The Portland daily press., 1880-01-29
THE LOSS OF THE SARAH e. FRAZER
Full Particulars Of the Accident from the
Officers Of the Sardinia and Frazer.

Full Oh tl1G ACClSiOhU IL jill IA4O
officers Of the Sardinia and Frazer.
The Halifax Herald of Monday, which has
just arrived, gives the following particulars of
the loss of the Frazer additional to those al
ready received:
THE "sARDINIANs 'RREPoRT.
Capt button reports that ON the morning of
Friday last, about four o'clock, his vessel col
lided with barque, about so miles off Georges
Shoals. The barque was struck on the port
quarter and cut in two His lookout did not
see the vessel nor any light until they struck,
and the accident was entirely unavoidable.
The steamer was stopped as soon as possible,
boats lowered, and all the crew saved, except
the captains wife and one sailor, and brought
to this port
CAPTAIN sHEPARDs REPORT.
The Sarah E. Frazer was barque Of $40
tons, built at Yarmouth, Maine, in 1870, and
registered in Portland. She was loaded with
a cargo Of shocks by Messrs. Phinney & jack
son, and left on Monday the 10Th instant, for
Matanzas. had crew Of 10 hands, -includ-
ing myself and wife. We were towed out of
Portland Harbor by q tug, leaving that port
about noon. Shortly after the tug left us, head
winds sprung up and it was after one o'clock
Tuesday morning before we got out of sight OF
Cape Light. AT ten o'clock the wind veered
to the east and we hove to under close canvas
until two o'clock Wednesday morning, when
the wind backed round to the northeast, with
heavy sea running. [ judge the vessel was
close under Old Orchard Beach, At two O'Clock
wore ship to southwark and eastward. Fair
winds continued till Thursday afternoon. Dur
ing Thursday night we hove to, so miles south
of Georges Shoals, with wind southeast, sails
still reefed and heavy sea running. All hands
were on deck. Towards morhing there was
heavy lightning from the northwest. About
tour O'Clock in the morning it commenced to
clear up and we furled malntopsall After
seing sails furled, the weather becoming clear,
er, and everything apparently all right, and
having had no sleep for three nights, went
to my cabin and lay down beside my wife
Georgia, continued Capt. Shepard, with an Ell,
fort to suppress his emotion, was awake and
said, "I'm glad you are come to bed, 10; you
must be SO tired" She placed her arm across
my breast and Immediately fell asleep. Ten
minutes after falling asleep my ship was cut
in two.
The next thing that I knew was when felt
myself sinking / didn't hear the crash; not
sound. 1 woke up and found myself in the
water. My ship had been cut in two by
steamer, which was going right on her way.
My first thought was for my wife, but could
not her. l. never saw Her diteE "
Sleep I must have been stunned by the shock.
NV wife was probably struck and stunned and
sank as soon as she fell in the water. L could
have saved her if I had seen her. Capt; Shop
ard being a stout man hoated easily. 1t was
pitch dark when the steamer passed caught
hold of some floating wreck and kept myself
up. After being in the water half an hour-lt
seemed hours-I saw blue light on the water
and q boat coming. l shouted, and they came
and picked me up l. was very much EXHAUST.
I y 1ners and hpnum |
| think must have persisted had ! not been
picked up when was
The Captain was depressed in spirit over the
loss of his wife, to whom he was fondiy at
tached ''She was a good wife" he said, and
continued, "Oh! that fatal ten minutes! If l
had only remained on deck ten minutes longer
should have seen the steamer and saved my
wife, if l could not have prevented the loss OF
my ship"
THOMAS C. BURT, THE NATE
substantiated the Captains statement OF all
that had taken place UP to the time the Cap
tain went below, and said: GA few minutes
after the Captain went below saw steam
er's lights She was probably half mile eff
and bearing right down on us. l thought she
saw us, but coming up from over the stern,
perhaps was unable to see our lights, so L put
man on the poop with bright light. He
was probably there seven minutes. When l.
saw that she did not alter her course and was
going to run into us, ran to the cabin door
and shouted to the Captain twice, but got no
reply then with the rest of the crew, ran for
ward A moment later the steamer going at
- knots an hour, struck us on the port quar-
ter 1t was a terrific blow, and the vessel
shook like leaf. There was great excitement
among cur crew, The steamer went right on,
and we found that the stern OF our vessel had
been cut clear off, and that the Captain and
Sc, mi 70 parripd with it. The shin
at once filed with water, but being loaded
with shocks, did not fill. 1t was half an hour
before I saw the blue signals of the boat.
When they came alongside L knew that the
Captain was saved. The sea was too rough to
allow of the boat to come close to the wreck,
which was sinking fast, and we were compelled
to jump into the sea, and picked up the boat
one at time. 1t was very dangerous and
there was considerable hesitation among our
men, At last one man said, "boys,- I'll lead
the way; you follow" He jumped into the
boat safely. Another followed land then third.
The fourth was an old man about fifty years OF
are I don't know his name. He was O Ger
man ana mad oniy been IN the oh; ttrrv0
We called him Harry he dId not Jump
far enough and got entangled in the gear. The
sea was too rough for the boat to get any closer
| to the wreck. Had she done so she would
probably have been STAYED and all hands might
| have been lost. Harry shouted something,
| but could not catch what he said That was
| the last [ heard of him. The poor fellow must
| have sunk at once. (Neltner lne Captaih Hor
| any of the crew know anything of this unfor-
| innate man. other than he was German,
| about fifty wears of age, and shipped at Port
| land the day the ship sailed) 'All the rest OF
the crew jumped into thew and were Ia
| ken into the boat in safety. We were taken
on board the Sandman and received every
care and attention, and were brought to Hail
! fax. Nothing was saved but what we stood
upright in The deck of the Sarah e. Frazer
was under water when the Sardinian's boat
| pulled away, and the shocks were fast coming
OUT
The crew of the Sarah E. Frazer were taken
charge of by Judge Jackson. the United States
l Consul, and will be sent home by the first
steamer to Portland Captain Shepherd, Mate
| Burt. and two OF the crew are at the Mansion
| House.
International Steamship Company
Tho annual meeting of the International
Steamship Company was held at their office
on Exchange street yesterday afternoon. The
| following officers were elected
President and Manager-T. G. Hersey.
Treasurer and Secretary-H. j. Libby.
Directors-J. B. Coyle, Portland, 5. II.
Spring, Portland, A. Mel. Seeley, st. John,
N B., J. B. Libby, Portland, L. q. Hersey.
ADVISING SUBMISSION.