Page 24. MAINE COASTAL NEWS August 2017 4 July


HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Hancock Gazette - 1827 Navy Department


Disaster. – The sloop SOMERSET,


Calder, of and for Nantucket, sailed from Boston on Sunday last, and on Wednesday, about 1 PM and about 10 miles from Cha- tham, was run down by sloop HARRIET, from Belfast, for Stonington – the former had her bow stove in, and the latter lost her main boom. Our informant (with three others) was going to Nantucket, in the SOMERSET, to join a whale ship, and at the instant of the two vessels coming in contact, jumped onto the main boom of the HARRIET, and thus saved himself; and they immediately separated. He was put on board of a fi shing boat for this port, on Thursday, off Cape Harbor, where the HARRIET would put in for a new boom. The last seen of the SOMERSET, the men on board were waving their hats, and crying for help, but the HARRIET being unmanageable from the loss of her main boom, beat having a hole stove in her bottom, blowing heavy and a high sea, was unable to render them any assistance – being loaded deep with lime, hardware &c. it is supposed she sunk soon after, and all on board perished. Our infor- mant however states that a brig was within two or three miles of them at the time of the disaster, and there is a chance the men may have been saved. There were seven persons on board the SOMERSET. Further particulars. – Capt. Basset,


of schooner MIRROR, from New York, informs us that he passed the SOMERSET on Thursday afternoon, back of the Capes, in tow of a Brookhaven sloop, apparently endeavoring to take her to Nantucket, as she was beating up the Cape. The hull did not appear much injured, and her deck load appeared not to have been disturbed – her mast lay fore and aft the deck, rigging, sails, &c. attached to it, hence it is inferred the crew, &c. are safe.


[Boston Patriot, June 30


11 July Page


HUSSAR British Frigate. Some late


attempts to recover articles sunk in this frigate in the East River near New York during the war of the Revolution, having been successful, the articles have been examined by the indefatigable Dr. Samuel L. Mitchell, who has published a report on their condition and appearance. We can only notice a few of them. A telescope found and undergone very little change, the brass work being only rusted, and the glasses so little corroded, that objects can be discovered tolerably well through them; but the brass work of a quadrant, being of less pure ma- terials, was much corroded. Of the swords, knives and forks found nothing remained but the ivory or horn handles. Articles in the Medicine chest, enclosed by glass stoppers, were remarkably reserved; and articles of crockery ware looked as if they had not been immersed more than 24 hours. These articles had remained sunk to the depth of 70 feet, for a period of forty-seven years. No money (the principal object of the search) was found. We have before mentioned having been in- formed by a British naval offi cer more than forty years ago, that there was no money on board the HUSSAR when she sunk. – Bos. Cent.


John White master, arrived at Marblehead on the 26th the 25th


Sea Serpent. – The schooner HOPE, June. “Capt. White reports that on


June, being about 45 miles E. From


Cape Ann, moderate and cloudy weather, the water very smooth, a vessel going about 2 knots, saw something in the water about a half a mile distant. We kept the vessels for the subject – when about 25 feet from it, it


moved and proceeded from us about 15 feet and we found it to be a large fi sh such as none of us had ever seen before. All of us seven in number, had a distinct view of it for about 15 minutes. He appeared to have three fi ns on his back; the forward one about three feet from his body, the others shorter. After going the above distance from us, it turned and came within 25 feet of us – and after looking at us a moment, went again from us about the same distance, turned again, and came about the same distance from us as at fi rst, being very methodical in its movements. The second time we thought it intended to come on board – but it went off ; we kept the vessel away, and saw it for about 15 minutes afterwards. When we fi rst saw the creature, we supposed he was asleep – by his starting away in the manner he did, and by his re- peated returns, we supposed he resented our wakening him, for we had like to run against him. His head was like a horse’s never about a foot out of water, and that was while he was looking at us – but when he moved, the greater part of his head was underwater, and the tail was all the time underwater, except when we fi rst roused him – he then gave it a fl ing out of water, when it appeared like that of a snake. He appeared to be a powerful animal – what was seen of him out of water was about 60 feet in length. The Marblehead correspondent of the


Salem Register adds that Mr. White is a man of respectable character, and that his statement may be depended on as correct.


Naval. The U. S. ship HORNET,


has towed into Key West, the British ship JAMES MITCHELL, from Liverpool for Cuba, which had got on Cape Cruz del Padre shoals, and was fallen in with by the boats of the JOHN ADAMS and HORNET, then cruising for a pirate. The crew of the JAMES MITCHELL was found in an intoxicated an ungovernable state. She was hove off with great labor, and found in a very leaky condition; and, at the request of the consign- ees, that she might not be carried before a Spanish Court, she was towed to Key West, for adjudication for salvage, by the Court of Florida.


Baltimore, July 1 Very late from the Brazils. – The fast


sailing schooner BLUCHER, Sherman, arrived at this port on Saturday, in the very short passage of 34 days from Rio Janeiro, bringing advices from that capital to the 25th


May. A letter from an intelligent and


respectable source communicates the fol- lowing political intelligence: – “It is said the French government have claimed indemni- fi cation of his government for captures of French vessels, and that a meeting of the Cortes, yesterday, with closed doors, was occasioned by the Minister of French having addressed a note to this government to that eff ect. It was at fi rst supposed the private sitting of the Assembly was on propositions of peace with Buenos Ayres, growing out of communication with Manuel Garcia, who arrived here from Buenos Ayres some weeks ago, on his way to England; as Minister. His arrival has, no doubt, some reference to the belligerent and political relations between the two governments. Many persons think there will be peace in a few weeks. I have no such hopes; this government does not yet feel enough of the inconveniences of the war. There may be an arrangement in the course of 4 or 5 months. The Buenos Aryeans have again commenced operations in the province of Rio Grande, where this government has no force suffi cient to arrest their progress.


June 25th , 1827 The President of the United States has


approved the following General Regula- tions:


1) No person who is less than fourteen years old will be appointed a Midshipman. 2) Midshipman at the age of twenty


years, who have been fi ve years in service, and performed active duty at sea for three years, will be entitled to be examined for promotion. If found qualifi ed, they will be ranked as “Passed Midshipmen.” 3) Those who had been twice examined


and rejected; or have twice received notice to attend an examination, and have declined, will be dismissed. 4) Passed Midshipmen will receive


Warrants as such – will take rank of all other Midshipmen, and received the pay of twen- ty-fi ve dollars per month, and two rations per day.


SAMUEL L. SOUTHARD The new lighthouse at the mouth of


Norwalk harbor, CT was lighted on the 17th ult. The light is a revolving one.


Captain Symmes is very sick near Tren-


ton, NJ, and requests pecuniary aid to reach Ohio.


DIED


Wm. Augustus, son of Capt. William Barnes, aged about 4 months.


PORT OF BELFAST Arrived


July 6 – schooners CAROLINE,


Coombs, Boston; ROB ROY, Donnell, Newburyport; sloops POLLY, Yarmouth; NORMAN, Jordan, Castine. July 8th


Cleared July 7th


Portland. 18 July


Extract of a letter from Capt. Parry to Viscount Melville


EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH POLE “My Lord – Among the enterprises


which yet remain unaccomplished, and of which the object is to complete our knowl- edge of the surface of the globe, it appears to me undertaken, and considering the nature of such enterprises, few so easily practicable as an attempt to reach the North Pole of the earth.


“There can be no doubt of the practi-


cability of reaching, in any years (as is the annual custom of the whalers) that part of Spitzbergen, called ‘Cloven Cliff ,’ lying in latitude 79 52, about the middle or towards the close of May; so that the party might set off to the northward on the 1st


of June. The


distance of Cloven Cliff from the Pole is 600 miles.


“The method which I consider a prac-


ticable one of accomplishing the proposed object, is by means of boats having ‘runners’ attached to them in the manner of sledges, so as to admit of their beings hauled over the ice when no open water presented itself, and again launched at pleasure. “The number of individuals I should


propose to be employed on this service is twenty-four; namely, two offi cers and ten men to constitute each boat’s crew. Annexed to this letter is a list of the articles required on such an expedition; also an estimate of the weight of each, together with a further explanation of some of the details, to which I beg to refer you Lordship. “In this estimate provision has been


Gale on the Lakes, the St. Lawrence,


&c. – The New York interior, and the Ca- nadian papers, give melancholy particulars of destruction occasioned by a severe SW gale on the 22nd


ult. On Lake Erie a vessel


and some lives were lost, and much damage experienced at Buff alo, where the water rose more than fi ve feet above the ordinary level, and inundated the lower village. On Lake St. Peter, and in the St. Lawrence numerous rafts, &c. were wrecked, and nearly 100 lives reported to be lost. Report we hope has as usual exaggerated the calamity. From one raft 11 persons were said to be drowned, and twenty-one saved by a Jolly boat. At Three Rivers, persons were heard to cry for assis- tance from wrecks which were passing, but from the violence of the tempest it was found impossible to aff ord it. – Several vessels were dismasted at Québec.


MARINE LIST Port of Belfast Arrived


July 14th – sloop RAPID, Nickerson, – sloop NORMAN, Jordan, – schooner UNION, Boyles,


Nantucket; sloop PENOBSCOT PACKET, Ross, Portland.


made for seventy-two days, as a full and ample allowance, of every article which is known by experience to be required on such an occasion during a polar summer. This interval of time would make it necessary to traverse 16½ miles per day in order to eff ect the proposed object, which, (unless favored by considerable extents of open water) is perhaps too much to expect to accomplish. But having, on repeated trials, found that seven days of such allowance may, without any privation whatever, be extended to nine days, I feel confi dent that the supply mentioned in the estimate, aided by birds, seals, &c. would be found quite suffi cient for ninety-two days, reducing the daily distance to 13 miles. “An oilskin covered completely over


the boats answering all the purpose of a sail when required, would make the people comfortable during the times of rest, each man being provided with his blanket, bag, and a suit of extra clothing as a drive shift.’ “From my knowledge of the qualities of


the Esquimaux dogs, I am inclined to think that the object might be materially assisted by employing from twelve to twenty of these useful animals for draught;* a portion of food might be taken for them, and more would probably be procured as the party ad- vanced, but even in case of the failure of their provisions, the fl esh of the dogs themselves would furnish no inconsiderable addition to that of the men. “The summer temperature of the Polar


regions is by no means uncomfortable; the sun would be constantly above the horizon, and our men have always enjoyed remark- ably robust health during excursions of this nature. If open water should frequently occur, it is always sure to be smooth, and even if it were otherwise, a boat hauled up on a fl oe of ice, is as secure as on shore. In fact, the more open water is found, the more easy would be the accomplishment of the enterprise: and, taking the chance of such occasional assistance, I cannot be enter- tained a confi dent hope that the whole might be completed by the end of August; and the expedition again be in England before the middle of September.’ * Captain Parry has since been com-


pelled so far to alter this part of his plan, as to employee Lapland reindeer instead of Esquimaux dogs.


The frigate GUERRIERE, built in


France for the Pasha of Egypt, had arrived in Alexandria; but it is reported that the corvette which accompanied her had been captured by the Greeks.


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