Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-02-18
Wreck Of the Steamer Cambridge.
THE PASSENGERS SAVED WITHOUT ACCIDENT

THE PASSENGERS SAVED WITHOUT ACCIDENT.
The steamer Cambridge, Of the Bangor
and Boston line. Captain Gus Ingraham.
wen, ashore on Old Man" ledge off Georges
Island. a; 4:ij O'Clock "Wednesday morning
the 10Th inst. She Immediately heeled TO
starboard aud commenced to fiji. The best
of order preserved, aud Ia shor, time
all the passengers were transferred to boats.
and landed on Georges island. The cutter
Dallas, steamer Rockland and several small
vessels went to the scene Of the disaster aud
rendered valuable assistance. The boat viii
be total loss.
The best of order prevailed and DO lives
were lost Captain lngraham personally,
and in successful manner seconded by has
officers. made the transfer OF the passengers
without accident 10 the boats The ladies'
went in the first boat.
THE VESSEL AND HER CARGO.
The Cambridge was a wooden side heel
steamer of 1881 tons burden. and was the
largest Of the COMPANY boats. She was
built in New York in 1867. was 24s feet
long, 81 feet beam and Is feet deep. She
had 63 state-ro0m and was allowed TO car
~ $50 passengers. and carried crew OF 6j.
Her engine was of the usual beam. condens-
ing type, with cylinder 90 inches in diane
ter and lI-foot stroke. and of 300 nominal
horse power. Her boilers were new in 1885.
The vessel was valued at abou, $4,000 by
the company and was insured for $50, 900 in
marine offices in Boston and New York
She carried large cargo, which it is impos-
sible to give the value, and had but few pas
sengers. She left Boston at 4 o'clock Tues
day afternoon and was under the command
Of Captain Otis Ingraham, one OF the old
est captains on the line.
TIE SCENE or THE WRECK.
The "Old Man is a small, rough. sunk
en- ledge, marked BY can buoy and barrels,
covered by water al low tide, living two
miles outside the Georges Islands and inside
Monhegan. about thirty miles from Rock
land. Vessels and steamers bound eastward
make Monhegan Light from Sequin and
turning sharp course northeast by east for
Whitehead psss from one TO two miles out
side Of the 'aOd Man" This course has
been sailed without accident By steamers
since they have piled in Maine waters until
Wednesday morning, when the Cambridge
ran upon this ugly ledge and become total
loss. At the time Of the disaster Capt Will
liam /. Rogers. first pilot, was in charge.
Capt. Rogers has run this course constantly
since boy, and for the past twenty-years in
the employ Of the Boston and Bangor Steam
ship Company. He is known as one of the
most careful, experienced and Trustworthy
pilots on the Eastern coast. No man ranks
higher. He tells this story:
STATEMENT OF THE FIRST PILOT.
I'VE left Boston at 10 minutes of 8
o'clock Tuesday night with an unusually
heavy freight. The sea was smooth as a
puddle ali night. | took the watch from
Second Pilot Farnsworth at about O'Clock,
just before We got to Sequn. The morning
was not very clear. though not what would
be called thick. We were on the usual
course, running by time and compass, and
when we struck on "Old Man" ledge sup
posed we were mile outside of it at the
least calculation. | was standing a, the pi-
lot house window when she struck. The
steamer didn't fetch up, but slid out of the
water upon the rock. We were sailing
about twelve knots, rang the bell to stop
Capt. lngraham was below at the time, but
came on deck at once. knew when we
struck just where we were. Ii was ebb tide,
with two fsthoms of water over the ledge
amidships as we lay and six fathoms under
the bow have no theory whatever as to
the cause of the disaster ran the course
as | have done always so far as know, u.s.
ing the utmost care; | have been pilot on
this line of steamers since 1860, aud since
a boy have sailed over this course; it was
4:55 o'clock when we struck"