The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-23
MISSING SHIPS.
Portland Vessels that Sailed Ava,
Never to Return.
Hon. William Goold.l


Hon. William Goold.l
The most lasting of sorrows to relatives. is
the uncertainty of the fate of the officers,
passengers and crew of long missing ship.
Occasional rumors raise new hopes, and sug-
gest possibilities. Hope deferred makes
the heart SICK" There would be long and
sad list, If the names of all the missing yes
sells and those who sailed in them from Port
land, could be gathered. l have notes of
many of them of this century
The brig Industry belonging to Capt. Asa
Clapp, sailed for Berbice in 1903. Her cap
tain was Daniel Bayley, father of John Bay
ley. the baker, now venerable inmate of
the aged mems home. The vessel was never
heard of after sailing. In 1921, the brig
Galen belonging to Capt. James Farmer
and others, and commanded by Capt Walter
Heating, discharged an outward cargo at
some European port. The captain died and
the mate sailed in charge of the vessel for
home. 'All that was known of her fate was
that headboard with the briggs name on it,
came on shore in Holland. She probably
went on to the Goodwin Sands.
The fate of all the following vessels which
sailed from this port, is involved in mystery,
and yet the list is very imperfect.
Brig Guadaloupe, Capt Berry.
:. Martha Ella, +" Willard.
Tamage, :" Vning.
Bark II. f. Jenness Francis Osgood
On Sunday in December, 1880, four briggs.
lumber laden, sailed from Portland for the
West Indies: The Rodney, Capt Ansel
Lewis; the Hind, Capt. VIM. Mcclellan; the
HELEN, Capt Jordan, and the ANGELA, Capt,
John Dicks. Three days out snowstorm
with gale came on. in which the Hind was
capsized. The captain cut away his masts
and the vessel righted. Half the high deck
load of lumber was thrown overheard,
which brought the deck above water. There
was an open space around the companion
way, in which the officers and men lived on
one raw ham. On the ninth day Newbury-
port ship took them off Capt. Mcclellan
was the father of the late Mayor Mcclellan
| OF all the four vessels which sailed together
only ole, the Rodney, went safe, and she
was the poorest vessel of the number.
Good ships go down in stormy seas,
The captains of these vessels found after
| the gale that their deckboards were filled
with sand, showing that they had been near
Georges shoal. Alasl the venerable Capt.
Dicks, in the ANGELA, never was heard
| from. "By many tempests had his beard
been shook" but he had weathered them all
to meet his death probably on that unmarked
| shoal.
Tbs privateer brig Dash, whose uncertain
tate caused so much sorrow, and of which
have written in another connection prOba-
bly, foundered on this same Gorses shoal,
with no eye to pity, and no hand to save.
The captain and the two chief officers being
| ships company, numbering sixty, the recent
| marriage of the captain, with other circum-
stances, created an intense sorrow when it
became probable that she had foundered
| There was a circumstance which oc-
CURED during the gale, in which the Dash
was probably lost, that was thought by
| credulous people who had friends on board
TO confirm their suspicious of their fate.
The captain of the Dash was John Porter,
brother Of the owner At the time of the
sailing of the brig he came to bid adieu to
his young wife "a Miss Cushing) at her
fathers house on Federal street, which she
had not left. The vessel was under sail, the
first lieutenant was showing her off in front
of the town, with every rag on her." The
captain was waiting for the signal gun that
his boat was waiting at the wharf The I'M
Second gun caused him to rush across to
FRANKLIN street and away. l received this
description OF the leave taking from the lady
after she was so years old The next even.
ing In the storm, the captains wife and sew
erai cousins were gathered at her fathers
mouse, which was old fashioned with blne
emma Tiles around the open fireplace.
| Round the mantel piece
| Gnsten Scripture tiles"
Soon after dark, while talking of the Ia oh
and htful gusts were shaking the house
something was heard to fall and break in the
parlor All were excited and rushed to see
what had happened. On opening the door
me pieces OF one OF the tiles lay scattered on
cited cousins held up her hands in fright
and exclaimed: "The Dash is gomez New
er since the house was built had one of those
tiles started before. This occurrence and
the frightened exclamation banished ali
hilarity for. the evening. have heard the
scene described often by these same cousins.
after their heads grew gray. Only one of
them, a sister OF the bride, is now alive, at
the age OF nearly 80. i have one of the
scripture tiles" from that fireplace that was
picked out of the ashes in the cellar after
the house was burned in the great fire OF
1866.
In the Magnolia. Cotton Mather describes
more strange occurrence at New Haven
than the fall OF the tile, whice was under
stood like that, to reveal the fate of missing
ship.
DR.. Mather says, THE fuller story of that
grleyous matter, let the reader accept from
/ tlC PCn Va bliC IcN6Ituu person VINO is now
the pastor at New Haven. / wrote to him
for It and was thus answered. There being
yet living so many credible gentlemen who
were eye witnesses Of this wonderful thing
venture to publish it."
Reverend and Dear Sir. In compliance with
your desires, now give you the relation of the
| appariiion OF the ship In the air. which | have
| received from the mos credible surviving obsery-
| ers OF It, In the year 1647, besides much other
| lading, far more rich treasure of passengers
Snve OF SIX Of which were persons of chief note
Sna gert na IN New HAVEN put themselves on
100 tons but so walty (crank,) that the master
often said she would prove their grave. In Janu.
were accompanied with the Reverend Mr. Dayei.
port besides many other friends, with many fears
as well as prayers, they set sail. Mr. Davenport
in prayer, used these words Lord if il be IN,
pleasure to bury these our friends In the bottom
OF the sea, they are thine; save them" The
| spring following, no tidings Of these friends ar
rived with the ships from England; New Haven'.
heart began TO fail her. This put the godly people
| on much prayer, both public and private that the
Lord would, Qf 1t was his pleasure) let them heal
| what ne had done with their dear friends anC
prepare them with suitable submission to his holy
| VIII. In June next ensuing a great thunder
storm arose out of the northwest, after which the
Stne hemisphere being serene) about an houi
before sunset, a ship Of like dimensions with the
aforesaid, with her canvas and colors abroad
Though the wind was northerly) appeared in the
ar coming up from our harbor's mouth which lies
southward from the town, seemingly with heI
sails filled under fresh gale, holding her course
NORTH and continuing under observation, sailing
| obaiiio0 thC WIN iOI Tie space OF hall hour
Many were down to behold this great work Of
God; yea the very children cried out, there's q
brave shlpl'' At length, crowding up as far as
there is usually water sufficient for such vessel
and so near some of the spectators as they imae
| med man might hurl stone on board her her
main top appeared blown off, but left hanging ii
the shrouds; then her mizzen-top: then AM hel
mastlng seemed blown away by the hoard
quickly after the hulk brought unto careen, sh,
oyerset, and so vanished into a smoky cloud
| which In some time disappeared leaving as every
where else clear air. The admring Spectators
could distinguish the several colors of each part
OF tne principal rigging, and such proportions al
caused not only the generality of persons to say
this was the mould of their ship. and thus he
| tragic end" but Mr.. Davenport also in public de
clared to this effect, that God had condescendet
Tor the quoting of their afflicted spirits, this ex
traordinary account of his sovereign disposal O
those for whom so many feryent PRAYERS wer,
made continually.
Thus am, sir, your humble serv't
JAMES PERPoNT.
Besides the Dash there were the sloo,
Yankee and schooner Dart, privateers in the
war OF 1872 which sailed from Portland and
never returned from the first cruise. MOI
were they ever heard from. The loss Of
these private armed vessels was the greater
calamity from the large number of mer
which they carried.
Examine my stock, and you will fine
the best line, and the largest assortment
OF Salmon and Trout Flies to be found
i'm the State. Special bargains in fin,
| De- hoo nd Gv-an I ~ Ixr