Page 24. MAINE COASTAL NEWS February 2016 HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - Early 1900s


myself fortunate indeed to come off with only severe bruises; but I fear the injuries to my wife will result seriously.” In stateroom No. 207, the last one toward the starboard wheel to be injured, and which is called the bridal chamber, a young married couple were placed. They were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sinclair from New Jersey. The force of the collision so wrecked their stateroom that they were made prisoners but were rescued by a lusty cabin boy with an axe with which he demolished one end of their apartment.


The aged watchman, John McCarthy, was in the steerage and there the crash of the partition caught him, taking his head from his body as if from the stroke of a guillotine. Capt. Davis, the gray-haired master of


the PLYMOUTH, said that he was in the pilot house and particularly alert because of the dense fog.


“As the vessels neared each other,” he said, “I quickly rang for full speed astern and I heard the bell of the CITY OF TAUNTON give the same signal. I cannot talk for publication now but must refer you to the agent who will be here Friday. The sad feature of the affair is the loss of life. He was favored by a smooth sea but


found it diffi cult to make such headway in his crippled condition. The wind was favorable, however, and in spite of the thick fog was able to reach a point off this port. An anchor was let go between the two bars. The tide was pretty well up at the time but when it began to ebb the troubles of the SEBAGO were renewed. The action of wind and current carried the schooner onto a bar and she began pounding heavily. She was still in a bad predicament when sighted by the life savers of the Chatham station about 8:35 a.m. Capt. Eldredge and crew put off at once to the vessel and boarded her at 8:30 a.m.


They found that the schooner was in bad shape, that four feet of water was in the hold and that the service of a tug was immediately necessary to save her from more serious injury. Capt. Eldredge returned to the shore just before 10 a.m. and wired to Vineyard Haven for a tug. The crew of the SEBAGO remained on board. The schooner was still pounding the bottom and continued leaking. The wind is moderately strong from the southwest but the water is not rough for Chatham beach. Should the schooner be fl oated during the day it is though she will have to be towed to her destination. The SEBAGO was built at East Deering, Maine, in 1885, and registers 270 tons gross.


The unknown schooner was damaged in the collision but the extent of her injuries is not known here.


Owing to the unusual demand on


Vineyard Haven for tugs, it was expected there would be much delay in forwarding a tow boat here from that port. Later arrangements were made with Boston which sent the tug CONFIDENCE to the assistance of the stranded Portland craft. The tug was expected by afternoon.


* * * * *


Schooner H. B. HOMAN ASHORE Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts,


March 20: - The dense fog which hung over the waters of southern New England during the night and early Friday morning proved a serious impediment to navigation. The British schooner H. B. HOMAN, Capt. Atkinson, bound from Savannah, Georgia, for Louisburg, C. B., with a cargo of yellow pine lumber, ran ashore at 6 o’clock in the morning at West Chop. The Britisher was trying to make this port. Capt. Atkinson deemed it inadvisable to proceed in the fog but by a miscalculation the HOMAN struck


on the bottom. The water was smooth and so far the craft sustained little damage. Capt. Atkinson later made arrangements with the captain of the tug STORM KING and it was thought it would be possible to fl oat the HOMAN at fl ood tide in the afternoon. When the schooner grounded the tide was running out. The Metropolitan line steamer H. T. DIMOCK, Boston for New York, which passed here Thursday afternoon, returned on account of the fog and at 11 a.m. was still anchored awaiting the dissolution of the fog bank.


News of the collision of the Portland schooner SEBAGO and a four-master during the night on Nantucket shoals was received here at 10:30 a.m., but up to that hour no news had been reported at this port of the lager schooner.


25 March 1903 MARY E. MORSE Lost in a Collision at Sea


Bath, Maine Vessel Cut Down by Str. PARTHIAN off Egg Harbor, New Jersey. – Few Particulars


Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts,


March 25. – The loss of the big schooner MARY E. MORSE bound from Port Royal, South Carolina, to New York, with lumber, as the result of a collision at sea Tuesday, was signaled to the tug STORM KING by the Philadelphia and Boston steamer PARTHIAN as it passed the Vineyard Wednesday. The PARTHIAN had on board the crew of the schooner and the signals indicated that the collision occurred off Egg Harbor, New Jersey at 6 o’clock Tuesday morning. The PARTHIAN sustained injuries to her stem and was leaking but her damage was not serious. The MARY E. MORSE was a Bath, Maine vessel, having been there in 1881. She registered 644 tons and was considered a valuable property. The details of the collision could not be ascertained, the passing steamer making only a hurried report. The PARTHIAN should reach Boston late Wednesday afternoon.


1 April 1903 Sailor Lads of Deer Isle


Have Made No “Kick” About America’s Cup Defenders.


Were Always Well Treated


Capt. Weed Makes a Statement Contradicting Several Reports That Have Criticized the Yachtsmen.


Ellsworth, April 1.


In an interview bearing upon confl icting stories, which have appeared in print recently with reference to the attitude of Deer Island sailors towards America’s cup defenders. Capt. F. P. Weed of Stonington, who has been largely responsible for many cup yacht crews, states that every man who has sailed on a champion 90 footer is “more than pleased. Our boys, who have sailed cup defenders,” says Capt. Weed, “have received the best treatment in every respect.” Capt. Weed is reputed as knowing every sailor on Deer Island by name and not only has he had a part in selecting crews for cup defenders, but also in naming men for other responsible positions in the yachting world. Capt. Weed says:


“The Deer Isle boys have been very successful in yachting, and the credit for their success, apart from their own native ability, is largely due to C. Oliver Iselin, Capt. Hank Haff and Capt. Chas. Barr These gentlemen gave them the best training that yachtsmen could have. Our boys who have sailed in cup defenders always received the best of treatment in every respect, and every one of them is more than pleased. “Nearly all of our men are engaged in


the fall and it would be hard to fi nd enough suitable men after January 1 to make one- fourth of a crew for a cup defender. An offer to ship ‘for the Constitution’ made to three or four yachtsmen here had to be declined as all of them had previously engaged for other yachts. There has been no talk of shipping a crew of Deer Isle boys for any of the racers this year.


“The newspaper talk about ill treatment,


poor far, etc., is all bosh; no such reports have been made by any of our former cup defender boys. The chances are that the parties who spun that yarn and deck swabs who were never on the deck of a cup defender.”


2 April 1903 A Launching at Bath.


Bath, April 2. The four-masted schooner FLORENCE


M. PENLEY was launched at 2:40 Thursday afternoon. The craft was christened by Miss Florence M. Penley of Auburn in the presence of a large party of Auburn in the presence of a large party of Auburn and Boston people.


The FLORENCE M. PENLEY, which is owned by the builders, Percy and Small, is practically ready for sea and will make her maiden voyage from Baltimore to Galveston, Texas, with a cargo of steel rails. Her construction is similar to most vessels of her type except she has but two deck houses, there being none amidships. The masts are of Oregon pine measuring 100 feet, and the topmasts of spruce 52 feet long. The dimensions are: Length, 195.5 feet, breadth, 49 feet, depth, 20.6 feet. The gross tonnage is 1,154. The schooner will be commanded by Capt. M. L. Jamieson of New Bedford, Massachusetts, formerly of the schooner CARRIE NORTON.


13 April 1903 Mr. Blake’s New Yacht


His New Craft, ARIA, is One of the Handsomest Now Under Construction – To Cost $75,000.


The following from the New York


Sunday Times will be of interest to Commercial readers:


“At Morris Heights a number of steamers are being built at the yards of the Gas, Engine, and Power Co., Consolidated. All these boats were designed by Charles L. Seabury, and some are good cruising boats with moderate speed; some are very fast and will be used by their owners chiefl y as ferryboats to take them to and from their business and their summer homes and some are like small houseboats, which will be used on the lakes and rivers. “The largest boat at these works is the ARIA, which is for Edward H. Blake of Bangor. The dimensions of the ARIA are 165 feet overall, 138 feet on the water line, 18 feet beam and eight feet six inches draught. She is to have a speed of 19 miles an hour and will be ready for launching this month. The owner’s quarters, consisting of one double stateroom and three single rooms, are aft. “The main saloon is the full width of the ship, and on deck there are two houses, one being the dining saloon and the other the social hall. The offi cers of the yacht have staterooms, and the forecastle is roomy and well ventilated. The yacht will take about 14 men to run and her cost will be $75,000.”


16 April 1903 Sailor to Jail


Big Negro Made Lots of Trouble on Schooner Wednesday Night Attacked the Captain Lively Scene on the ANDREW NEBINGER at the Maine Central


Wharves – The Master’s Story. At the Maine Central wharves


Wednesday night there was something doing in the shape of a coal black coon on a rampage. As Capt. A. J. Robinson of the schooner ANDREW NEBINGER, discharging coal for the Maine Central at the company’s wharf, stepped aboard his vessel at 8:45 Wednesday evening, he was confronted by Walter Barnes, a short, stickily built young negro, who seemed to be in possession of the vessel. The captain asked him what he was doing and received the answer “Hello, captain, what you got to say ‘bout it?” Capt. Robinson told him to go into the forecastle and say there. The captain, being an old man and not over strong, went to his cabin and took the precaution of locking himself in as the mate and steward were away. He had been there but a few minutes when the negro came to the cabin and pounded and kicked until Capt. Robinson opened the door for fear he would take it off the hinges. When the door was opened the negro made a rash for him and got him down on the fl oor and swore he would kill him.


The captain managed to crawl out from under him and reversed the situation, planting himself on the top side of the coon. The negro then got up and the captain grabbed an old army musket standing near that had not been loaded for two years and pointed it at him but the coon knew it was not loaded and started for him again. Capt. Robinson brought the musket down on Barnes’ head but of course such a little thing as that did not have any effect on a bullet proof skull coated with a mass of short, tightly curled hair. Thinking he had done enough for one time the negro went out but soon returned and was looking after the mate this time going into his room and smashing the panels in the door and generally wrecking the room. Capt. Robinson slipped out after an offi cer and found Patrolman Donovan who telephoned to the station for the patrol. Capt. Fahey and Patrolman Clark responded.


On going aboard the negro told them that he had been aboard the world and several other worlds that the offi cers had never heard of and was not going to be taken by any land lubber in the city. A short and breezy scuffl e them ensued in which the offi cers came out winners. They carried their man over the side of the vessel into the waiting wagon where he was put on his back and guard by the three offi cers.


The king of the high seas was humbled into meek submission by the land lubbers. On the vessel he made considerable talk about a knife but did not attempt to use any. A razor was found in his bunk and it is thought he could not fi nd it when he wanted it. In the forecastle he succeeded in breaking the hearth and two legs of the stove and making the place look as if it had been in the path of a Kansas cyclone. In court Thursday morning he appeared to be awed by the proceedings and did not have much of anything to say. He pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly on the schooner and sat down. Capt. Robinson took the stand and testifi ed to his actions. Judge Bailey asked him if he had any further use for the negro. The captain said he had not unless he could “transmogrify” him to some place where he would never see him again. * * * * *


A Bold Skipper


Capt. Jewett of the PERCY Has Gained That Name. Has Thrilling Times How He Once Blocked a Big Vessel Under Sail in a Winter Gale – Some of His Feats.


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