Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-11
She Strikes on "Old Man
Ledge at 4.55 Wednesday
Morning.
statements OF the Purser and
Pllot-The Cause Of the Ac.
c1dent Unknown.
The Passengers and Crew Safely
Landed in Rockland.

RoCKLAND. Feb. 10.
Steamer Cambridge of the Boston and Ban.
gor line, commanded by Capt. Otis Ingraham
went ashore on Old Man Ledge off Georges
Island at 4.45 Wednesday morning. She
Immediately heeed to the starboard and com.
menced filling.
The best of order prevailed, and in a short
time all the passengers were transferred to
boats and landed on Georges Island. Cutter
Dallas and several other small vessels are
At the scene of the disaster and the steamers
Rockland and Pioneer are on their way
thither The boat will undoubtedly be a
total loss. No lives were lost. Capt. In
graham personally and in successful man.
ner, seconded by the officers, made the trans
fer of passengers without accident to the
boats The ladies were placed in the first
boat.
Purser William C. Eaton of the wrecked
steamer gives the following narrative: 'sWe
left Boston Tuesday at p. NJ, with forty
passengers and one of the most valuable
freights ever put on board. The night was
pleasant and the sea very smooth. The first
ntimation l had of trouble was being awak-
ened by the steamer striking heavily on the
bottom, bringing up suddenly and careening
to the starboard. This was at 4.45 Wednes-
day morning. l hastened from my state
room. The first person met was Capt. In
graham in the saloon coming from the ladies'
cabin. He said, Get the ladies on the hur-
ricane deck at once. We've got to take to
the boats did as ordered. The passen-
gers all behaved splendidly, the ladies espec-
tally being calm and cool. Capt. Ingraham
personally superintended the transferring of
the passengers to the boats which were
brought to the starboard gangway. Six
ladies and one child went on the first boat,
the other lady on the second. 1t was light
enough to see to disembark easily. The sea
was still and smooth. The Old Man, on
which we struck. is a sunken ledge five miles
from Georges Island. Capt. Ingraham di-
rected the boats to row to this island and
land the passengers, and l was ordered to
proceed with the first mate to Port Clyde,
some eight miles distant, for assistance.
Agent Chas. 4. Weeks of Rockland was in
the boat with me and six men were rowing.
The wind had been rising from the northwest
and we Jared hard We should never have
reached Port Clyde had not the schooner
Abbie j. of Millbridge picked US up and
landed US at our destination at nine O'CLOCK.
Being unable to telegraph from there took
a team and drove to Rockland, reaching there
at noon. Steamer Rockland, Captain Saw
telle, started at one for the scene of the
wreck. When we left the Cambridge she was
careeped badly to the starboard, amidships
highest and looking as if each end were
about to drop into deep water. From the
time of striking till the seven boats had put
off was less than half an hour, showing how
coollv and systematically everybody worked.
7 saw the revenue cutter Dallas coming to
our assistance as we came away. The pas
sengers and crew who landed at Georges Is
land were cared for boat load of provis-
ions war sent out from Port Clyde. Being
busy with nv own duties and leaving so soon
| had no opportunity of learning the cause
of the accident. only know that after the
the steamer struck everything was done that
could be done and in such a manner as
named. The Cambridge was built in 1867 3.
and is the largest and best boat of the Boston
& Bangor Steamship Co."
The "Old Man" is small rough sunken
ledge marked by a can buoy and barely COW
cred by water at low tide, lying two miles
outside the Georges Islands and inside Mon
heean, about thirty miles from Rockland.
Vessels and steamers bound eastward make
Monhegan from Seguin and turning shape
their course northeast by east for White Head,
nassinp from one to two miles outside the
cold Man." This course has been sailed
hv tho steamers without accident since they
have plyed in Maine waters until in the early
dawn of this morning the large and handsome
Cambridge of the Boston & Bangor Steam
shin Co. ran on to this ugly ledge and is a
total loss. At the time of the disaster Capt.
w. T. Rogers, first pilot, was in charge.
Capt. Rogers has run this course constantly
since boy and for the past 25 years in the
employ of this company. He is known as
one of the most careful, experienced and
trustworthy pilots on the eastern coast Nc
man ranks higher. He tells this story
"We left Boston at ten minutes of six
r.,a.v NIGHT with an unusually heavy
freight; the sea was like puddle all night
took the watch from Second Pilot Farms
worth at about two o'clock, just before VIZ
cot to Seguin. The morning was not yer,
clear, though not what would be called thick
We were on the usual course running BY tint
and compass and when we struck on "ol'
man" ledge supposed We we're mile OUTSIDE
.e;. A. the least calculation. was standing