The Portland daily press., 1888-03-14
EAST INpIAMEk.
Career of the Second india Ship
Portland.
Wreck of the Grand Turk In Port
land Harbor-
Cape Elizabeth Shores strewn with
Chinese Goods.
rHon. william Goold.l

fOJUbO'
Soon after the end of the war Of 1872, an
other ship of the same name, and for the
same trade was built here by Captain Asa
Clapp, and Mathew Cobb, notas business
firm, but each owned an equal share Of her,
and several other vessels. The shipwright
was Daniel Herrick who had yard near the
foot of State street. His house was the one
formerly on the south corner Of Free and
Brown streets which was burnt 10 1872.
The new Portland was of abeHt five hum
dred tons, with hull, yards, ami mast heads
painted black. Capt. Webster of Cape Eliz-
abeth, commanded her on her hrst voyage to
Bombay. am indebted to A. W. ii. Clapp,
Esq, son of one of the owners for some
facts about the voyages Of ttls ship. Her
first voyage to Calcutta, was not profitable.
She lost $4,000 for her owners. After the
settlement of the voyage, Capt Clapp asked
Cobb the joint owner, what ne thought 1t
was best to do with the Portland. Cobb re-,
piled "haul her up; she has lost money
enough"
Capt Clapp said, 81 know Of no better
place to look for lost money than the place
where it was lost" Cobb was timid and
would not venture another voyage. A month
later, Cobb asked Clapp what he proposed to
do with the Portland. Clapp replied "she is
nearly loaded for the East Indies" Cobb
said, "but l have never authorized it." Il
know it, says Clapp, 81 have not run you in
debt; when you refused, began to load the
ship on my own account" The next day
Cobb came in and said hesitatingly to Clapp.
81 think will take my half of the risk Of
another voyage of the Portland to India"
and did SO. This voyage was fortunate, and
paid the loss ON the former one, and hand
some margin left to the ships credit.
The second Portland was ship of my own
days. My brief knowledge of her was in
the Fall of 1928. Mr.. Cobb had lost his
health, and had sold his half of the ships to
his partner Capt Clapp. He died the next
year. The Portland came in on a Sunday,
under the command of Pineas Drinkwater,
regular old sea Turk, with a cargo of heavy
goods; at least she was deep loaded.
full rugged ship was great curiosity to me,
and watched every day movements, there
were only two other ships then belonging to
the port. The next day the Portland was
hauled into the dock on the north side Of
Long wharf, where were Capt. Clapp's ware
houses and counting-room. The docks then
reached up across the present Com
mercal street. A day or two af-
ter, l went down one morning.
and foun Capt. Drinkwater ON the wharf,
excitedly chewing tobacco and giving orders
to the well-known black crew of stevedores,
who were trying to get the ship further up
the dock. They had rugged an immense pur-
chase, with fourfold blocks larger than
barrel and fall Of proportional size. One
block was fast to the foremast of the ship,
and the other was secured to posts and rings
in the capsill of the wharf. The fall was
taken to the ships windlass. The head stew
edore was leading in one of their songs and
all Joined in the refrain of "heave hearty
lads" while they were heaying hearty at the
windlass. The ship was in the mud and
was drawn ahead very slowly, the captain re-
minding his men that the tide was falling.
Then came creaking of the overstra ined
blocks. and surge of the fall an the wind
lass. A crowd was In attendance as usual
when thoy heard the wild song OF "Massa
craig" and his stalwart crew. A Long wharf
merchant came along and said, Captain,
what are you doing with the Portland2''
The reply was, Il am hauling her up to No.
3 to discharge ner cargo, by order OF her
owner" But" said the merchant, "do you
think you can get her there through the
dock mud" said Drinkwater, "her upper
works W i'll go there, don't know about her
bottom; heave away lively menp 1t
seemed from Capt Drinkwater's explana-
tion to the merchant that he told Capt.
Clapp that the ship could not be got up
the dock SO far safely, deer. as she was.
On the return of Capt. Clapp from two or
three DAYS absence from town he found
that the ship had not been hauled to her
berth as directed. He was an old shipmas-
ter himself, and was impatient II his orders
were neglected. He poohed at Drinkwater's
remonstrance and said that deeper ship
with hemp and iron from Cronstadt had dis
charged into that warehouse, and directed
him to be ready with a crew at the next
highwater, and haul the Portland TO her
berth. Hence Drinkwaters expression that
her upperworks would go there If her bottom
did not. With the powerful appliances the
captain forced the ship to her place as direc-
ted, but when she was discharged she had
to be placed in the grazing dock 70 have aye nef
lose his employment. Among the clearan-
ces January "a, 1924 is this: "Ship Portland,
Drinkwater, New Orleans, Asa Clapp..
Capt. Drinkwater had been long in Clapp's
employ. In 1911 he is reported as arriving
in Portland in command of the ship America
from the Cape of Good Hope, to Asa Clapp.
| am unable to give the final end of the Port
land.
In loU5, Marcn lOtn, tne snip WASH
ington, Capt. Skilings, cleared at this port
for Bombay. but am unable to ascertain
her ownership.
In 1906. June 18th, the ship Susan, Capt,
Hinkley, 130 days from Calcutta, for Boston,
put in here in distress. The most noted East
Indiamen ever in Portland harbor was the
Grand Turk of Salem, from China, in De-
cember 1897. The Boston Centinel of the
time said her cargo was ''greater in respect
to value than ever arrived in America from
that part of the world"
In the spring of 1851 was looking over
1.-THE site Of Col. Cushing's mercantile estab-
llishment at Cushing's Point just beyond the
breakwater. 1t was dead low water, and at
the water line, saw man whom knew,
looking earnestly among the pebbles for
something, and went to him to learn what
was his object. He had lived at the point
when boy. He said he was looking LOT
pieces of peculiarly colored Chinese por-
celain that had come out of the ship Grand
Turk when she was wrecked at this point;
He took me to house near by and showed
me some samples saved from the wreck more
than sixty years before, but could give me
no particulars. This was new 70 me,
wondered that so valuable acargo should De
lost in the harbor, and that there was no
mention of it by historical writers. | knew
Mr.. Willis, and supposed that all local
history given for our learning was invested
in him. To my inquiry about tne wreck, ne
said no such wreck could have happened, or
he must have heard of it. The sight, OF the
transparent porcelain ware preserved near
the spot was good evidence to me that such
a wreck had happened. next called on Mr.
Isaac Ilsley, then S6years old, who had always
lived in town, and was shlpwrlght In his
Younger days. lie had also been for nearly
thirty wears collector of customs. In answer
to nv mention of the Grand Turk, Mr.. Ilsley
smiled and said have not thought of that
wreck for many years, but the circumstances
of ii are familiar to me yet. | was dancing
at ball given to Capt. Magee and his OH
GERS at the old assembly room yet standing
on India street, when the boatswain Of the
shin came rushing into the hall with his
boats crew. who had been waiting to take
the officers on board. On seeing the officers
of the shin. the boatswain blew his whistle
as when he was about to give an order. The
music stopped and he cried out "the ship Is
going ashore" At the same time the alarm
guns were heard from the ship. There was
no more dancing that night. All rushed to
| the shore to see what caused the alarm and
| ali that could, started for the ship in silk
stockings. tbreeches and shoes with silver
| buckles. The ship had appeared in the
| offing with signal Of distress flying week
| or more before, when Capt. Johnl Thorlo
! with a boats crew, went out and brought
her to her anchorage on what is now the
| quarantine ground.
From a file of the Boston Centinel OF the
time, take the following facts; Of course
they are authentic.
| rrho folio,ying is from the Centinel of Ian