The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-16

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were thoroughly chilled, and showed signs OF
exposure. In conversation with them they all
spoke of their good fortune in escaping. The
tide was rising at the time and kept the vessel
up right, otherwise a large number of the per-
sons on board would have been lost Among
the passengers who arrived were Mr.. >. Scott
of Boston, who was on his way from Halifax
where he had been to visit his friends; MIR. y.
Sandal of Nova Scotia; G. E. Laecker, the
purser Thomas B. Merrill of this city, engl-
neer of the Falmouth; j. Lemeux, second en-
gineer, and eight or ten of the crew.
MI. W. H. Harrington of Halifax, who was
on his way to this city to meet his daughter
who was coming from Boston, gives very
clear account of the affair He says that We'd
nesday it was dark and stormy nearly all day,
but at noon it cleared up little, and the cap
tain and pilot began to right the compass, which
they found had got out of the way. Ihey
called to their assistance Captains Stevens ana
Anderson, two old sea captains who are well
acquainted with the coast between here and
Halifax The compass was at last considered
right and all went on smoothly. Mr.. Harring-
ton knows nothing more of what was done on
the steamer until she struck.
Mr.. Merrill, of the steamer Falmouth, says
that the night was dark and squally, and it was
difficult to see the lights. From what he says
it appears that the version OF the affair by
Capt. Coyle which was published in the HREss
of yesterday. was perfectly correct The cur
rent, Mr.. Merrill says, was setting IN very strong
at the time towards the mouth of the Bay OF
Fundy; and when the ship struck she was
twenty miles out of the way.
Engineer Merrill says that at about eight
o'clock in the evening it was showing hard and
the steamer stopped to sound, and found ~
fathoms They calculated they should see Mar
tinicus Light at 10a o'clock. At precisely that
time they saw Whitehead Light, but 1t was
showing so hard at the time that they thought
il was Martinicus. At about half-past eleven
they got near enough to see that 1t was a req
flash light, which they knew to be Whitehead
light. When the captain saw this he knew he
was wrong, as Martinicus has two lights. The
steamer was stopped and they sounded, and
found % fathoms. The steamer was turned
aboat to the southeast and the captain
remarked that he would run off shore and lay
to until morning. The sea was running high
at the time. and it was quite dark, although IL
was lot showing. At about midnight the ship
struck with grinding noise and went ABOUT
half her length on the rock before she stopped.
The sea would lift her bows from the rock and
then, as the water left her, she would strike on
the rock with great force breaking her bottom
at every stroke All this time her stern was
afoat, and it was thought that she would re-
main there until morning. The captain toid
the passengers to make themselves comfortable
as they could remain there until morning. But
it was soon discovered that the ship was leak
ing badly, and in short time the baggage and
engine rooms were filled with water. A short
time afterwards the water commenced pouring
into the cabin, driving all the passengers upon
the deck. The captain ordered the boats low
cred The captain took command OF one, j.
Mclean, the engineer, of the second, u. w.
Talbot, the pilot, of the third, and j. b. Les
sarde, the mate. of the fourth. Able seamen
were appointed to each beat and all was ready.
The CAPTAIN ordered the ladies and children
into his boat. Miss Armstrong, the stewardess,
procured number of blankets, and they made
themselves quite comfortable. About dozen
men were then taken in and the boat pushed
oft from the sinking ship. Just as the boat
was leaving two men jumped from the ship
into the boat, and nearly swamped it. The
four boats would jast take off the 90 odd per-
sons on board, tut in some way when the pilots
boat was being lowered it was capsized, thus
leaving number of persons on the Ship
Among the number was the pilot who hailed
the boats and begged them to take him off, but
as the boats were already over loaGed his cries
for help were not answered. The captain
boat and the one commanded by engineer NC
Lean. made for Tenants harbor, which was
about seven miles distant The third boat,
commanded by Mr.. Lessarde, made for White
head, about the same distance. This boat had
a lantern and compass, and with the assistance
of Capt. Stevens, who had taken the bearings
of the light, they arrived at Whitehead about
six o'clock. The occupants, twelve in number,
were chilled through. On arrival there the
mate, Mr.. Lessarde, and Mr.. Sanders, one OF
the passengers, notified the life-saving station
near by of the accident. The life boat at once
started for the vessel and saved the six persons,
who were badly chilled. They had passed
hard night. Thinking that the fore part would
20 down first they went aft, but the ship soon
began to break up and they all took their blank
cts and went on the bridge. where they re-
manned until they were rescued. The stern OF
the vessel broke off and sank. The pilot had
his feet frozen, but the other five escaped with
out being frost bitten.
The boat commanded by Mr.. Mclean ar
rived at Tenants Harbor at O'Clock, and at
once procured the tug Emma, Capt Poland, OF
Fall River to 60 to the wreck. just as the tug
got well under way in the harbor they came
upon the captains boat, which was trying to
get up to the wharf. They were assisted by the
tug to the wharf, and from there they were
taken to the hotel. The tug then started for
the wreck. But when it arrived there the life
boat had taken them off.
The party on Whitehead received the best of
treatment at the hands of the lifesaving sta
ton men. At eleven o'clock they started to go
to Rockand but failed and landed at Spruce
Head, and then went to Seal Halbor, and
from there Mr.. Laechler aud Mr.. Sandal went
to Rockland and telegraphed the company.
The steam cutter Dallas arrived here last
evening, bringing thirty one persons from Ten
nant's Harbor. Yesterday morning it took on
the passengers and started for this city. The
passengers speak in the highest terms of the
officers Of the cutter, who did their utmost to
make them comfortable.
The crew of the steamer went before British
Vice Consul Starr, who furnished them money
to return to their homes in Canada. The passen
gers stopped il the city last night and this
morning they will go on their journey. All the
baggage of the passengers was lost.
The purser lost all the papers belonging to the
Grand Trunk Company, but the money was
saved.
The following is the freight of the steamer:
Dana g. Co 10 quintal3 of fish.
c. III. Fling, crates, 81 bundles skins.
G. W. True & Co.. 2 bundles bags.
Hart & Co., crates, casks aud 10 bundles
skins
Eastern Express Company, three packages
of sundries. ,
For the Grand Trunk Railway, 20 bundl es
bags case homespuus, 2 cases merchandi Sc,
box, 1 half barrel, 16 bundles bags, 164 asks
OIL box merchandise.
THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT.
Capt Angrove states that the steamer ran
all right and that his compasses were in good
condition until Wednesday noon, when he no.
ticed slight variation. They were rghted and
supposed to be correct. At ten o'clock at night