The Portland daily press., 1885-03-19
THE ANDREW JOHNSON.
Capt. KeIIeran Arrives Home and Tells
the Story of Her Loss.

Capt. j. Hovey Kelleran, of the Inflated
ship Andrew johnson of Thomaston, run into
and sunk by an English ship. October 2Osh,
arrived home Tuesday evening, and was inter-
viewed by a Courier. Gazette reporter. The
captains story of the nishap is as follows:
The Andrew johnson was a ship of 2006
tons, built by the late Edward O'Brien of
Thomaston, in 1866. She sailed from Callao,
Sept. 10, 1884, with nitrate of soda for Ham
burg direct. Her crew was 28, all told. Octo-
ber 10th the vessel was in latitude 20o, longi-
tude 410 % West The wind was ENE,
blowing fresh. Shortly after D. m. a light
was reported on the port bow, which was made
out to be bright light. When it was reported
the second officer had charge Of the deck
having just relieved the chief officer, who had
had charge from 6 to o'clock. AS soon as the
light was reported the captain went on deck,
and together with the second mate lighted the
torch light, which was held over the port quar-
ter, to draw the attention OF the approaching
ship in case she had not seen the Johnson's
SIDE light, at the same time ordering the
helmsman to keep the ship snugly by the
wind, this being all that could be done under
the circumstances.
The chief officer, with his watch, were
shouting from the port fore-rigging, for the ap-
proaGhing ship to put her helm hard up, which
the crew of the stranger slege was not heard
No one on board the johnson noted that the
stranger altered her course at all. She struck
the johnson Just forward of the mizzen-rig.
ging, cutting her about halfway through,
pressing her stern to the windward. She
swung for one moment alongside, which gave
the only opportunity for escape Eleven of
the crew reached the other ship, the captain
included The injured vessel sank in about
two minutes, carrying down the remaining
seventeen OF the crew. The stranger proved
to be the British ship Thirlmere, bound from
San Francisco to Queenstown, with grain. The
captain and all of his crew acknowledged hav-
ing seen the Johnson's port light burning
for from five to ten minutes before the colis-
ion took place, This acknowledgment Capt,
Kellersn has in writing from Capt. Smith of
the Thirlmere and his crew.
After boisterous passage of twenty-three
days they were landed by Capt. Smith in Per-
nambuco, Brazil, where Capt Kelleran imme-
diately reported TO American Consul Atharton.
By him they were received very kindly, and
provided with money with which to buy clothes
for the men. The consul done everything in
his power to help the captain, and facilitate
the necessary business, stopping in his office
the entire night in order that the captain and
crew might not be delayed there longer than
was absolutely necessary. Through his kind
ness and that OF his assistant, Henry Foster
the shipwrecked mariners were enabled to sail
Sunday, Nov. 10Th, for Liverpool, where they
arrived Dec. 9th, all we'll. Capt. Kelleran re-
mained in Liverpool until the 2Sth OF Febfu-
ary, settling up the ships business, arriving
home Tuesday evening. The owners of the
Thirlmere, January 10Th, admitted their liabil-
ity, but no final decision in regard to the
amount OF damage has been reached.