Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWS December 2012 Maritime History HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - 1890s


Marvin goes on to observe, supporting his conclusions by citations from leading English and American cases, that the reward of salvage, far transcends compensation merely for work done or even what might be a reasonable measure in money, of the peril encountered. It is a generous apportionment, prompted by the highest public policy and calculated to excite others to extend like aid and risk extreme peril in giving aid at sea whenever needed. In doing this, everybody concerned has a share, each of whose claims are separately adjudicated, the obvious rule of law being that subordinates may have the same incentive to help that masters and those in authority have.


From this rule the master and crew are in a great majority of cases excluded from the benefi ts of salvage. They are supposed to be bound to use all their best skill and exertion to save the vessel. It appears to be one of the great principles of marine law that wages follow freightage, and, no wages is the result. When the voyage is broken, by a wreck or other contingency, their wages cease and their contract with the owner expire, but the courts seem to be in doubt as to whether in the event of their contributing to subsequent and successful efforts toward saving the vessel, their claim should be wages or salvage. The objection to their claim to salvage is that their service was not voluntary. The principle, however, of no freight, no wages, is still adhered to, making the seaman’s pay contingent on the successful conclusion of the voyage. The wages claim in saving a portion of a wreck is admitted as a matter of equity. Many cases have occurred, however, where the master and crew were awarded salvage. The nearest analogue to Spencer’s case would be one where a vessel was cap- tured by a hostile warship and then rescued by the crew. They got salvage for their ser- vices.


In another case, a vessel was wrecked near shore and all but one seaman left the vessel. That seaman was included among the benefi ciaries in salvage proceedings. The case of the MARY HALE is another where seamen were awarded salvage for services exceeding the duty they owed to the ship, the obvious deduction in connection with Spen- cer’s claims being that he clearly was not engaged to navigate or control the FULLER or to perform police duty in apprehending murderers, or to protect the property in the care of which he shared, by the exposure of his life to what he believed to be a murderous attack. A striking case in this connection oc-


curred off Boston harbor, where a vessel was caught in the ice and abandoned by all but a portion of her crew. The proportion of the crew left aboard subsequently saved the property and were awarded salvage for subsequent services in saving the vessel. In another case, all but one of the crew left the vessel to climb on a colliding ship, and that seaman was given salvage for services he rendered in saving the property although it is obvious he had not technically severed his connection with the vessel and thus abrogat- ed his implied contract with the owners, to do all he could to conclude the voyage.


8 February 1898 Belfast Sorrows for Seven.


That Number of Her Young Sailors Drowned as Result of the Big Storm. Belfast, February 8. There is sorrowing in many homes now for the deaths of seven young men, all sailors, who comprise this city’s victims of the recent storm, which wrecked so many vessels in the vicinity of Gloucester, Massachusetts. On the schooner JAMES HOLMES were fi ve Belfast sailors


and on the schooner MARCELLUS was one Belfast sailor, George Richards and the body of another man found is thought to be that of George Bean, East Belfast, who was to take passage to Belfast on the MARCELLUS. The schooner JAMES HOLMES was built in Belfast in 1874 and has been used as a packet running between Belfast and Boston. Hay was the cargo from Belfast and general merchandise for local merchants would be the return cargo. The regular captain is George F. Ryan, who has been on this route many years and is one of the best navigators on the coast. His son, Frank, during the past summer, has been captain of the schooner MIANTONOMAH, now in winter quarters in Belfast harbor. Capt. George Ryan injured one of his legs recently so that he was unable to sail in the JAMES HOLMES on this last and event- ful trip. Young Frank Ryan took command and with him as crew were Alfred Staples, John Jackson, Everett Patterson, Frank Gor- don. The schooner sailed from Belfast about two weeks ago with a cargo of hay from F. G. White. The vessel was on the return trip when lost. The owners of the JAMES HOLMES are William B. Swan, managing owner: Samuel Otis, John Hassel, Robert Burgess, James Holmes, A. B. Ferguson, George Ryan, John W. Ferguson, Abner G. Gilmore, H. J. McKeen, James H. Perkins, Ellen C. Mansfi eld, Melvina Thombs, Eva F. Bird, Thomas E. Ryan, Elvina C. Fergu- son, all of Belfast; A. W. Ellis, Miranda L. Brooks, York; George Treworgy, Ellsworth; Helen S. Pickering, Salem, Massachusetts; W. E. Brown, Boston. There was but little, if any, insurance on the vessel or cargo. The schooner MARCELLUS was built in Bucksport in 1837 and has since hailed from that port until last year. Capt. A. A. Lar- rabee of Searsport purchased the schooner last spring and has been carrying hay from Belfast to Boston. His crew consisted of three men and, probably, had George Bean as passenger. The value of the schooner was about $700.


The bodies of Capt. Ryan and Everett Patterson have not been found yet.


12 February 1898 Maine Ships Can’t Be Beat.


The HENRY B. HYDE Built at Bath Makes a Record to Honolulu – Averages Nearly 258 Miles a Day.


Honolulu, February 5, via San Fran- cisco, February 12. – Not since the days of the clipper ships has a vessel equaled the performance of the American ship HENRY B. HYDE, which arrived here in ballast from San Francisco, January 30. Although not in the best of sailing trips having but recently completed a voyage around Cape Horn from New York, she covered the distance from San Francisco in the remarkable time of nine days and four and a half hours, the time reckoned from anchorage to anchorage. According to the log the HYDE travelled 2,315 miles, an average of nearly 258 miles a day. Had she been properly ballasted Capt. Colcord says she would have made the run in eight days. As it is, the time has been beaten but once, and that was many years ago by the famous old clipper ship FAIR WIND, which came down in eight days and seventeen and a half hours. But the FAIR WIND spread almost twice as much canvas as the HENRY B. HYDE, and was built and sailed for speed. The HENRY B. HYDE was towed out of San Francisco by the tug ACTIVE about noon on January 21. Capt. Colcord, her master, is one of the largest shipowners on the coast, well known in San Francisco, and a splendid navigator. It was his fi rst voyage on the vessel, and he was not thinking of speed when he headed for the islands; but


he came down like the wind. The HENRY B. HYDE is a typical American ship, built at Bath, Maine, in 1884, and is owned by Flint & Co., of New York. She is now under charter to carry sugar to New York around Cape Horn. The American ship S. B. HANCOCK, in ballast, made the run from San Francisco in nine days, seven hours. She made last season’s record run from Honolulu to New York is 82 days.


25 July 1898 Bath Ship on Fire in Chili.


Sewall & Co.’s KENILWORTH Puts Into Valparaiso with Cargo Burning Captain and Mate Both Dead Ship was Built at Port Glasgow, was 2,179 Tons and was Commanded by Capt. J. G. Baker.


San Francisco, July 25 – A private dispatch received here says that the ship KENILWORTH, bound from Halo, Hawaii for New York with a cargo of sugar, has put in to Valparaiso on fi re. Both the captain and mate are reported dead. Mr. D. B. Dearborn, New York agent of the ship KENILWORTH, has received advices confi rming the report that the ship KENILWORTH has put into Valparaiso on fi re.


The KENILWORTH is a four-masted ship built at Port Glasgow in 1887. She reg- isters 2,179 tons, is 300.2 feet long, 43.1feet beam and 24.2 feet deep. Arthur Sewall & Co. of Bath, Maine, are her owners. She is commanded by Capt. J. G. Baker. Owners at Bath Notifi ed. Bath, July 25. – A cablegram was


received by Arthur Sewall & Co. today from Valparaiso, stating that the ship KE- NILWORTH, bound from Halo Island, Hawaii, to New York, had been burned. The cable states that Capt. James G. Baker, First Offi cer Piper and a boy named Hobson lost their lives. The KENILWORTH was laden with sugar.


14 October 1898 Steamer CIMBRIA Aground. She went Ashore on a Ledge While Making a Landing at Bass Harbor on Friday Morning.


The steamer CIMBRIA, of the Bangor & Bar Harbor Steamboat Co.’s line, ran ashore on a ledge while making a landing at Bass Harbor on Friday forenoon, between 9 and 10 o’clock. The steamer was on her way to Bangor having left Bar Harbor at her regular time, 7 o’clock. The cause of the accident is unknown.


As soon as word was received by the


offi cials of the company in this city, the steamer SEDGWICK and the tug RALPH ROSS were immediately sent to Bass Harbor. The SEDGWICK, which is one of the company’s steamers, will take the passengers and freight from the CIMBRIA and will proceed at once to Bangor, she being expected to arrive early on Saturday morning. The RALPH ROSS will assist in getting the CIMBRIA off. The offi cers of the company in Ban- gor had not learned how the steamer went aground, up to the time the Commercial went to press, nor had they received any word in regard to the probable amount of the damage. It is the general opinion that the boat must have been carried onto the ledge by a strong wind. She was in command of Capt. Shute, her regular pilot, her captain, Henry W. Barbour, being ill with typhoid fever.


An Associated Press dispatch to the Commercial says that the tide was ebbing at the time of the accident and it was thought


that she would be damaged. It also said that it was decided to unload the boat so as to leave her as light as possible as an effort would be made at high tide to fl oat her.


15 October 1898


Thomaston Vessel Burned. The SARAH CHAMBERLAIN De-


stroyed by Fire at Portsmouth from a Cargo of Lime – She Was Built in 1846. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, October


15. – The lime schooner SARAH CHAM- BERLAIN of Thomaston, Maine, Capt. Hart, bound from Rockland, Maine, for Boston, which put in here a few days ago on fi re, is a charred wreck and this morning little was left of the vessel. The fi re broke out in the cargo and last night got beyond control of the crew, burning furiously until morning.


The CHAMBERLAIN was built at Freedom, Pennsylvania, in 1846, registered 138 tons gross was 83 feet in length, 24 in breadth and eight feet, deep. She was owned in Thomaston.


* * * * *


UMBRIA Engines Stopped. Liverpool, October 15. – The Spanish steamer MADRILONE, from St. John, N. B., which arrived here yesterday reports that on October 10, when 360 miles west of Cape Clear, she sighted the Cunard line steamer UMBRIA from Liverpool, October 8, for New York. The UMBRIA’s engines were stopped but in reply to inquires she signaled that she did not require assistance. The rea- son for the stoppage was not explained.


A Total Loss.


That’s What the Steamer CIMBRIA May Be.


The Heavy Storm Badly Damaged the Wrecked Boat.


An Effort Will Be Made to Get Her Off on Saturday Night.


The steamer CIMBRIA, of the Bangor & Bar Harbor Steamboat Co.’s fl eet, an ac- count of whose running aground on a ledge at Bass Harbor on Friday forenoon, was published in Friday’s Commercial, was still on the ledge up to 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon and it was thought that she would probably be a total loss.


At about 1:30 o’clock Saturday morn- ing the steamer SEDGWICK arrived in Ban- gor from Bass Harbor with the passengers and freight of the CIMBRIA.


The tug RALPH ROSS which was sent to the assistance of the wrecked steamer did not arrive at Bass Harbor until after 7 o’clock on Saturday morning, when the work of pumping out the CIMBRIA was at once begun. A telephone message from Capt. Geo.


H. Barbour, who went on Friday afternoon to superintend the work of getting the boat off the ledge, was received on Saturday morn- ing. He said that a furious storm was raging at Bass Harbor and that the CIMBRIA was rapidly fi lling and was being badly damaged by rolling on the rocks. It was feared that the steamer would break in two but at noon Saturday, she was still whole.


Later in the day Capt. Barbour tele- phoned that an effort would be made on Saturday night to get her off. The Cause of Accident.


The cause of the accident, according to Capt. Shute, who was in command of the steamer when she ran aground, was the disarrangement of the signal wire leading from the pilot house to the engine room. He said that he gave the signal to back the engine (two bells), while the engineer got only one bell and started ahead. When the mistake was discovered the order was at once given to stop and back, but by the time the engine


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