The Portland daily press., 1871-11-16
Loss OF BRIG e. p. SWEET, AND
ID OWNING OF THE CAPTAINS
WIFE AND THREE SAILORS.
CAPTAIN PENDLEroNs NARRATIVE

Brig e. L. SWEET OF Bath, Capt. George ZEN
dletop, from Philadelphia for Portland, with
coal. foundered off Sandy Hook on Friday, the
| 10th inst. The Captains wife ana three OF the
crew were drowned. Captain Pendleton, who
| is a resident OF this city, arrived home yester-
| day, and we give his narrative of the disaster
| and loss of life:
Left Philadelphia on the 7th for Portland
with a cargo of coal consigned to James d.
Baker of this city. Had usual good weather
and made ordinary progress on the voyage IN
til Friday morning 10th inst, when at o'clock
| 10 the morning, found myself about ten miles
off Barpegat The wind hauled to the east
ward and bowed fresh; Kept the vessel off for
Sandy Hook to make harbor. At l o'clock, a
the vessel on her beam ends and in one hour
from the time the cargo commenced shifting
the vessel sunk in eight fathoms of water
southeast of Sandy Hook. When we found
the vessel was going down we all made for the
boat and cut the lashings aud slid her down.
The boat filled with water and we were all
washed overheard. We succeeded in getting
all hands on the broadside of the vessel before
she sunk; when another sea came and swept
us all off the second time. My wife and
c ung to each other: was under water some
time with my wife in nay arms. When came
to the surface my wife's arms were around my
neck. Presently they relaxed and slipped
down and felt that my vile was dead.
chung to her with my right arm and with my
left reached for topsail brace; my hold slip
ped from my wife and 1 saw no more of her.
When the sea struck us which washed US off
the second time l was trying to get my wife
into the main rigging. After L lost her the
second mate said he saw her at distance from
the vessel,5ut beyond onr reach. After cinaing
to the brace while / somewhat recovered and
hauled myself along and got hold Of the clew
of the topsail. The three men who were lost
did not see after we were washed off the Sec
Ond time. Oneof them was Joseph Wheatley
of Scarboro' a widower, with daughter II
years old. The cook was Brazilian and the
other man lost was North German, but their
names do not know. Had it not been for the
prompt assistance of Capt. Murte OF SCH
Jane f. Durfee of Fall River. we should all
have been lost. He was about three-quarters
of mile to leeward and saw the vessel go
over. He at ouce hove too, lowered his boat,
came to QUE assistance, picked us up and car
ried us into Fall River.
The captain and four men who were saved
lost every thing they had, escaping emily with
the clothes they had on.
The brig e. P. SWEET was built at Arrowsic
in 1861, was 261 tons burden, hailed from Bath,
and was owned in Bath and Portland. There
was an insurance on the cargo
+. ..f The storm.
The storm yesterday was the most severe
that has visited us for several years. Its APP
proach was announced by the government
storm signals and in consequence many steam
and sailing vessels that would under ordinary
circumstances have gone to sea, remained in
port The fall of rain in Portlaod on Tuesday
night was light, but in the country, we under
stand it was very heavy; at Rochester, N. H. it
descended in torrents, doing considerable
damage to roads, and overfo wing the banks of
water courses At daylight on Wednesday
morning the wind was heavy from E. s. E.,
but in the middle of the forenoon it changed to
e. N. E., and increased in violence, bringing
much heavier fall of rain. The harbor was fill
ed with vessels, which rode comfortably, being
well sheltered. and. no damage to shipping
from the gale has been reported. The tide was
unusually high and at one o'clock, high water,
quite number of wharves were submerged.
The lower end of Commercial W harf was con-
siderably damaged by the tide, and part Of a
store house was torn away. A small building
on the extreme end of the wharf was washed
off Some of the planking on Central and
Commercial wharves was ripped up, but the
damage was slight Some Of the vessels that lay
in the docks were chafed, and difficulty was
experienced in keeping the smaller ones from
riding the wharves A number of cellars on
Fore and Commercial streets were filled with
water. .Messrs. +. s. Q. B. Nash, in Duran
block had lot Of stoves in their cellar covered
by the water, whi Oh will involve some labor to
restore them to saleable condition. Two
chimneys on the block were blown down, one
of which fell into Fore street with crash.
The low land west of the Maine Central depot
was flooded; the Y. connecting with the Port
land ,Saco & Portsmouth railroad bridge was
covered land the trains from Boston for tie east
waded across TO the main land. The P. S. &
p. railroad bridge was also under water, and
the Grand Trunk bridge was covered SO deep
that the fire in an engine which was crossing
was extinguished and the engine had to be
pulled off by another.
On the back side of the city the water flow
ed up in some places to Lincoln street. The
cellars north of that street were generally fill
ed with water, and some houses which stand
near the outer edge of the "dump" were sur
rounded. The track of the Portland & Roch
ester road running down to the proposed mar
ginal way was covered. A vessel loaded with
lobster chum, lying near the lower stone sheds
got foul, filled nd was badly strained.
Later in the day, and after the above was in
type, some small disasters in the harbor were
reported. A number of the vessels had their
jib and main booms carried away by coming in
collision. Quite a number dragged their
anchors and and one or more lost one and drag
ged some distance. The revenue steamer Nc
Culloch had steam up all day and gave assis-
lance to vessels that were in dagger. We have
heard of no injury to the railroads to the east,
but, naturally expect that trains will be delay
ed to-day en- account of wash-outs.