Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-09
Loss of the Massachusetts,.

The Boston Advertiser furnishes the following
account of the disaster, which befell the steamer
Massachusetts, during the late storm, while on the
| trip from New York to Providence;
! The Massachusetts, left New York at five o'clock
on Thursday afternoon with $50 passengers aboard
end large cargo of freight. The day had been
stormy, and the violence of the storm increased AS
the boat went down the Sound. by ~ o'clock a
terrible gale was blowing, and it is reported that
the captain said that he had lost his lights. The
fog was SO thick that nothing could be seen, and
the whistle was blowing necessarily. About half
past eleven the passengers report that the eng
were stopped for few minutes; then the boat
went ahead slowly for u few minutes, and the en-
CINE stopped again. la half minute more there
was terrible crash, quickly followed by two more.
! Some of the passengers were throwo from their
berths by the shock. while all were terribly fright
ened People poured out of the stae-rooms as II
| their time short, and 10 five minutes almost
every passenger had on a life preserver ana was
waiting for the worst. There was, however, no
/ confusion and no outcries. Two or three women
are reported to have tainted, but this report IS
most emphaticalv denied. The officers OF the boat
told the pas sen gers that the boat was aground. and
! that there was no danger at present IN the shell
/ tered position in which the boat lay. Inc violence
of the gale was less severely felt, aud treasured
by the comforting words OF the officers, most of
| the passengers took Off the life -preservers and
/ some of the cooler ones went to bed. This was
about one o'clock. Half an hour later the wind,
which had been blowing from the southeast sud-
denly changed to northwest aud beat upon the
stranded boat with terrific force. The steamer
VIII ch lay quite steadily, began to thump heav-
iy upon the rocks. Every would raise her in
the air, she wou1 come down with awful force up
the rocks and wiihe and grind until 1t seemed
sue must 20 TO pieces. One ot the passengers de-
scrib,d the motion Ut the boat rs being lac that
Of u toy serpent when set on ire. he ala III,
which nad partially subsidized, broke out aiIesu.
Tue passenger. VINO had gone down to bel got up
AGAIN IN haste. Ene lite pr. servers were once
more put on, and there was IA general expectation
tnat the boat would immediate ~ break up. Still
the officers and passengers preserved admirable
c Imposure, though there was excuse for fear.
No one knew where she was IL was so dark that
absolutely nothing could he seen. The wind
howed that conversation was iuaudible,
while above all was the ineessant trump, aud the
sound Of heavy grinding, winch all knew was eat
ing the bottom of the boat. The Ildng the state
rooms began to fall down, aud in some of the
state rooms the berhs even ieil to the floor, so
much WAS the boat spread. the rods VIII lch held
! the chandelier IN the main saloon had snapped
like pipe stems, and pieces of the side OF the boat
! had beeu broken away. The water was rising IN
| the ioreca.tie, and the deck hands were set to
work to iig hlen the boat Over board went cotton,
flour, wbiskey, sugar. until at least hat the car
20 was in tue sea. The other half was kept in to
balance the boat. Tuu, the night wore away, and
II was night which the passengers will not soon
forget.
ABOUT four O'Clock the Northwestern lighted up a
little, and dun, black line of shore could be
seen As the morning began to break it became
apparent that the boat was on Long Island. She
apparently struck head on, and swung around I'M
| I'll her bow pointed east. The waves were beat
| ing the windward side so furiousy that the
spray da he'd over the upper deck and fell on the
| leeward side OF the boat. The boat was about five
hundred feet from shore, and although she formed
| a break water the suif was running very high on
the beach. Soon after daylight the position of the
boat from the shore, and there was spec
dy gathering of people on the beach. About SIX
O'Clock one of the steamers boats was lowered,
and some of the officers went on shore. About
this time Daniel Clark put oil through the surf in
q dory and safely reached the steamer. lie was
| heartily welcomed, as 1t proved that boat could
live in the surf fact that some OF the passengers
were inclined to doubt Charles Mathewson also
came off from shore and passengers learned thea
where they were. Some OF them wanted to go
ashore in the dories, but Captain Jones thought 1t
would be safe for the passengers to wait and 20
in the steamers boats. Three OF the passengers,
however, John Hagar of Providence, Frank Cow
ey of Pawtucket, and c. &. Shelby of New York,
went over the side of the steamer and
in few minutes were safely landed on the beach.
About eight &C lock the first bost-load of pas
sengers went ashore in the steamers boats. A
line was run ashore, and the boat hauled through
| the surf. There was no trouble As long as the
boat floated, but the moment 1t struck the beach,
| 1t fell upon the side the water poured in, and the
| passengers who came ashore the first boat got
pretty wet after that the generous people of East
| Marion rushed into the water to meet each boat
load and steady the boat, and in some cases picked
passengers up bodily and carried them to the land.
The process of decentralization lasted all the fore
noon, and it was II O'Clock before the last passen
ger was ashore While the Decentralization was
!, going on, the wind, which had subsidized a little
about clock blew with increasing fury, aud
the passengers were told what TO do in case the
boat suddenly went to pieces. AT last all were
safe.
Most Of them procured dinner at once. while
few rushed oil to take the cars at Greenport. The
main body OF the passengers took carriages Tor
Greenport about two O'Clock, and reached there,
about five miles away, an hour and half later
They were informed that the Frances would come
there for them, and about o'clock the Frances
appeared. Half hour later she started
on her return. Soon after her departure
from Greenport the passengers began sing
ing Moody and Sankey hymns, and, inspired
by the occasion, a prayer meeting was held on
board the Rev. Mr.. Haley of New Hampshire
officiating, and one of the passengers states tnat
he never enjoyed prayer meeting SO much be-
fore IN his lie. The Hon. Neal Dow OF Mai le
was of the rescued PASSENGERS, and improved
The opportunity 10 make n temperance speech.