The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-20
ARRIVAL OF SHIP BERTHA
Did She Return to Liverpool for saIvages

| The ship Bertha, which has been since Feb
ruary 9TH getting from Liverpool here with a
cargo of salt, arrived yesterday noon, flying tho
colors of the managing owners, j. S. Winslow
& Co. Despite her long detention, she is now
in good condition and her cargo is uninjured,
and but for claim for salvage made by the
owners of the steamer Bolivia, her owners
would be happy. They are glad to see her,
however, for she is one of the finest vessels
which sails from this port
The log of the ship shows that she left Liver
pool as above stated, on the 18th of February,
under command of Capt. E. w. Hill. Nothing
of interest is noted except heavy weather until
the 2Sth of February. The log says that this
day commenced with terrible gale, southwark
and westward, with high cross seas. At2 p. No.
she shipped heavy sea, washing the captain,
carpenter and three seamen overheard. They
succeeded in recovering one man, but the rest
were lost, owing to the heavy sea. The men
lost were Capt. Hill, William Frills, jr. of this
city, Thos. T. Hanson, the carpenter, and
William Roaks, a seaman. A seaman named
Brown had his leg badly bruised, and another
named johnson received severe cut on the
head by the same sea. Two boats were washed
away, the pilot house and skylight stove. the
covering boards lifted the whole length of the
poop deck and the rail stove off.
The mate, Whitcomb, took charge of the vessel
after the loss of the captain. The nextday how
ever, March LIST, they fell in with the steamer
Bolivia, and the fourth officer and two seamen
were shipped to the vessel to help navigate
her.
At this point the log, which was kept by
Whit,omb, and the account given by the crew
now on the ship differ very materially. The
log says that on the morning of Mondsy, March
4th, three days after the loss of the CAPTAIN
the men refused to turn to. The men were
asked what the matter was and they replied
that they needed rest They told the steward
that they could not work until they got some
thing to eat The mate asked the men if be
ran the ship for Ireland if they would turn to.
The answer was that they were feeling better.
Upon this, the ship was put about at once, and
arrived at Neville March 18th, after being at
sea SO days.
The crew say that the log does not correctly
represent the situation. They say that as soon
as the steamers officer and Whitcomb took
command they were constantly striving to find
an excuse for returning to Neville. The men
were worked hard during the hard weather,
and as soon as the danger was over they found
themselves wholly unfit for work. To add to
their discomfort, they did not have half enough
to eat. Owing to these circumstances, two or
three of the men did at one time refuse duty
for short time, but when the importance of
working the ship was represented to them, they
all went on deck. Not long after going on
deck the mate said they had better return to
Neville, and they did. Tho crew say that the
question of salvage was uppermost In the
minds of the mate and the commanding officer,
and that as soon ae they arrived at Neville she
was libeled by the owners of the steamer. The
mate at once left the vessel.
Capt. James Chisam, an old sea captain of
Bath, who now resides in Liverpool, was Sc
cured as captain, fortunately, and having
shipped his son as mate. took charge of the
vessel Before leaving, David Bush, the col
ored cook, belonging in Portland, was taken
sick and died in the hospital of dropsy on the
18th of March. He was 60 years of age and
leaves wife and child in this city.
The ship sailed the second time for Portland
April 9Th. Ga May 1st q seaman named
Henry johnson died from the effects of drink.
The entire voyage was a very rough one and the
sails suffered badly.