The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-02-12
THE JEFFERSON BORDEN.
A Notorious Schooner Pursued by Ill
Luck In Splie of Change Of Name.

Aueh =" FPAso vs. shshAN W. As"sANf
The weather in the Bay of Fundy was terri
bly, rough, 1t showed all day and the wind
blew gale, Tho thermometer at times
dropped as low as 2S degrees below zero, Tho
most exposed and dangerous point in the bay
is Quaoo reef, At low tide the rocks are laid
bare for almost mile from the mainland, and
the tide, sweeping around the point at the rate
OF seven miles an hour, makes 1t place 10 DO
avoided by the careful mariner, More than
once il has proved the destruction OF valuable
ships and more valuable lives II was on
that reef that the notorious schooner Jefferson
Borden, which has for the past year been sail.
ing under the name Aroana, mot its doom, and
with her were lost nine of the ten seamen who
composed the crew.
The Arcans was bound from Portland for
York River, N. s., to load with lumber for tho
West Indies, The men suffered intensely,
and rs the vessel struck three Of them crawled
upon the rocks, but they were so benumbed
that that they died before assistance could
reach them, The remainder Of the crew, with
the exception OF Patr ok Lyons we've drowned
Lyons succeeded in reaching the shore, but ina
condition giving no hope this recovery. Not
vestige of the vessel remained Tho bodies
of the three seamen who died on the rocks
were recovered, and I'M inquest was held The
names oil the crew who persisted are, so far as
the survivor knows, as follows Captain
Holmes; first mate, name not known; second
mate, ONeil pilot of Portland, Me-, name
unknown; cook also unknown; seamen, john
Wild of Nova Scotia; Lewis Gain, OF Port
land, Me-, Dane by the name OF Peter, and
q Frenchman known as Charley Few vessels
have ever gained such notoriety as this one.
She was built at Kennebunk, Me-, in 1867, and
regis e"ed 562 tons. During every passage she
made she met some loss or was the scene OF
trouble between officers and crew.
1t was the opinion of all seafaring mon that
knew her that she was an unlucky craft, and it
was hard for the captain to get a crew to go on
q voyage in her. The event that made her
best knowa, aud for which she will always be
remembered, was a terrible crime committed
| on board her in the fall of 1875. In that year
she started from New Orleans for London, and
during the passage the sailors had received
| such cruel treatment that they formed con-
spracy to get rid Of the officers. The two
mates were in turn enticed forward from the
cabin and were both murdered and their bodies
thrown overheard. The captain would I'M
doubtedly have been served in the same man
ner had it not been that his wife would not
allow him to leave tho cabin, her suspicion
being aroused that something was wrong.
The captain then had severe fight with the
men, and finally won the day, as he WAS armed,
and succeeded in driving the men into the
forecastle. On reaching London the men were
returned to the United States, and were tried
in Boston on a charge of murder, Two of
them were convicted OF murder and sentenced
to be hanged, but the sentence was afterwards
committed to Imprisonment in the State pris.
on for lie. One of the men pleaded guilty to
mutny and was acquitted Of murder. He
was sentence to the State prison for ten years.
The following winter the captain again had
trouble with his crew.
In October 1888, Captain Patterson was ar
rested for cruel treatment OF one of the crew.
After that trouble he changed the name OF the
vessel to the Arcana, and sailed for Portland
where he was again before the courts, Novem
Der q, 1888, because Of trouble with one of the
| crew