The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-03-08
Three Marine Disasters.
IN AN OPEN BOA

The particulars Of the loss OF The biz, Ameri-
can ship John -. Berry have been furnished by
EN-Deputy Coroner John Beam. of PililadeI-
phia, who has received letter from his son,
}. Is. Beam, On, of the survivors of the Vessel.
The ship had reached the eastern coast of Aus
tralil. on her voyage from Philadelphia to
llio@o, when the cargo Of parathne WAS found
to he on fire This was on the night OF Janu-
AIRY .. Five minutes after the first appearance
of smoke a the hatchway>. the vessel was a
mas OF flame fore and aft. 1t was impossible
to save her. and Capt. Watts ordered all hands
10 the boats. The port and >tarboard boats
We're launched and towcl a>tern. ready to re-
cevc the men when they could remain by the
vessel no longer. The atmosphere WAS >tiling
from the thick black smoke that came from the
crcNicc> Of the matches, and the crew had an
awful battle TO stock the lifehoat> with neces-
>arV provisions second Mate Anderson took
charge OF one OF The lfeboat>, and Capt. Watts,
Il he chief officer, the carpenter, steward. Young
Beam and eight >camcn cot into another.
After leaving the vessel the captain gave direc-
ton> to the second mate to make for the coast.
aud use his own Judgment if tn boats parted
company. Half AN hour after leaving. the
BerrN was burned to the waters edge. At 4
O'Clock the second mates boat strayed away
from the other. Sail was set On the captain :
boat and she headed for point where the
land WA. supposed to be. During the first
four day the occupants If the captains boat
| ndurtd -rrat suffering and several times nar-
roWly escaped foundcring. There was 10 such
thing rs sleep, all hands being compelled to
watch Tor a sail. ON the fifth day storm
arose and the boat shipped several seas. After
suffering from thirst and hunger. the provisions
having given ont. the captains boat sighted
solitary Island On the morning Of the seventh
day. They could not land on the surf and the
t.i l..
era river. Their >gna-an old hirt WAS OBJ
served hy HE boat Pelican. which picked up
the exhausted men. Nothn. ha> since. been
heard of the second mates boat. The men
lost are all foreigners. The cargo is total
loss. Carton X Co.. owned the vessel. Some
copper and other Wrcckagc will be saved.
\ ToP-HEAVY SHIP GOES TO THE BOTTOM.
A remarkable accident occurred opposite New
Orleans Feb. 24th, resulting in the loss of one
OF the finest dry-dock> in that port and a large
ship. About the middle of January the ship
Isle of Marthe cleared for lIavrc, with cargo
of 4,4,3 bales of Gotten. Five days afterwards
She returned to her wharf in New Orleans,
having sprung a leak while at sea. Her cargo
WAS removed and it WAS decided that ii was
necessary to dock her for repairs. and She was
towcd into the Nactc dry-,lock. the largest
floating dock i'll the port. The ship was top
heavy. and unusual care was taken in raising
her. bat She had scarcely been lifted clear OF
the water when she took lurch to the river
side. crashed through the walls of the dock and
went over. The dock AMI vessel went down
together to the bottom of the river and both
are believed to he total loss. The Isle of
Marthe was originally "A steamship and was
built in lIavre in 1870. Subsequently She was
changed to Il sailing vessel and has for Il num-
| Der of wears been plying between New Orleans
and IIavrc. She was owned by Ravo.t 4 Co.,
of Iiavre. and her estimated value was 800, 900
She is insured. The dry dock was owned by Il
stock company. including among its >larehold-
ers a number of insurance companies in New
| Orleans. 1t was valued at $lOO.0 and being
| uninsured is Il total loss.
| BURNING OF THE SHIP THOMAS NJ. REED.
| The ship Thomas NJ. Reed. burned at Liver.
| pool, has been abandoned by the captain to the
| Underwriters, who. in turn. have abandoned
| her to the dock company. The latter will raise
and sell her, and anything left after paying the
| cost will bc divided among her owners. She is
| Il mere shell. but her bottom is sound and with
a sheathing of new copper. Fortunately. the
| sea stores had not been put on board. The
cause of the fire is not, and never can be known
The came! coal, with which she was being
loaded, is highly intlammabIc. and the ''trinl-
| mers" use candies in the hold. There were
eight men at the work. They had left the ship
| about an hour before the bursting out of the
| flames, and it is reasonable to suppose that the
| fire caught in some unaccountable way from
! the candles. The blaze was discovered about
i half-past seven in the evening. The captain
was in the cabin when he smelt smoke and
| rushed on deck TO find flames coming up the
| opcn after hatch-wav. and no human effort
could stay their progress. Besides the captain
| there were watchnan. the carpenter and
| steward Oh board. A Liverpool paper says
that no such occurrence as the burning of a
| ship has happened at that port for twenty
years. The burning of one from an unknown
| cause has never before occurred there. The
| \ known. is