The Portland daily press., 1871-02-14

Loss OF THE SCHOONER MARY ANNA, OF
HAMPDEN, Me. The Schooner Mary Anna, Of
Hampden, Me-, Capt. Lehman, from South
Amboy for Portland, with cargo of coal,w
discovered near Nantucket bar on the 4th
inst, in distress. Capt. Lehman, after describ
ing his trutless efforts to weather Cape Cod
makes the following report of the sufferines
of his crew, and the subsequent wreck of the
vessel:
"Tne Captain states that the vessel had be-
come nearly unmanageable from the great
quantity OF ice that had accumulated upon
her during the severe cold weather, and being
unable to get into Holmes Hole harbor, Eat
M, kept away fer Brant Point Light, as
being the most likely place to bring them in
the vicinity of human aid; and at 8 Pm. she
brought up. From this time uutll II, the sea
made constant breech over the vessel, they
were obliged to take to the rigging, and their
sufferlnes were dreadful. When the vessel
beat up so as not to feel the sea so much, they
were enabled to get into the cabin. Every.
thing movable had been washed away, incud-
ing their boat, and the ice had made till it
formed a coating two or three feet thick all
over her. Early on Sunday morning they
were driven out ofthe cabin by the rise of the
tide, and spent the whole day on deck, having
nothing to eat or drink, with hardly any
chance to walk, though they were forced to
keep continually moving to preserve their lives.
1t was net until Sunday evening that they got
fire in the little cylinder stove, but even
this in the open air was oil little avail against
the piercing rgor of such night. Three of
the five, wno had wet and frozen their feet,
suffered hey Ind all description.
During Sunday, they had watched with
oltprp q homo and docpair ho at Of a.
steamer Island Home to come to their relief,
as also the truitless efforts OF men who had left
Nantucket on the ice with dories; and the
Captain says: Sat dark on Sunday night, I had
made up my mind that our friends on shore
would give up any further trials until morning
giving the ice time to strengthen, and [ knew
that all of us could not live until daylight At
8 O'Clock p. NJ, the steward, who had both feet
badly frozen, gave himself up to die, actually
bidding goodbye to his shpmates. who COW
cred him up as best they could, and left HIM
to his fate.
At about ten O'Clock, party of eight men,
provided with two dores and several long
boards, pushed cut from the Cliff shore, feel
ing their way cautiously toward the distressed
vessel. The night was beautifully clear, but the
air was singing cold, and the ice in some
places unfit to bear the weight of the dories.
At such placed, the boards came into play, and
III TWO instances, tney were ODllged to take to
the dories and pull for it. Thus altering the
different means of locomotion to suit the cir
cumstances, the party of heroes toiIed on for
some two hours and balf in passing dis
tance estimated by them at two miles.
They reached the wreck all safe, and found
the captain and crew, fvelin number, nearly
worn out with cold and exhaustion. The YES
sci lay well over on her beam ends, in about
ten feet of water, with her deck,part'y out, and
every part OF her numbered with ice to such
an extent that only the general form OF the
hull could be distinguished. All hands were
taken off and great difficulty were bought
over the ice TO the land.
The captain is confident that had relief been
delayed but short time longer two at least,
out of the five, must surely have persisted.
But the sound OF the voices of the approach
ing party sent a thrill of joy and gratitn de to
all their hearts; and the touch of rough but
kindly hands put new vigor even into the poor
steward, and reused him to make another
effort for his life"
The survivors were taken TO Boston where
comfortable quarters were provided for them,
and those who were frozen are doing well I'M
der good medical treatment. The vessel lies
imbedded in ice near the Inner Bar, and will
probably prove total loss.