The Portland daily press., 1888-11-27
RELEASING THE PRISONERS.
How Ice Bound Vessels at Bangor
Were Sent Down River.

BANGOR. Nov. 26.-A very peculiar and a
very uncomfortable day was Sunday in Ban
gor. Down on the docks there was an an
xious crowd of shippers who commanded the
schooners, big and little. 1t was an impor-
tant day for them. Not to get clear of the
river Sunday meant months of idleness and
heavy expenses for their craft Every craft
was made as fast as was possible, and the
amount of big new rope which was stretched
from vessel to vessel, and from vessel to
pier, confirmed the report that the Bangor
market had been cleaned out of heavy cord
age Anchors were out, too, and everybody
about the vessels seemed on the alert.
Across the river were vessels which had
been driven well up on to the land by the
rush of ice, while around others were masses
of anchor ice, which had piled itself higher
than the decks, and in one instance craft
forcibly reminded one of some of the illus
trations in DR.. Kane's book, taken in the
Arctic regions. At this mass of ice the big
tug Bismarck made drive The Bismarck
is the second best tug in the country, her
superior being the Bath craft recently built
The ice does not give much at the first at
tack, and the tug backs into the river. Then
the gong sounds to 'go. ahead" Then the
jingle bell is heard, and away goes the craft
again at the ice foe. The jingle bell means
"full speed" and moment later the tug
dashes like lion into the mass. 1t yields
and breaks away, and large patches go rush.
ing down stream in the rapid current
But this same current was carrying load
all the time, for up and down the river, as
far as the eye could reach, there was moth
ing to be seen but anchor ice. Not the thin,
shelly article, but foes an acre or more in
extent and from one to four inches thick,
hi 0h ufcfa nd fr.r rf.,At Ak,s.
smaller neighbors and forcing them under
water. Amid all this the powerful tug
worked, and in one ease she parted four
hawsers before she started a vessel from the
Ice. In the meantime the Ralph Ross, as
good boat as can be found in New York
bay, rushed away down river with big and
valuable three-master partly loaded. Soon
she returned, and through the day all were
busy In getting up anchors which had been
let 60 when tho freshet came, and which
were badly fouled. A big barkentine was
too light to start, and as her captain would
take no chances by remaining, all available
teams were employed through the day in
hauling stone for ballast, two miles away,
the amount so carted down being upwards
OF one hundred tons. Six vessels, most of
them In Kenduskeag stream, were hopeless
ly involved and were left, but at night by
Tar the larger portion started away.
The value of the craft, lumber, scows,
ETC., which were in danger, and which suf-
1ered more or less, was almost half million
of dollars. OF the more serious accidents,
there may be mentioned that to schooner
Edward Rich Of Deer Isle, which lost her
bowsprit, cathead and forward rigging; the
schooner Majestic, which was literally
thrown upon the schooner Mary +. Carson,
loaded and about to sail for Florida. The
Majestic lost her bowsprit, main and jib
booms. The three-masted schooner john
Case, of Jonesport, had her forward gear
carried away, her main rigging torn away on
the port side, both catheads smashed and
rail badly stove. Her planking was also cut
and crushed by the ice. The damage here
aloEe must be over $1,000 The LAME Cobb,
loaded, was somewhat injured, while the
Omaha, Passport and others were well shak-
en- up.
Fully 100000 feet of lumber of all kinds
was caught in the swirling flood and carried
away, as we're also a number of scows and
some boats. The big floating stage at the
head of the ferry slip was turned upside
down, and wherever the ice reached proper
ty other than the piers, the damage was
large. All old lumbermen and rivermen
agree that never within their memory, has
there been seen such an amount Of floating
ice in the river, and still it comes sweeping
down there yet being no signs of abatement.