The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-22
EIGHT DAYS ON A DISMASTED VESSEL.
Experience OF the Crew OF the Big
Five Master Gov. Anes.
Tossed About by the Giant seas OF
Georges Shoals.
How the Tall spars Broke Off anc
came Crashing Down.

BosToN, Dec. 21.-The largest schooner in
the world, the recently launched fye-master
Governor Ames. was brought into Boston
last night by the tug III. F. Morse, from the
Georges, where she had drifted after being
dismantled off Cape Cod
The Governor Ames was launched at Wal
doboro, Me-, December 1, OF this year, fully
rgged. picture which would delight the
eye Of the sailor and the landsman alike
She set sail from Waldoboro on the 9th TO r
Baltimore to load with coal for Providence.
On Tuesday at 10 p. m, with the wind blow
Ing young hurricane" from the southeast,
the splicing Of the standing rigging of the
foremast drew out on both sides. The fault
was that the ends of the wires of which the
rigging was made were cut too short In the
way, the mast, which was 115 feet long and
~ inches thick, lad nothing to support IL in
gale OF wind but its own strength After
sWayi9,s about for over an hour, In which
sln,e an tne lower sails were taken in, the
toremast went by the board, breaking of
,sose TO the deck, which left the four other
aS. esasts All loose: In very few minutes the
oSrr o,r masts followed, pulled down BY the
ssppsNug.stays. crashing down upon the deck,
of bringing with them a perfect network
ly cr%% rigging, SO thick that one could hard-
the iegef the masts fell on the deck house,
stern. Thast breaking In two over the
saved. so th2lzzen and spanker masts were
again. -Four ~ splicing they can be used
the deck the FRYE masts broke short off at
the donkey engin,v vhlcn stood In front OF
miraculous foresight t1pse, broke, as IL by
that 1t did not crush s6pove the house so
II IL had the vessel wClGn In falling.
difficult to handle. as the eaciaRs ciTR been very
useful in hauling in the ngaingxas very
which was saved. The engin6 was ais3f q
ful in pumping, though the vessel was vefS
Another feature of the wreck was .bat
none Of the 10 men on board were injured by
the falling masts and rigging.
The vessel soon began to drift toward th,
Georges. The crew were kept busily en-
gagged In getting the rigging on board ane
getting loose from the spars and other tackle
alongside. Before the foremast went th'
anchor had been dropped to get the vesse
mead to the wind. In spite Of this the vesse
drifted to the southeast, dragging the ancho
with her. The chain was 1S0 fathoms long
with shackles every 30 fath0ms 1t dragge,
slowly over the sandy bottom until Frida,
night, when the anchor was 100 fathom
deep, when IL caught In a rocky ledge an,
parted Immediately at the 80 fathom shackle
The anchor, a three ton monster made b,
Wood in England, and 90 fathoms of as goo,
any one who wants them. The 30 hors
power donkey engine was called into requisi
tion and pulled up the rest Of the chain in
hurry.
On Thursday fishing schooner cam
along, and her captain boarded the vessel
but could give no assistance. On Saturda,
| the fishing schooners Ethel and Maud ant
| Governor Butler came up and got out haw
| sers to tow the Governor Ames. The,
towed her twenty or thirty miles from Satur
ftnx u|t ..Iawr nIt 40
the Governor Butler cut the hawser ant
| sailed east.
Evidently the Governor Butler was incom
| petent to help the Governor Ames.
| The Ethel and Maud, however, stood b
| the Governor Ames. The Governor Anne
| then cast anchor on the Georges.
The little fisherman could do nothing
| however, and so she sailed away for Glou
| cester, reaching there Monday at 10 a. m. o.
board was Captain j. L. Davis, Of the Gov
ernor Ames. who paid 5000 for his 14-hours
ride. Captain Davis took the first train TO
| Boston.
The delay in locating the cutter and tn
| final engagement of the big Bath bull
| tug boat for the work ef rescue have beer
| reported. As soon as the ii. +. Morse coul'
be coaled ana made ready for sea. she saile'
| for the Georges. The tug sailed from Cove
| coal wharf, East Boston, about $50 p. n
| She passed several wrecks, among them tina
Of the fishing schooner run down by tn
Giancus; Boston light was passed at 10 p. N
| and Cape Cod at a. M. Wednesday tn
lookout for the schooner was commenced
| and at ii a. m. the man in the rigging report
| ed almost dead ahead, the Governor Ames II
| sight. She was headed towards the tug
swinging at anchor, with the northwes
wind raising great waves. which tossed tn
mighty vessel about like catboat. Capt
Davis was anxious to let his brother know
that he was coming, so he blew the steam
whistle long blast, then soon three sh0r
ones, and soon three more. Think what i
meant to the 16 men on board the schooner
| sci, seeing only three fishing schooners il
all that time, with a northwest gale, liabl
to drive them into the broad ocean, to die o
starvation and thirst
At noon the schooner was reached, and tn
men could be seen working on her deck. Th'
waves were rolling her as she lay at anchor
head towards the tug, at times the who'll
deck being almost in sight, and at othe
times only the bow being visible. "We wen
round under her stern,' says passenger OF
board the tug, ''and soon gave them to un
derstand that they should send us a line.
small rope was fastened to two biilets o
wood and let out from her stern; this wa
caught and a hawser fastened to It, Tn
| schooner's donkey engine quickly brough
our hawser on board, and half an hour wa
| spent In getting out its kinks. Then tn
schooner's anchor was brought to the surface
ana the longward trip was begun. At 33Op
m. another hawser was fastened to the first
because the weather looked somewha
threatening, and two vessels only 900 fee
apart are a little too close in case OF
storm" The threatened storm did not come
however, and no difficulties were encounter
ed on the trip to Boston harbor.
The damage to the Governor Ames is abou
$4,000. 1t Is not known whether she will
be repaired In Boston or Waldoboro.
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