ran aground. was valued at $60,000. Captain Kelley was not
DUNN, having come out of Portland, was appraisers came to this city yesterday. The insurance on the craft, is held prin- insured and it is reported that there was very
hurrying southward and approaching the cipally in companies in this city, while Provi- little insurance on the vessel.
waters where the CAPTAIN JOHN was beat- Bangor Daily Commercial, 14 September dence underwriters also have policies on the The measurements of the ship were:
ing northward. At 10 o’clock in the evening 1896, Page 1. hull. length, 256.9; breadth, 45; depth, 28.1, gross
when off Chatham, the DUNN came into FEARED DROWNING. tonnage 2,255.
collision with a two-masted schooner. The So Wrecked Sailors Cut Bangor Daily Commercial, 1 June 1899
owners of the CAPTAIN JOHN claim that this Their Own Throats. FILLED AND SANK. Bangor Daily Commercial, 6 February 1903
two master was their own vessel. But there is Italian Bark MONTE TABOR on the Bangor Schooner a Total Loss SCHOONER LAWSON ASHORE AGAIN
a conflict of testimony as to how the collision Rocks at Peaked Hill Bar. off Newport. Big Seven-Master With 8,010 Tons of
occurred, the owners of the CAPTAIN JOHN Portion of the Crew Were Drowned – MATTIE HOLMES in Collision, Then She Coal Grounded Last Night.
claiming that their vessel was struck on the Others Badly Exhausted. Went Down. VINEYARD HAVEN, MA, February 6. – The
starboard bow, while the owners of the ROB- HIGHLAND LIGHT, MA, September 14. – Telegram to Home People Say Her Crew seven masted schooner THOMAS W.
ERT GRAHAM DUNN claim that their vessel The Italian bark MONTE TABOR, with a Was All Saved. LAWSON, Captain Crowley, from Newport
struck the other in the starboard quarter, but cargo of salt, struck on Peaked Hill bar about The Bangor schooner MATTIE News for Boston with a cargo of coal ran
deny that the other was the CAPTAIN JOHN. midnight last night. Soon afterward her cap- HOLMES, Captain Charles Maddocks, was aground during the night on the east end of
At the time of the collision the ROBERT tain made desperate by his situation, shot sunk off Newport on Thursday forenoon as Middle Ground shoal Vineyard Sound. At 9
GRAHAM DUNN was sailing before the himself with his revolver. The mate fearing a result of a collision with the schooner ADA o’clock Friday morning the Boston Tow Boat
wind at about eight knots an hour. death by drowning drew his razor across his AMES of Rockland; the HOLMES was company’s wrecking tug UNDERWRITER,
Immediately after the vessels came to- throat and dropped dead into the sea. When bound to Brewer with coal for Getchell Broth- arrived at the shoal for the purpose of trying
gether the crew of the DUNN heard calls for the bark broke up which she did in an hour ers. Her entire crew were saved. to float the big vessel.
a boat from the other vessel, and the captain after striking her crew of twelve men clung in The MATTIE HOLES is a two masted The observer at this station reported
claims that they at once wore their schooner the deckhouse and went over the side with it. schooner and was built in Brewer, Bangor that while a wind of moderate speed coming
and came back near the place. But they never Five lost their hold and were swept into the was her home port. She was 160.45 tons gross from the west, was moving through the
saw or heard more of the ill-fated craft or her sea and drowned. The others reached the and 152.42 net; her length was 108.4 feet long sound, it was probably not of sufficient force
crew. shore exhausted and were taken to Peaked and she was 26.2 broad and 8.9 deep. to do any damage to the LAWSON nor was
The owners of the CAPTAIN JOHN on Hill station and cared for. The dense fog The ADA AMES is a schooner of 199.67 the sea on this side of the sound running
the other hand Claim that no effort was made which prevailed prevented the life saving gross tons and 163.51 net tonnage. higher than usual. A report however from
on the part of the DUNN to rescue the drown- crew from seeing the wreck. The first known The HOLMES was owned in Bangor, Wood Hole said that the wind was blowing
ing men. The evidence upon this point in- of the disaster was when the seven survivors Henry Lord is the principal owner and agents up the sound very strongly from the west,
volves some facts which are interesting. were found on the beach. The distance from and among other owners are David Bugbee, kicking up a high sea and making conditions
It should be borne in mind that the hour the shore, the roughness of the sea and the Philo A. Strickland and F. A. Strickland. She uncomfortable for the great schooner as she
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