The Portland daily press., 1889-07-24
SAILING WITHOUT CAPTAIN OR CREW.
The Last Voyage Of a Vessel Made
Famous by Misfortune.
Driven From Her Anchorage After
Being Abandoned In a Gale.
Six Men Drowned While Landing In
the Small Boats.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, July 23.-Capt. j.
G. I.apham, of the bark Mary Frazier. of
Edgartown, before reported found floating
at sea abandoned and set on fire by British
steamer as dangerous obstacle to naviga-
tion, arrived today. The nautical instru-
ments and some personal property were
taken on board the steamer and carried to
Boston. Capt Lapham gave further parti-
culars OF the abandonment of the Mary
Frazier After the bark was released by the
Portuguese authorities at Fayal, In response
10 the demand from our State Department,
she sailed for the Island of Flores, where
Capt. Lapham desired to complete
his complement of men. At
Flores Capt. I.apham was informed
by the authorities that he would not be per-
mitted to recruit men or receive letters ur-
less the ship was anchored. Word was sent
to anchor the ship, though there was no suit
able anchorage in case of a change of wind.
AT about 8 p. m, May Goth, wind sprang
up from an adverse quarter and the ship
dragged towards the shore. The captain
and first officer were on shore and the Sec
0nd and third mates on board. The wind
increased and there was no apparent proba-
biity, of saving the ship from going ashore.
Two boats were then launched containing
eight and 10 men. The angry sea was set
ting directly in for the shore. On reaching
the surf the smaller boat capsiZed and Third
Mate Cooper and five sailors were drowned.
The large boat was stove but the men
reached shore. Both boats were entirely de-
strOyed.
Captain Lapham offered $50 to any one
who would put him on board the bark but
was unable to secure passage During the
night the wind changed and the Mary Fra
zier swung away from the shore, parted her
cables and drifted out to sea. Captain Lap
ham lost his chrOn0meter, sextant and all his
personal property, including his money left
on board. The loss of his papers prevents
him from knowing the names of the lost
men. Three belonged in Fayal, one, he
thinks, in Pico, and the fifth was native of
the Cape de Verde islands.
Captain Lapham has been on trial three
times in the Portuguese dominions. The
first was on charge of smuggling at Pico,
and the second on the same charge at Fayal.
He was cleared each time. A few days af
ter the drowning of the men at Flores,
court OF inquiry was convened at Flores.
Through the idiosyncracies of the POrtu-
guese laws, Captain Lapham was not sum-
court was supposed to have investigated the
case but the result was not made public. 1t
presumably discharged the captain as he
heard nothing of the matter afterwards.
A Dangerous OBSTACLE.
HIGHLAND LIGHT, Mass, July 23.-The
tugs Argus and E. A. Burke abandoned the
Derelict they have been trying the past three
days to tow in, at 6 p. m. They were only
able to move her half mile from day
light to dark. Today the wreck was bottom
up, and probably both anchors were down.
She bears east southeast, seven miles from
Highland Light and directly in the path of
vessels. She shows but little above the
water, being a dangerous obstruction to
navigation.