The Republican journal., 1886-02-18
Wreck of Steamer Cambridge.

GOOD WORK.
We printed last week some particulars of the
wreck of steamer Cambridge on Old Man Ledge
at 40 A. NJ, Feb. TO- The following are fur
ther particulars. The best of order prevailed
and no lives We're lost. Capt. Ingraham per-
sonay and in successful manner, seconded
by his officers, made the transfer of passengers
without accident to the boats. The ladies went
in the first boat.
STATEMENT OF PURSER EATON.
w. B. Eaton, of the wrecked str. Cambridge,
gives the following narrative :"We left Boston
Tuesday at P. NJ, with 40 passengers and one
Of the largest and most valuable freights ever
but on board. The night was pleasant and the
sea very smooth The first intimation l had of
trouble was being awakened from sleep by the
steamer striking heavily on the bottom, bring
ing up suddenly and carccning to starboard.
This was at 4.45 O'Clock Wednesday morning.
| fastened from my statcroom The first per-
son | met was Capt. Ingraham, in the saloon,
coming from the ladies' cabin. He said: Get
the ladies on to the hurricane deck, at once.
We've
GOT TO TAKE TO THE BOATS.
did as ordered. The passengers all behaved
Spcnddly, the ladies especially being calm and
cool.
Capt. Ingraham personally supcrintcnded
transferring the passengers to the boats, which
We're brought to the starboard gangway. Six
latileS and one child went in the first boat, the
other ladies in the second. 1t was light enough
to see to diSembark easily. The sea was still
smooth. The Old Man on which we had struck
is sunkcn ledge five miles from Georges
Island. Capt. lngraham directed the boats to
row to this Island and land the passengers, and
! was ordered to proceed with the first boat to
Port Clyde, some eight miles Distant for assist
ancc. Agent Charles f. Weeks, Of Rockand,
was in the boat with me and five men rowing
THE WIND HAD BEEN RISING
from the northeast and we Jared hard. We
should never have made Port Clvtle had not
schooner Abbie j., of Milbridge, sighted us,
picked us up and landed us at our destination
at nine o'clock. Being unable to telegraph from
there | took team and drove to Rockand,
reaching there at noon. Steamer Rockand,
Capt Sawtclle, started at once for the scene Of
the wreck. When we left the Cambridge she
was carecncd badly to starboard; amidships was
highest and it looked as if each end was about
to drop into deep water.
From the time of striking till the seven boats
put off was
LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR.
showing how cooIlv and systematicay every
body worked. | saw the revenue cutie Dallas
coming to our assistance as we pulled aWav
The passengers and crew who landed on
Georges Island We're cared for at the house of
a fisherman. A boat load of provisions was
sent them from Port Clyde. Being bus with
my own duties and leaving so soon, had no
opportunity of learning
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
| only know that after the steamer struck
everything was done that could be done and in
the best manner. The Cambridge was built in
1861 and was the largest and best boat of the
Boston and Bangor Steamship Company line"
THE OLD MAN.
The Old Man is small. rough. sunkcn ledge
marked by can buoy and barely covered by
water at low tide, lying two miles outside the
Georges Islands and inside Monhegan, about
thirty miles from ROckland. Vessels and steam
crs bound eastward make Monhcgan light from
Seguin and turning shape their course north
east by east for White Head, passing from one
to two miles outside the Old Man This course
has been sailed without accident by steamers
since they have piled Maine waters until in the
early dawn of Wednesday morning. the large
and handsome Cambridge, of the Boston and
Bangor Steamship Co., from Boston for Ban
gor, ran on to this ugly ledge and is total loss
At the time of the disaster Capt. William T..
Rogers, first pilot, was i'll charge. Capt. Rogers
has run this course constantly since Il bov and
for the past % wears in the employ of this com
pany. He is known as one OF the most careful,
experienced and trustworthy pilots on the east
crn coast No man ranks higher. He tells this
story:
TIE STORY OF PILOT ROGERS.
We left Boston at 10 minutes of six Tuesday
night, with an unusually heavy freight. The
sea was as smooth as puddle all night. | took
the watch from second pilot FarnSworth at
about two o'clock. just before we got to Sc
gum the morning was not very clear, though
not what would be called thick. We We're or
our usual course, running by time and compass,
and when we struck on Old Man ledge | sup
70 m ntSil Of at thn Hons
calculation.
| was standing at the pilot house window
when she struck. The steamer didn't fetch up
but Slid out of the water on the rock. | rang
the bell to stop her. Captain Ingraham was
below Ill the time but was on deck at once. |
knew when we struck just where we We're. 1t
was ebb tide with two fathom> of water over
the ledge amdshp>, as we lay, and six fathoms
under her bow.
HAVE NO THEORY WHATEVER
as to the cause of the disaster. | ran the course
as have done always, so far as know, using
the utmost care. | have been pilot on this line
of steamers since 1850, and since boy have
sailed over this course. 1t was TOO O'Clock
when we struck"
EMPRESS MESSENGER CROSB1'S STATEMENT.
\. f. Crosby, American Express messenger,
says: Il woke up at five minutes to five. and
was looking at my watch when the steamer
struck and ran on the rock with Il grating noise
and stopped. | dressed and went to the eX-
press room and got way bills and yaluahleS. |
had Il big express freight, which was lost Then
went aft where the boats We're being lowered
and Capt. Ingraham put me in command of the
fourth boat. We put off without excitement,
with ten people, and rowed to Burnt Island,
and then three of us pulled back to the steamer.
There was no sign of a panic everybody was
cool and collected. In twenty minutes from
the time of striking we We're away. As the
>tp lpI r1 40 fr,liu w bpI inf
and noatcd away. | saw the boats of the fisher
men from the shores picking up the freight.
When the Dallas arrived we got on board.
picked up the passengers on the island and
came to Rockland. The cutter people did every
thing for us; gave Us hot coffee and food. Capt.
Barr gave up his stateroom to the ladies' None
Of Us knew anything about the cause of the dis
astcr- Most of us were too busy to ask
STATEMENT OF f. DUDLEY FREEMAN, ESQ.
+. Dudley Freeman, of Yarmouth, one of the
passengers said ''Wc had as smooth and pleas
ant a night one could ask. | was asleep in
my statcroom when the steamer struck, but
there wasn't force enough in the blow to throw
anybody out of their berth. 1t was half day
light. | rose at once and took time to dress
fully, fearing there might be exposure to the
cold. Was afraid the steamer might slide off
into deep water.
On opening my Satcroom door | saw several
ladies hurrying by in light costumes, but heard
Watchman Prince if the boat would stick
where she was, but he didn't know, and told US
to get on the hurricane deck at once. The deck
hands seemed to be of small use in lowering the
boats. The passengers all helped and Capt. A.
&. Hunt and c. Il. Peck, of Rockand, rendered
valuable assistance. Everybody felt ncrN Gus
that the steamer would slide off the ledge, but
there was no excitement or evidences of fright
or coWardicc.
CAPT INGRAHAM WAS COOL AND ENERGETIC
and personally slIpcrintended getting the ladies
into the first and second boats. Express Mes
senger A. f. Crosby was in command of the
boat | was in and too much can't be said in
praise of his GOODNESS and efficiency. None of
the passengers knew the cause of the disaster.
We We're handsomely treated by the Dallas
people,"
GOOD WORK OF THE DALLAS.
The captain and officers of the Dallas did
everything for the comfort of the passengers,
who passed this resolution: ''The passengers
of the wrecked steamer Cambridge desire to
express to Commander Barr and the officers
and crew of the United States revenue cutter
Dallas, their grateful Acknowledgements for the
prompt assistance and generous attention re-
ceved at their hands, Following is the
LIST OF THE CAMBRIDGE'S PASSENGERS.
They were forwarded to their destinations
by the company:
g. S. Atwood, Winterport.
Melvin Lowell Bucksport.
s. w. Shepard, Denver, Col.
f. l.. Prescott, East Watertown, Mass.
&. w. MOulton, Stockton.
NJ. l.. Thorndke Rockland.
G.. L. CamObell. NeWOort. r. T.