The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-08-08
oLD-TIME SHiPWRECKs.
Gallant Craft that Have Laid Their
Timbers on Cumberland Rocks.
[Hon. William Goold.l

lHon william G00ld.l
The first wreck In this customs collection
district Of which have any record. is that
of sloop of ninety tons name unknown),
Capt. Chase. from Sheepseot, bound to New
bury. 1t occurred on Feb. 9Th, 1887 The
harbor was frozen over to the islands. For
the want of lighthouse Capt Chase could
not make the harbor entrance, and went on
to Bangs's Island. The Icaptain, Moses
Chase, and his apprentice were drowned.
The bodies were recovered and both buried
In one grave on the 18th. Three Of the crew
were saved. This was during "Shay's Re
bellion." Gen. Lincoln with his forces was
at Springfield. The loss Of Capt Chase and
his vessel was the immediate cause of meas
ures being taken to have lighthouse erected
at the harbor entrance The tower was
completed on Portland Head, and first light
cd In January, 1891.
The same year Of the wreck on Bangs's
Island a Portland schooner was lost on New
puryport bar. Apples and cider were scarce
here then. Essex county abounded in orch
ards. 1t was the custom to collect orders in
the fall from the townspeople for annlas-aaa
cider, and send a vessel to Newburyport
for cargo Capt. Daniel Bagley, Jr., was
in charge Of the expedition in the fall of
1857. The schooner arrived off the bar
in northeast gale. foretelling storm. 1t
was low tide. She could not cross the bar
with safety until nearly high water. Capt
Bagley stood of as long as he could and save
his sails. There were several Portland men
on board who insisted ON risking run
through the breakers although the captain
argued against it. The venture was joint
stock concern. which abridged the captains
authority. Soon the strain became too
great and the double reefed foresail was
rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
Half the crew were mere landsmen, which
made 1t seemingly long job to reef down
the mainsail so that it could be hoisted.
The schooner was drifting on to lee shore
and the air was growing thick. A small
portion Of the jib was loosed and hoisted
Then with trembling hands the scanty main
sail was hoisted, and both sheets drawn aft
The vessel wss luffed up to see If the sails
would stand. They must go in or 20 ashore
The landsmen argued that the vessel being
light, she would 60 oyer the bar earlier
Finally the captain gave In, and the vessel
was pointed for the hailing entrance to the
Merrimack. On she bounded and all that
there were Of the brave crew rode to their
death. None came back to tell the sad tale.
shores Of Plum Island.
Some years ago daughter Of Capt. Bagley
gave me the outlines of this disaster. She
was but six weeks old when her father was
lost. The facts she had learned from her
mother. Her last rehearsal Of them to me
was when she was nearly 80 years old.
The earliest wreck of vessel belonging to
Portland abroad, of which any circumstances
are recorded was that of the brig Hiram in
1891. DIR. Deane mentions the wreck in his
diary. He says she was cast away near
Liverpool. England, and all on board but
one man were lost. The master was Capt
Daniel Freeman, SON of Joshua Freeman,
and very promising young man. Another
Portland man on board who was lost was
Robert Cumming, only son CT Thomas
Cumming, Scotsman, who came here in
1873, builta house and store ON the east
corner Of what Is now India and Middle
streets. He was a prominent trader, and
lost all his buildings In Mowatt's lombard
ment His loss Is set down at 1000 pounds
lawful money. He rebuilt house and store
on the same spot. and died there in 1898.
Except in the case OF the steamship Bohe-
Charles on the eastern point Of Richmonds
Island caused a greater loss of life than any
wreck within this customs collection district.
On the evening Of the 18th of July, 1907, the
schooner Charles, Capt. Adams of Portland,
o regular sailing packet, was on her passage
from Boston for this port. In fog, she
struck on Watts's Ledge at the eastern end
of Richmond's Island, in very heavy surf
which broke over the vessel. OF the %
persons on board including the crew, sixteen
hn toff, nj Ah A do hfc
wife and several others belonged in Port
land. Capt. Adams reached the rocks once
and returned to rescue his wife, when both
were drowned. Two ladies from Boston,
with her child were among the lost. Their
grayestones with pathetic inscriptions, and
those in msmery of Capt Adams and his
wife are near together In the eastern part Of
the old burial ground. Seven of the first re-
covered bodies were brought to town. and
buried on the 14th, from the Westinghouse
OF the Second Parish. An able discourse
was delivered by the pastor, Rev. Elijah
kellogg. No fatal calamity has been SO SEN
sibly felt by the people OF the town.
Within stones throw OF the place where
the Charles went to pieces in 1907, another
fatal shipwreck occurred last winter, con-
frming the propriety of styling the reef IN
the centennial poem "Watts's fatal ledge.
The schooner Nellie Bowers OF Searsport,
Capt Spear, of about $50 tons, from Il Hq n
with cargo of coal for joseph II. Poor OF
Portland. Feb 26, 1888, in thick snowstorm
was found to be near the breakers. botn
anchors were let go, and held the vessel ior
some hours. In the night both chains part
eu, ana The vessel drove on 10 the r0 c
There were six persons In all on board. Two
men took the only boat, as they said with
The captains consent, who refused to leave
the vessel. and kept off from the breakers
until they found small cove where they
Iowed IN and succeeded in getting on shore,
and were the only persons saved. The
schooner soon broke up. All those left on
board, four In number. were lost, and the sea
has just now been giving up its dead.
Alden's Rock, two miles southeast by east
from the Cape Elizabeth lights, is yerv